The California Water Association, which represents drinking water utilities regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission and the State Water Resources Control Board, has named Jennifer Capitolo as its new Executive Director. She is replacing Jack Hawks, who has served as the Association’s Executive Director since 2005, and who is retiring.
“Jennifer’s expertise and well-respected leadership in California water policy will allow her to help CWA navigate the challenges of managing a significant share of our state’s most precious natural resource,” said CWA President Keith Switzer, vice president of regulatory affairs for Golden State Water Company. “With nearly 15 years working on all aspects of California water policy, she is ideally suited to guide us as we continue our longstanding record of providing safe, reliable, high-quality drinking water to the communities we serve.”
Capitolo, currently a senior policy advisor with Nossaman LLP, has been advocating on behalf of public and private clients in the areas of water, infrastructure, housing and transportation for 15 years. In that time, she has successfully helped shape significant legislative and regulatory policies through her work with the legislature, the CPUC, the State Water Resources Control Board, and administration officials under three governors. She has been the lead government relations representative for the CWA since 2013.
Capitolo is a member of the water committee of the California Foundation on the Environment and Economy and is a 2015 California Water Education Foundation Water Leaders Fellow. She also sits on the Policy Advisory Council for Imagine H2O, a nonprofit organization that empowers people to deploy and develop innovation to solve water challenges locally and globally.
Capitolo has previously served in the Department of Finance under Governor Gray Davis and as a district representative for Congresswoman Barbara Lee and former Assemblymember Ellen Corbett. She has a Master’s degree from UC Berkeley and a Bachelor of Science degree from Colorado State University.