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LONG BEACH, CALIF. (FEB. 24, 2023) — Board of Utilities Commissioners President Gloria Cordero will begin her seventh year serving on the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, or MWD, Board of Directors, following her reappointment by Mayor Rex Richardson Tuesday.
“Gloria is a tremendous voice for Long Beach on the Metropolitan Water District Board of Directors,” Richardson said. “Her knowledge about the complexities of water, Long Beach’s need for this critical resource and relationships with organizations and leaders across the country are especially important as we deal with climate change, drought and equity across the region.”
Cordero has served on the MWD Board since 2016, representing Long Beach in key conversations and decisions about the regional water supply, drought resiliency and conservation initiatives.
“The sources and reliability of our drinking water have never been more top of mind,” Cordero said. “I am honored Mayor Richardson has entrusted me to represent Long Beach in critical decisions about the future of water in our region. Amid Climate Change and record drought, I will continue to be a voice for responsible water conservation, climate adaptations and innovative infrastructure.”
Under Cordero’s leadership on the MWD Board, Long Beach has joined MWD on several critical actions including:
- A Memorandum of Understanding with Southern California’s municipal users to reduce reliance on Colorado River water
- An agreement to collaborate on Pure Water Southern California, a major recycled water project in Carson, Calif., in partnership with the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, to produce up to 150 million gallons of water daily to offset reliance on imported water
- A portfolio of innovative water conservation programs benefitting Long Beach residents and businesses and led to significant water savings in the city over the past several years
Cordero has been a key voice in many aspects of MWD operations and planning. In October 2022, she championed MWD’s first-ever agency wide project labor agreement supporting working families across Southern California.
“Director Cordero is an active and respected member of the MWD Board of Directors and I look forward to seeing her leadership going forward,” said MWD Board Chairman Adán Ortega. “Her work on critical issues on drought resiliency has earned her a nomination to the State of California’s Colorado River Board at a time when discussions with the other six basin states that use the river have never been more intense.”
Cordero serves on several MWD Board committees:
- Equity, Inclusion & Affordability Committee, Vice Chair
- Legal and Claims Committee, Member
- Ethics, Organization and Personnel Committee, Member
- One Water and Stewardship Committee, Member
- Ad Hoc Committee on Facilities Naming, Member
Cordero has served on the Long Beach Board of Water Commissioners, now the Board of Utilities Commissioners, since 2015 and was elected president in 2023.
She has a long history of community service in Long Beach, where she has served as a board member for the Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Long Beach, Long Beach Nonprofit Partnership and the California Conference for Equality and Justice. She is currently a member of the Long Beach YMCA Metro Board.
Cordero’s work has extended beyond Long Beach and California. She has volunteered for more than 40 years with the Navajo Nation, appointed in 1992 by the first president of the Navajo Nation, Pete Zah, to the Board of the First Navajo and Library Foundation in Window Rock, Arizona. She also serves on the Board of Directors for DIGDEEP, a national human rights nonprofit working to ensure that every American has clean, running water forever.
A Long Beach native, Cordero received her master’s degree in public administration from the University of Southern California and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from California State University, Long Beach.
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