With more than 20 years of service at LADWP, Interim General Manager David W. Hanson has worked across the Department in roles spanning operations, safety, training, construction, maintenance, and executive leadership. A graduate of LADWP’s Electrical Mechanic Training Program and former Chief Operating Officer and Senior Assistant General Manager of the Power System, Hanson recently stepped into the role of Interim General Manager following a unanimous vote of the Los Angeles Board of Water and Power Commissioners.

In this Q&A with Intake, Hanson reflects on the leadership lessons that shaped him – from his time serving in the U.S. Navy to his career journey through LADWP – while sharing his thoughts on reliability, innovation, workforce support, and the priorities guiding the Department forward.

Before joining LADWP, you served in the U.S. Navy. How did that experience shape your approach to leadership and public service?

The military reinforces leadership from day one. It teaches you that it’s not just about yourself – it’s about your shipmates and the mission you’re trying to accomplish together. I remember realizing in boot camp that the goal wasn’t just to get to one person squared away, but to make sure the entire team was squared away. That mindset stayed with me throughout my career.

There’s a lot on the line in the military when it comes to command, accountability, and teamwork. Construction sites are similar because there’s also a strong safety component. It’s important to have unity of command, leadership, and personal accountability.

Your career at LADWP spans more than 20 years, and you have seen the Department from many perspectives. You joined LADWP as an Electrical Mechanic and most recently served as Chief Operating Officer and Senior Assistant General Manager of the Power System. How have these diverse experiences and perspectives shaped how you approach this new role?

A lot of my leadership approach comes from my time as a crew supervisor. You learn quickly what kind of leader you want to be and what matters most.

A leadership book called Mission, Men, and Me had a big impact on me. The philosophy was simple: accomplish the mission, look out for the men and women in your crew, and put yourself last. If you take care of the team, everything else falls into place.

I believe in implementing needed change but not change for the sake of change. Too often, people get stuck waiting for perfection instead of moving forward. I’d rather make a mistake, learn from it, and keep improving than hesitate and accomplish nothing.

The different roles I’ve held also gave me a broader operational perspective. My time in Transmission and Distribution was especially important because it helped me better understand the work of our lineworkers and the challenges they face during heat storms and other emergencies.

My union experience also shaped me. It gave me exposure to the bigger picture and opportunities to work with leadership across the Department. I always approached those experiences with the goal of improving conditions for the group and supporting my teammates.

As you step into this new role, how are you approaching the balance between maintaining continuity and identifying areas for improvement? What are you focused on in the near term as you settle into this role?

Over the past year, our leadership team worked together to develop a strategic plan following the Palisades Fire. Because we built that plan together, it makes sense to continue moving forward in the same direction.

We have a strong leadership team in place, and now we can focus on engaging the full workforce for implementation. At the same time, there’s been a significant amount of change happening across the Department, and we need to be mindful of change fatigue.

We remain committed to our clean energy goals, but we also need realistic deadlines and staff expectations. One of my top priorities right now is improving the electrical new business process because it directly affects customers, developers, elected officials, and the public.

You’ve also played a role in major efforts to modernize infrastructure and expand clean energy. How do you think about LADWP’s role moving forward in delivering reliable and sustainable service.

The goal is to find opportunities to bring clean energy and reliability together. Reliability is the foundation that clean energy must be built upon – decarbonizing electricity depends on meeting essential reliability needs.

There’s no single solution when it comes to renewable energy. It takes a combination of generation, storage, transmission, and distribution infrastructure working together. One of our biggest needs is continued investment in the distribution system so we can reliably deliver power to customers.

We’ve underinvested in distribution infrastructure for a long time, and we’re seeing the impacts during major heat events. Reliability and resiliency must remain a priority as we continue advancing clean energy goals. When we invest in clean energy we invest in our future.

You have been closely involved in Operations, Safety, and supporting teams in the field. Based on these experiences, how do you think we can best support our workforce?

You either work in the field or support somebody who does. Everything should be centered around supporting the employees performing the work every day. Managers need to listen to employees and involve them in the process. We already have strong collaboration tools through Joint Labor Management committees and Mutual Gains Bargaining, and it’s important that we continue using those opportunities to hear directly from employees.

Frontline employees are also the face of the Department. They interact with customers every day, so it’s important they understand the bigger picture and feel included in the Department’s strategic vision.

How do you balance the need for innovation with the operational demands of running a large organization?

Innovation for the sake of innovation isn’t helpful. Any new process or technology has to meet the needs of both employees and customers. If we introduce tools that employees can’t use effectively or don’t see value in, then we’ve missed the mark. The people using these systems every day have to be part of the conversation.

At the same time, leadership can’t avoid change simply because some people are uncomfortable with it. The key is including employees in the process, listening to their feedback, and using their input to help guide decisions.

What do you want employees to feel or experience under your leadership?

I started in the substations after serving in the Navy and going through the Electrical Mechanic Training Program. One of the things I want employees to know is that you can come into this Department in different roles and build a meaningful career here. I’m proof of that.

I want employees to feel included and supported. People respond best when they understand the purpose behind decisions and feel like they’re part of the process. That means leadership has to put in the work – listening to employees, meeting people where they are, making time for conversations, and being present. When employees feel heard and invested in the mission, they become the Department’s strongest advocate.