Ruiz Confirmation Continues All-Female Board of Water and Power Commissioners
LOS ANGELES (July 12, 2022)– Cynthia M. Ruiz has been confirmed as the newest member of the Los Angeles Board of Water and Power Commissioners. Ruiz was appointed to the Board by Mayor Eric Garcetti after Board Vice President Susana Reyes departed the Board to join the Board of Public Works. Ms. Ruiz joins Board President Cynthia McClain-Hill and Board Members Jill Banks Barad, Mia Lehrer and Nicole Neeman Brady. With her appointment and confirmation, LADWP’s Board continues to be comprised of all women – a first for the Department and the only all-female Board in the City of Los Angeles.
“Cynthia is a dedicated public servant who has spent her career putting the well-being of Angelenos – especially our most vulnerable and low-income residents – above all else,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti. “Her commitment to build a more sustainable and just City makes her a powerful addition to the Commission, and her historic confirmation marks a critical continuation of progress on the road to true equity and representation.”
Commissioner Ruiz’s appointment is also historic. As a member of the Cherokee Nation, she is the first-known member of a federally-recognized tribe to serve on the Board of Water and Power Commissioners during its 122-year history.
Ms. Ruiz has a long history of service to the City of Los Angeles. Prior to her appointment and confirmation to the Board of Water and Power Commissioners, she served as Commission President for the Los Angeles City Employee Retirement System (LACERS) where she oversaw a multibillion-dollar pension portfolio. She also previously served for nearly eight years on the City of LA’s Board of Public Works, starting in 2003, including serving as its President from 2005 to 2011.
“My fellow Commissioners and I look forward to working with Commissioner Ruiz to continue advancing access to programs that help reduce utility bills for our most vulnerable customers and working toward an equitable and clean energy future for all of LA,” said Cynthia McClain-Hill, President of the Board of Water and Power Commissioners.
“As a lifelong Angeleno, it is an honor to continue my service to the City of Los Angeles by joining the all-female Board, as LADWP continues to grow a sustainable future for the nation’s largest municipal utility,” said newly-appointed Commissioner Ruiz.
With over twenty years of experience teaching and public speaking, Ruiz is currently a professor teaching leadership at the University of West Los Angeles School of Business at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. She is also a best-selling author, executive coach, inspirational speaker, and leadership expert.
Ruiz has received the Cherokee Nation “Community Leader of the Year Award” for her service to her Tribe as well as the Cherokee Phoenix- Seven Feathers award and was most recently honored by the Los Angeles Business Journal as Mentor of the Year.
For more information about the Board of Water and Power Commissioners, visit www.ladwpcommission.com.
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