Thomas V. Wornham Elected Chair of San Diego County Water Authority Board

September 27, 2012

The San Diego County Water Authority Board of Directors today elected new officers to lead the agency’s board for the…

The San Diego County Water Authority Board of Directors today elected new officers to lead the agency’s board for the next two years.

Thomas V. Wornham, retired executive vice president and regional manager of Wells Fargo Bank and a representative for the city of San Diego, will serve as chair.  Richard K. Smith, a retired geotechnical consultant and a representative of the Helix Water District, will serve as vice chair.  Outgoing Board Chair Michael T. Hogan, Santa Fe Irrigation District representative and retired general manager of Encina Wastewater Authority,will serve as secretary.  Their two-year terms begin October 1.

“It’s an honor my peers elected me to serve as chair,” Wornham said.  “We are fortunate to have a seasoned team of dedicated, professional staff and board members working on many fronts to overcome the many obstacles and challenges to providing a safe and reliable water supply for our region’s 3.1 million people and $186 billion economy. 

“As we look forward, it is with the knowledge and perspective that past chairs and past boards have had the courage and foresight to make difficult decisions to ensure future generations would have a reliable water supply,” Wornham said.  “We will continue to balance the need for supply diversification and infrastructure investment with the economic realities that face our ratepayers.  All of us who serve in this effort do so to ensure future generations of San Diegans will have the ability to make sensible, visionary water policy decisions by choice, and will avoid being forced into potentially desperate actions in response to avoidable crises.”

Wornham joined the Water Authority Board in May 2006.   He served as vice chair for the past two years and as secretary from 2008 to 2010.  He has held numerous positions with the Water Authority, including chair of the Administrative and Finance Committee and vice chair of the Legislation, Conservation and Outreach Committee.

Wornham has served the community as past chair of the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors and past chair of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.  He also co-chaired the 2004 Proposition A TransNet Committee, helping to secure voter approval of the measure that will generate approximately $14 billion for 47 major transportation improvement projects throughout the San Diego region.

Smith joined the Water Authority Board in 2007.  He previously served as secretary and on the Administrative and Finance Committee and Engineering and Operations Committee.  He also served as vice chair of the Conservation Ad Hoc Committee and as the Helix Water District representative at the Water Conservation Garden Joint Powers Authority.

Hogan, who represents the Santa Fe Irrigation District, joined the board in 2006 and has served as chair the past two years.  He served as general manger of the Encina Wastewater Authority from 1998 to 2009. He also has served as director and president of the California Water Environment Association and director for the Southern California Alliance of Public Owned Treatment Works. He also served on the San Elijo Joint Powers Authority Citizen Advisory Committee on Water Reclamation and as a San Diego Clean Water Program committee member.

The San Diego County Water Authority’s 36-member board, representing 24 retail member water agencies, meets on the fourth Thursday of each month January through October and on the second Thursday in December.  (This year the December meeting was moved to November 29 because of schedule conflicts.) Board meetings take place at the Water Authority’s office at 4677 Overland Avenue in San Diego.  The public may review Board documents and listen to board meetings live at www.sdcwa.org.

  • The San Diego County Water Authority sustains a $268 billion regional economy and the quality of life for 3.3 million residents through a multi-decade water supply diversification plan, major infrastructure investments and forward-thinking policies that promote fiscal and environmental responsibility. A public agency created in 1944, the Water Authority delivers wholesale water supplies to 23 retail water providers, including cities, special districts and a military base.

    Media Contact Information

    Jordan Beane

    Phone: (858) 221-3975

    Email: jbeane@sdcwa.org