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David H. Wright, an established utility industry executive has been confirmed by the Los Angeles City Council as the new general manager of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP). Wright was confirmed by a unanimous vote of those city council members present, 13-0, with councilmen Felipe Fuentes and Mike Bonin absent. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti had nominated Wright for the position and was approved in August by the Board of Water and Power Commissioners.
Wright is familiar with LADWP having served as the agency’s chief operating officer since February 2015. As COO Wright was responsible for Water and Power Systems, Customer Service and Information Technology Services, Supply Chain Services, Human Resources, Fleet Services, Equal Employment Opportunity Services and Communications, Marketing and Community Affairs. Since August 16, Wright has been serving as Interim General Manager, succeeding outgoing General Manager Marcie Edwards.
“I am honored and excited to accept this position and will be fully dedicated to meeting LADWP’s goals to accelerate replacement of infrastructure, bring more sustainable sources of water and power to LA, and improving how we serve our customers,” Wright said shortly after being confirmed by the City Council.
Mayor Garcetti indicated that one of Wright’s first assignments is the creation of a “customer bill of rights.” This document will spell out specific service guarantees for LADWP customers. The American Customer Service Index, released in May, ranked the LADWP as 67 out of 100 for customer satisfaction.
Wright has a broad-based knowledge of both water and electric utility operations, having served as general manager of Riverside Public Utilities for nearly ten years. He also served as the Chief Financial Officer for the Las Vegas Valley Water District, the Southern Nevada Water Authority, and the Silver State Energy Association, overseeing a nearly $1 billion budget for the three water and electric organizations. Wright spent 15 years with the City of Riverside serving as Deputy General Manager and as Riverside’s City Controller.
His extensive experience in utility management, finance and customer service will aid the agency as it works to integrate 50 percent renewable energy by the year 2030 and to create a more drought-resistant water infrastructure that is less dependent on more expensive, imported water. In his role as COO with LADWP, Wright was instrumental in helping correct some of the issues created during the implementation of a new Customer Information System.
Wright holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and an MBA from California State University, Fullerton. Edwards, who served as LADWP’s chief since March 2014, is staying on through the end of the year in an advisory role.
