SWEETWATER AUTHORITY TO START 2022 WITH NEW BOARD LEADERS

Sweetwater Authority has elected new and familiar leadership to its governing board, which oversees about 200,000 customers in the South Bay.

The seven-member board has appointed Alejandra Sotelo-solis as board chair and Paulina Martinez-perez as vice chair. They will serve a one-year term through the end of December 2023.

Sotelo-solis, who is National City’s mayor, has served on the water board since 2019. Last year, she was appointed as vice chair. She also serves on committees for finance and administration and communications.

“It is an honor to have been elected as chair to help lead this body alongside Vice Chair Paulina Martinez-perez,” said Sotelo-solis. “This is the first time in history at Sweetwater Authority that two Latina women are in side-by-side executive leadership positions and I’m looking forward to continue working to address our district’s water needs, conservation efforts and helping to address the needs that COVID-19 has posed for our ratepayers. We are stronger together.”

Martinez-perez joined the board last year. In 2020, she also joined the South Bay Irrigation District board of directors, where she served as vice president this year. She will now serve a one-year term as president in 2022 for the Irrigation District. She also serves on several other committees including water quality and distribution, communications and consultant selection.

The South Bay Irrigation District, whose five elected members also serve on the Sweetwater Authority board, also appointed Josie Calderon-scott as vice president, who first joined in 2016. She is also the district’s representative to the Chula Vista Chamber of Commerce Utilities Subcommittee.

The new board comes after Sweetwater Authority hired in late September Carlos Quintero as general manager. He was approved for a three-year employment contract after a monthslong vacancy.