SCWC HONORS REP. GRACE NAPOLITANO; HOSTS KEYNOTE SPEAKER JUDGE OLIVER WANGER AT UPCOMING 27TH ANNUAL DINNER

November 1, 2011

SCWC HONORS REP. GRACE NAPOLITANO; HOSTS KEYNOTE SPEAKER JUDGE OLIVER WANGER AT UPCOMING 27TH ANNUAL DINNER
Organization Welcoming Hundreds of Leaders from throughout California to the
Nov. 17th Annual Dinner

Los Angeles, CA—The Southern California Water Committee (SCWC) announced today that Congresswoman Grace Napolitano will be awarded the organization’s prestigious Harriett Wieder Water Leadership Award at the upcoming 27th Annual Dinner, joining special guest and keynote speaker U.S. District Court Judge Oliver Wanger (Ret.).  The November 17th event is drawing in leaders from throughout the state, with nearly 500 attendees expected.

Each year, SCWC looks at the state’s many water leaders and selects an individual who has stood out for his or her leadership and achievement in water. Congresswoman Grace Napolitano was selected this year for her sponsorship of the Hoover Power Allocation Act of 2011—a key piece of legislation for Southern California water agencies. The bill, which has passed through the House and the Senate, will reauthorize Hoover Dam power distribution for the next 50 years. The Hoover Dam provides power for 29 million people, businesses and public utilities, including Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Southern California Edison, Pasadena, Glendale, Riverside, Anaheim and Burbank.  Since World War II, Hoover Dam hydroelectricity has been a very cost effective renewable energy supply for southern California and has been critical infrastructure to support economic growth.

“Congresswoman Napolitano has shown great leadership this year, taking action to ensure that the Hoover Dam can continue serving millions of people with the power needed to keep homes, businesses and utilities up and running,” said Rich Atwater, executive director of the Southern California Water Committee. “The Harriett Wieder Water Leadership Award is given to someone who puts ideas into actions and implements solutions—we’re pleased to present Representative Napolitano with this much-deserved award.”

The 2011 Annual Dinner will also feature U.S District Court Judge Oliver Wanger (Ret.) as keynote speaker. Throughout the past two decades, Judge Wanger has ruled on some of the most important and high profile cases in California water. Throughout his tenure, he has been credited by all stakeholders with insightful and thoughtful deliberations.  The SCWC Annual Dinner will be one of Judge Wanger’s first appearances since retiring from the bench earlier this fall.

“After years of following the legal battles that came through Judge Wanger’s courtroom, SCWC is honored to have him keynote our Annual Dinner,” added Atwater. “Hearing Judge Wanger’s unique perspective on the state of California water policy is an opportunity that shouldn’t be missed.”

The SCWC 2011 Annual Dinner is the region’s premiere networking event for water, business, agriculture, local government, labor and environmental leaders. The event is being held on November 17 at the Pacific Palms Resort in the City of Industry. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit http://socalwater.org/events-and-calendar/event-registration.

SCWC, founded in 1984, has been a voice for Southern California throughout the past quarter century, navigating complicated water issues and playing a critical role in building water policy consensus throughout the region and the state. Since its beginning, the SCWC has been the only organization in the region bringing the diverse interests of local government, water agencies, business, labor and agricultural organizations together on California’s water issues. The organization has played a leading role in launching regional public education and policy development efforts on critical water supply issues, including urban water planning, stormwater capture and water recycling, infrastructure planning and water quality.

This week, SCWC launched a regional public education and outreach program focused on the vulnerabilities in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and the solutions offered with implementation of the Bay Delta Conservation Plan. More information on the program, entitled “Delta Disrupted”, can be obtained at http://www.socalwater.org/delta-disrupted.

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