Building on a Legacy to Plan our Water Future
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Nearly 100 years ago, Metropolitan held its founding meeting in Pasadena. At that time, the first board chairman, William Whitsett stated, “Whatever is done should be done for the benefit of the whole and whatever is done for the benefit of the whole should be shared by all of the parts.”
Last week, Metropolitan's current Board embraced that spirit of regional cooperation when it gathered at that same hotel for a two-day meeting to outline steps for important decisions facing the district in the months and years ahead.
While the directors in attendance recognized that their agencies each rely on Metropolitan in different ways, they all depend on Metropolitan and want to see the agency succeed.
A key topic was Metropolitan’s evolving role to provide water to its 26 member agencies at a time when demands from some communities are shifting and a changing climate is impacting supplies.
The board also heard about finances and investments, and provided direction to staff on the 2020 Integrated Resources Plan. These topics are outlined in a
white paper
.
No final actions were taken at the meeting, which was open to the public. But the gathering did provide direction to staff and management about information the Board wants to consider in order to make decisions at future meetings.
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A Taste of Community with a Dash of Soul
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On a recent Saturday, about a dozen Metropolitan staff - mostly members of the Black Employee Association - joined a crowd of 300,000 to celebrate at the Annual Taste of Soul event in Crenshaw.
Metropolitan is one of many sponsors of the family festival, the largest of its kind in the nation. The event celebrates all things soulful which includes entertainment and education. Metropolitan's booths represented HR and recruitment, education, conservation and business outreach, and attracted thousands of visitors interested in jobs, business opportunities and water-saving rebates.
Benita Horn
, Metropolitan’s lead organizer for the event, was appreciative of the district’s sponsorship, adding “it is a great way to promote our workforce by investing in causes that are important to us.” Chairwoman Gray also attended, participating on the main stage event and expressing her appreciation to Met staff.
The 12-hour shift brought a chance to interact with the diverse community. "There was a lot of interest in job opportunities from young people who didn’t know about career possibilities in the water industry," Benita said.
Met's volunteer roster included
Ken Ashford, Dante Boyd, Benita Horn, Rickita Hudson, Virginia Maddox, Lydia McGee, Royetta Perry, Ron Shute, Ashley Tucker, Octavia Tucker, Matt Vizio
and
Oscar Yanez.
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Through the Lens, She Sees Great Beauty
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When you first see her photos, it’s clear that
Adriana Marquez
has both talent and passion for capturing beautiful scenes that are infused with energy and style. She brings that same energy to her work as an administrative assistant in the Engineering Services group where she has worked for a little more than a year.
After spending part of her career with a law firm and a financial services corporation, she made the move to Metropolitan in 2018. Here, she works on programs ranging from technology to project management to board letters.
A native of Inglewood and a graduate of Cal State Los Angeles,
Adriana
and her husband of 31 years have four children. “I've always loved photography and have taken lots of pictures, but most were of family members and not concentrating too much on lighting, centering and other tricks I’m learning now,” she says.
In 2012, she bought a Canon Rebel T2 camera for a trip to Europe. “That’s when I discovered my true love for photography,” she says.
Some of
Adriana’s
photos of her recent trips are part of the annual MWD Photography Club display in the HQ lobby, including ones from vacations in Mexico City and Costa Rica. “I was nervous about displaying my photos because I wasn't sure they would be good enough,” she said. “Now I see that everyone has their own style. As long as you like what you see, it’ll be the perfect shot.”
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