Hawkins re-elected board president for West Valley Water District

West Valley Water District (WVWD) Board of Directors have re-elected Channing Hawkins as board president to continue the organization’s strong track record in providing greater accountability, transparency and progress for the ratepayers, employees and region.

“I think there’s a lot more we can do as a team and organization and I am truly honored that my board colleagues agree,” said WVWD Board President Channing Hawkins. “We’re already being recognized by national leading organizations for our work. Next year, we’re going to create a 5-year plan that will expand our capability to better serve ratepayers, modernize our infrastructure and use our resources more efficiently. For 2022 and beyond, it’s our mission to not only maintain our progress, but to make the West Valley Water District a world-class public utility.”

During his tenure as board president, Hawkins has helped to usher in a new era of unity and progress for WVWD. His efforts include spearheading the implementation 10 major reforms, which reforms included rigorous accounting and financial reporting measures, a new board policies and procedures manual and new water sustainability and efficiency projects. From live-streaming and video-recording board meetings to regularly posting financial and water data online, WVWD’s reforms earned the organization the Special Districts Leadership Foundation’s Transparency Certificate of Excellence. The award, which promotes transparency in operations and governance of special districts to the public, required WVWD to adhere to strict reporting and transparency rules and procedures.

As WVWD board president, Hawkins also spearheaded the creation of and is president of IEWorks, a seven-agency-strong regional workforce development consortium using training and apprenticeship programs to expand job opportunities for disadvantaged communities and ensure the region’s water and wastewater industries have enough trained professionals to meet growing water and wastewater demand. In addition to his duties at WVWD and IEWorks, Hawkins serves as commissioner of human relations for the City of Rialto and special assistant for San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors’ 5th district. Outside of his career in public service, Hawkins uses his spare time towards adult literacy training in the city of Colton and mentors at-risk youth in San Bernardino. Hawkins earned both his juris doctorate and bachelor’s degree in history from Howard University in Washington, D.C.