Water and Power Associates Informing the Public about Critical Water and Energy Issues facing Los Angeles and California

Distinguished Service 'McCarthy' Award

Robert 'Bob' Yoshimura

Robert “Bob” Yoshimura retired from Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (DWP) in 1999 as the Director of Engineering and Technical Services Division in the Water System. During his 30-year career with DWP, he was involved in numerous issues such as groundwater quality in the San Fernando Basin, the first drought ordinance and conservation plan in 1977, the Owens Valley groundwater lawsuit, and the design and construction of the Los Angeles Aqueduct Filtration Plant. 

After DWP, he moved on to Parsons Corporation in Pasadena, CA where he served as a regional manager for water projects in the southwestern US and as a

project manager for the Freeport Regional Water Project in Sacramento from 2006 until completion in 2011.  Among his broad responsibilities included the management of the capital program for Southern Nevada Water Authority, the lining of the All-American Canal for the Imperial Irrigation District, and the Oxidation Retrofit Program at the Skinner Water Treatment Plant for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. 

After retiring from Parsons, Bob joined the Water & Power Associates Board of Directors in 2011 and was elected to the position of Board Secretary in 2019.  Subsequently, in 2020, he volunteered for the Editorial Review Board for the quarterly newsletter.  Since then, he has authored numerous articles regarding water industry issues and summarized speaker presentations for the newsletter. 

Bob relocated to Reno, Nevada in 2022 and retained his position on the Board of Directors.  In 2024, he relinquished his role as Board Secretary, but continues to serve on the Editorial Review Board and plans to continue writing and reviewing articles for the newsletter. 

William Mulholland Public Service Award

Jeff Kightlinger

Jeff Kightlinger was the Chief Executive Officer for The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California from 2006 to 2021. He was the longest serving CEO in the history of Metropolitan. As CEO, he oversaw Metropolitan’s $1.8 billion annual budget and 1,800 employees. He was also responsible for Metropolitan’s daily water and power operations and negotiated strategic agreements on the Colorado River, the 50-year renewal of Hoover Dam hydroelectric power and on the operations of the State Water Project.

Prior to becoming CEO, Kightlinger was metropolitan’s chief legal officer, and a known expert on water law and the law of the Colorado River.

The Metropolitan Water District is the largest municipal water provider in the nation delivering an average of over 2 billion gallons of water a day to 19 million residents in Southern California. Metropolitan also funds local conservation and recycled water projects to ensure the region’s water reliability.

Kightlinger has an undergraduate degree from the University of California at Berkeley and a law degree from Santa Clara University. He has served on a number of boards including the Coro Foundation, the USC Price School of Public Policy, the UCLA Sustainability Advisory Board, the Climate Action Reserve, the California Foundation on the Environment and the Economy, the Los Angeles Economic Development Council and the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, among others.

Distinguished Service 'McCarthy' Award

David J. Oliphant

David Oliphant joined the Water and Power Associates in 1998 and shortly became a member of the Board of Directors.   After a year or so, he took on the task of editing the Associates newsletter.  In 2000, he was elected as President of the Associates, serving in that capacity for two years.  Dorothy Fuller took over editing the newsletter which she did for 20 years and for a while was Board Secretary, too. With Dorothy editing the newsletter, David took over the position of Board Secretary, keeping the Board’s minutes and also working with the Associates Treasurer on membership.  Thereafter, he continued to work as Board Secretary and Membership Chair.   After his term as President, David,

together with Dorothy Fuller, Ken Downey, Leval Lund, and Ahn Thu Pham formed a committee which worked, and continues to do so under the able leadership of President Jerry Gewe, to encourage the DWP to create a brick-and-mortar history museum and to improve preservation of DWP historical artifacts and records.   DWP management supported the museum development, obtaining a site for the facility in the El Pueblo Historical Monument on Olvera Street and enlisting the assistance of the County Natural History Museum with the museum formation. The museum creation has been delayed due to the need for structural earthquake improvement for the El Pueblo building.  At the suggestion of Board member Abe Hoffman, a professional historian, David raised the idea of having a virtual museum on the Associates website.  Jack Feldman, the Associates webmaster, enthusiastically took on the job of establishing the virtual museum and with that task has built a successful website museum that is viewed daily around the world and as part of the website at WaterandPower.Org brings new members to the Associates from a wider community.

Distinguished Service 'McCarthy' Award

Jack J. Feldman

After retiring from LADWP in 2006 as a senior level manager in the Power System, Jack J. Feldman joined the executive Board of Water & Power Associates (W&PA). He currently holds three key positions at W&PA – Webmaster, Virtual Museum Curator and Newsletter Editorial Board member. Feldman takes great pride in developing and maintaining the W&PA website, which includes a one-of-a-kind virtual museum with over 20,000 images accompanied by historical notes. The museum highlights the significant role water and electricity played in the development and growth of Southern California. Additionally, the website features newsletters covering current pressing issues in Los Angeles and Southern California along with op-ed

pieces and legislative positions on water and energy issues.

Feldman remains connected to LADWP by giving talks to new engineer orientation classes about the department's history and the importance of their roles in shaping its future. He also speaks frequently to local historical societies and other non-profit organizations about the crucial role water played in LA and Southern California's development. His passion for history is evident in his dedication to preserving and sharing the region's historical significance through the W&PA website and virtual museum. Click HERE to see more of Jack Feldman's biography.

William Mulholland Public Service Award

Dorothy Fulller

For the past 20 years, Dorothy Fuller has been the editor of the Water and Power Associates (W&PA) newsletter.  Editing the newsletter is a time-consuming job that involves design, layout, selection of type, choosing art, finding graphics, seeking and organizing editorial material, and making optimum use of available newsletter space.  For Dorothy, editing also included publication and distribution.  The newsletter is sent to all our members and to public officials, as one of the ways of carrying out our purpose of advising the community of significant matters affecting water and power in Los Angeles.

Dorothy’s services have been invaluable, cheerfully given, and always voluntary.  Due to seriously impaired health, sadly, she is no longer able to edit the newsletter

What many of our members may not be aware of is the wide range of voluntary activities Dorothy has always been engaged in for community benefit.  Until recent years, Dorothy also edited the newsletter of the Muses, an organization which provices financial and public support for the California Science Center (originally, the California Museum of Science and Industry) where she served for many years as a museum volunteer.  Dorothy served on the Community Police Advisory Board and was Neighborhood Watch President.  Since retirement, Dorothy has served the City’s Personnel Department, as part-time interviewer for entering City employees, including uniformed personnel.  While working for DWP, she served as LADWP representative in several community organizations, including: National Postal Systems Forums, Society of Consumer Affairs Professionals, Los Angeles Credit and Collections Bureau, and the American Association of Blacks in Energy.

As a member of the Board of Directors, Dorothy recognized the indispensable need for a booklet for Board members which would give each director a copy of the Articles of Incorporation, By-laws, membership roster, and contact information for directors, DWP management, and local public officials.  So, in the year 2000 she published the first Board information booklet.  Since then, she has published an updated booklet annually.  Dorothy for years actively participated in all meetings and W&PA activities, including, among other things, advocating the working for the development of a DWP brick and mortar museum to preserve and inform the Los Angeles community of DWP history and contributions to the growth of Los Angeles.  With the support of the Associates (under the able leadership of President Jerry Gewe) the DWP and the County Museum of Natural History are now taking initial steps towards creating the museum, with space set aside in the El Pueblo de Los Angeles historic monument for its location.

It is time we publicly recognize and thank you, Dorothy, for the wide range of volunteer services you have given as a member of the Los Angeles community.  We thank you for all the time, energy, and devotion you have expended in support of the Associates, the Associates newsletter, the Board information booklet, and the Water and Power Associates goal to increase public knowledge and understanding of the history of Los Angeles and the continuing contributions of LADWP to enhance the City’s well-being.  Thank you, Dorothy.

William Mulholland Public Service Award

Phyllis E. Currie

Phyllis Currie, a seasoned leader in the utilities industry, has an extensive track record of accomplishments and contributions to various organizations. As a member of the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) board of directors since 2016 and former chair, she played a crucial role in shaping the organization's strategic direction. Prior to her tenure at MISO, Currie served as the general manager of Pasadena Water and Power (PWP) from 2001 to 2015, overseeing significant improvements in the city's water and electrical distribution systems. Under her leadership, PWP successfully integrated new electric generation units, enhancing the reliability of the city's power supply.

With a notable 30-year career with the city of Los Angeles, Currie held key positions such as chief financial officer for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, assistant city administrative officer responsible for budget development, and director of the Los Angeles rent control program. Her expertise and leadership were recognized beyond her city responsibilities, as she served on the Electricity Advisory Committee of the Department of Energy from 2015 to 2017.

Currently, Currie operates as an executive consultant for Hometown Connections, focusing on strategic planning for electric and water utilities in California. She remains actively engaged in various organizations, including the national board of GRID Alternatives, the board of directors of the Association of Women in Water, Energy and the Environment, the board of directors of the Water and Power Associates and her local rotary club in Pasadena.

Throughout her career, Currie has held influential leadership roles in esteemed associations such as the California Municipal Utilities Association, the Southern California Public Power Authority, and the American Public Power Association, where she served as board chair. Her past affiliations include the Electric Power Research Institute, the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board, and the California Debt Advisory Commission.

Currie's educational background includes a bachelor's degree in political science and a master's degree in business administration from UCLA. Furthermore, she completed the Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, further enhancing her leadership capabilities.