Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD) has appointed John Aguilar, a longtime public servant in the Coachella Valley, to the board seat recently vacated by G. Patrick O’Dowd. The appointment will be effective Dec. 9, 2020.
Aguilar was appointed to the seat today at a special meeting of the Board of Directors.
In his letter of interest for the position, Aguilar cited his strong interest in the mission of the district and his 30 years of experience in the public and private sectors.
“I have a particularly strong interest in preservation of water quality and aquifer protection and believe my comprehensive set of skills, including strategic planning, budgeting, working with local Community Organizations and decisive leadership could be of value to the Board and the Community,” he wrote in the letter. “My work with other legislative bodies and overall experience with various Public Agencies and policy makers throughout the valley, county and state will also benefit in my service as prospective Director.”
Aguilar was the only candidate to fill the Division 1 seat that was vacated when O’Dowd resigned Nov. 3 to take a post as Executive Director of the Salton Sea Authority. The board discussed an option to hold a special election to fill the seat but agreed to an appointment as the more cost-effective option. Directors must live in the division they represent.
Coachella Valley Water District is a public agency governed by a five-member board of treatment and reclamation services, regional storm water protection, groundwater management and water conservation. It serves approximately 108,000 residential and business customers across 1,000 square miles, located primarily in Riverside County, but also in portions of Imperial and San Diego counties.
