9:55am | Long Beach resident Frank Clarke was elected President of the Long Beach Board of Water Commissioners by unanimous vote last week, at a meeting of the Board held at the Long Beach Groundwater Treatment Plant. Mr. Clarke, who was originally appointed to the Board by Mayor Beverly O’Neill in June 2003, is serving his second term. He is currently the longest serving member on the Board. Also elected during the meeting were Bill Townsend, Vice President, and John Allen, Secretary.
“I look forward to serving as President of the Board of Water Commissioners this next year, my second time serving in this role since I was initially appointed to the Board eight years ago,” stated Mr. Clarke. “We have accomplished a lot during my time on the Board and we will continue to work with Water Department staff to maintain our status as one of the best municipal water agencies in the nation.”
Commissioner Clarke will begin his official duties as President on October 1st. He takes over for outgoing President, Dr. Suzanne Dallman, who served in the position during the previous year.
Mr. Clarke was a cofounder of Educate the Children, a non-profit organization that provides educational materials and technology to school districts throughout the nation in order to raise the level of learning for our country’s most needy children. Mr. Clarke has had a broad-based career in radio and television advertising, real estate, and many voluntary public service projects. Additionally, he served as a Captain in the United States Army Reserve. He has received The Caring Award, the John Harvard Award from the Harvard-Radcliffe Club of Southern California, and the prestigious President’s Service Award, presented to him and his wife at the White House.
He received degrees from Boston University’s General College and San Francisco State University, and has studied Broadcast Management and Cable Television at the University of Southern California.
Since 1931, the Water Department has been governed by a Board of five Water Commissioners, each appointed to a five year term by the Mayor, subject to approval of the City Council. The overlapping terms of the Board members provide necessary continuity and bring to the Department the combined expertise of the Commissioner’s business and professional backgrounds. In addition to the five current Commissioners, 54 citizens of the City have served as members of the Board.
The Board is charged with full jurisdiction over all water works necessary to the acquisition, treatment, sale, and distribution of water served to the City and is responsible for the collection and disposal of the City’s sanitary sewage. Among other duties, the Board has authority to acquire or sell real property, to construct and operate facilities, to purchase equipment and enter into contracts. The Board establishes the Water Department’s mission and goals, and adopts policies and strategies to meet these ends. The Board submits an annual budget to the City Council, fixes water and sewer rates, hires the General Manager and establishes compensation for all LBWD employees.
For more information on the Long Beach Board of Water Commissioners, visit lbwater.org/inside/board.php.