CEO and Chief Engineer Hosts Monthly Town Hall Employee Meetings
June 20 marked LADWP’s first Town Hall employee meeting, hosted by our new Chief Executive Officer and Chief Engineer Janisse Quiñones. Employees filed into the John Ferraro Building’s (JFB) A-Level auditorium and joined online via Webex to learn from subject matter experts about upcoming enhancements to Department workplace operations. Topics covered at the first meeting included the implementation of Workday and Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI).
Each topic was covered during presentations, followed by a Q&A session where attendees were able to ask questions about the topics. During the Workday presentation given by Ann Santilli, Chief Financial Officer, she shared about the intuitive, cloud-based system that will help LADWP achieve our goal to unite our Human Resources, Payroll, and Financial Management systems. John Vanacore, Director of Advanced Technologies Infrastructure, and Kodi Uzomah, Power Engineering Manager, spoke on AMI and how the new system will enable the Department to enhance energy efficiency, demand response, customer engagement and grid resilience using real-time data.
The second Town Hall was held on July 18 with a presentation by Aaron Gross, Acting Chief Sustainability Officer, and Emil Abdelshehid, Assistant Director of Power New Business and Electrification, on LADWP's preparations for the 2028 Olympic Games. A second presentation on the recently published Water Infrastructure Plan was conducted Breonia Lindsey, Director of Water Distribution Division, and Paul Liu, Assistant Director of Water Engineering and Technical Services.
Town Halls will be held regularly on every third Thursday of each month. After each meeting, employees can access a recording of the presentations and other resources on MyDWP.
All staff are encouraged to join in-person or online each month to stay in-the-know about what is happening at the Department. We hope to see you at the next meeting on August 15!
Newly Appointed Chief Administrative Officer and Chiefs of Staff
On June 28, John A. Smith was announced as Chief Administrative Officer (CAO). In his role, John will work closely with the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Engineer to support the Department by overseeing the physical environment and operation services that help deliver water and power to customers. Divisions reporting to the CAO include Facilities Services, Fleet and Aviation Services, Security Services, Supply Chain Services, and Real Estate. Read more about the CAO role here.
Earlier in the month on June 10, CEO and Chief Engineer Janisse Quiñones announced two new positions that will support her in leading and overseeing System and Department-wide initiatives. Jason Rondou serves as Chief of Staff for the Power System, and Evelyn Cortez-Davis serves as Chief of Staff for the Water System. Learn more about their new roles here.
LADWP Trunk Line Construction Crew C Sets New Global Standard
LADWP Trunk Line Construction (TLC) Crew C claimed the enviable status of being the first crew in the world to install a new type of Earthquake Resistant Ductile Pipe (ERDIP). Earlier this year, the TLC crew installed the first section of 54-inch ERDIP in the City Trunk Line North (CTLN) Unit 1 Project, using a new, more efficient joint assembly.
The CTLN Unit 1 project includes four miles of 54-inch ERDIP, stretching from LADWP’s Van Norman Complex at Rinaldi Street in Granada Hills to the intersection of Arleta Avenue and Terra Bella Street in Arleta. ERDIP increases resiliency during seismic events, since the joints are designed to resist separation by allowing for expansion and deflection.
To learn more about this important water infrastructure improvement project, please visit ladwp.com/CTLN.
“The difference between the pipes we’ve installed for the Foothill Trunk Line project is that there were improvements made, such as fewer bolts to tighten, leading to a faster, more efficient installation process. Not only does this help us stay on track with our schedule, but it also helps us move through the community faster and minimize disruption.”
Genevieve Han, Manager of Trunk Line Construction Support
LADWP Shines at National Tap Off Competition
From June 11-13, LADWP’s Water Distribution teams competed in three events at the American Water Works Association’s (AWWA) Annual Conference & Exposition (ACE) 2024 event in Anaheim, CA. LADWP staff also presented at the conference, highlighting the Department’s water resiliency, innovation, and technology, as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. LADWP Water System staff also hosted a recruitment booth to attract new hires in technical, engineering, construction, and maintenance roles.
LADWP had two teams competing in the Hydrant Hysteria competition, the Hydro Kings (Alfredo Sandoval, Christopher Torres, and Timothy Gonzales) and Hydro-maniacs (Matthew Hogan, David Carlson, and Edward Astorga). This competition involves the timed assembly of a fire hydrant. Our Hydro-maniacs team came in third place overall in their first Tap Off event as a group, with a time of one minute and 13.87 seconds - only 1.21 seconds behind first place. Sergio Barragan also represented LADWP and competed in the event’s Meter Challenge competition.
A huge thank you to all the competitors for volunteering to compete, practicing all year long, and proudly representing LADWP!
Marking a Historic Pride Month
This June, LADWP employees came together with fellow Angelenos to celebrate acceptance and inclusivity during Pride Month. June 5 marked a historic day for the Department, as the Progress Flag was raised for the first time at the Department’s downtown Los Angeles headquarters, the John Ferraro Building.
On June 9, members of LADWP’s PRIDE employee resource group, who have spearheaded initiatives to support the LGBTQIA+ community at LADWP, were joined by family members, friends, and allies as they represented LADWP at the L.A. Pride Parade for the third year in a row. A contingent of 75 completed the mile-long parade route alongside one of LADWP’s all-electric F-150 vehicles and a bucket truck that was decked out in colorful designs produced by in-house staff to support and celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community here at the Department and in the communities we serve.
During Pride Month, LADWP also partnered with Enterprise University to host a Lunch and Learn information session for employees that shared information about the history and significance of Pride Month. The event also included a discussion about challenges faced by the LGBTQIA+ community, and covered effective communication tools to create a more inclusive workplace.
LADWP and the community we serve are made stronger when we embrace each other’s differences, and we thank Department staff and fellow Angelenos for sharing their support this Pride Month!
Power Construction and Maintenance Holds 100% Safety Stand Down Meetings
On June 18, LADWP’s Power Construction and Maintenance (PC&M) division hosted 100% Safety Stand Down meetings across five locations for all PC&M staff. Hundreds of PC&M team members attended the meetings to discuss the importance of safety practices in operations and in the division’s ability to provide top-notch customer service.
As LADWP’s largest division with approximately 1,860 employees, the PC&M management team maintains a strong commitment to safety compliance and creating a work environment where employees can safely perform their job duties.
With temperatures rising to extreme levels in the summer, along with other potential threats to safety, PC&M management decided to take a proactive approach to remind employees about the importance of remaining vigilant when it comes to safety. The Safety Stand Down meetings were held at various locations to reach as many PC&M division members as possible, including the John Ferraro Building (JFB), Friendship Hall, Joint Safety and Training Institute, Van Nuys Service Center and Forest Lawn Memorial Park.
“Personally, I was overwhelmed by the positive attitude of our employees and was extremely proud to see how solution-oriented they all were. It was definitely reflected in their questions and statements to the group.”
David Hanson, Director, Power Construction and Maintenance
The division plans to provide an update to staff on the discussed safety action items in the coming weeks. Thank you to the PC&M division for its leadership in this area that is crucial to Department operations.
Health and Wellness
New Partnership with Healthy Adventures Foundation to Assist LADWP Parents
Being a new parent is never easy, and thanks to a new partnership with Healthy Adventures Foundation, LADWP is here to help with an assortment of flexible new classes, related assistance, and resources to allow for a smoother transition into parenthood.
Healthy Adventures Foundation offers a comprehensive and convenient lactation support program, including enhanced support options for employees:
- Virtual Lactation and Parenting Support classes that will be held every Tuesday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. These classes can be accessed from your workspace or home, providing flexibility for your schedule.
- One-on-one consultations that can be scheduled with an experienced lactation consultant.
- Support groups where employees can connect with other new parents in a safe and supportive environment to share experiences and advice
- Parenting classes where parents will have access to a variety of resources beyond lactation support, including parenting classes to help navigate the early stages of parenthood.
- A dedicated Lactation Hotline that can be used for immediate lactation assistance or questions after hours: (619) 736-4419
- Case management to refer parents to medical care and community-based programs depending on individual needs.
For more information about these services, please visit LADWP Family Care MyDWP.
