Water district taps scientific mind of Jimmie Cho

Stanford, Brown grad to lead department


 

 

By Stephanie Bertholdo  bertholdo@theacorn.com

JOE BINOYA/Acorn Newspapers
 
ON THE JOB- Jimmie Cho, the new director of resource conservation and public outreach at the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District, settles in at his new desk.

After a two-year search, the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District said it has found the right person to be its new director of resource conservation and public outreach.

Jimmie Cho took the water district job last month replacing Arlene Post, who retired in 2006 after an 11-year career with the district.

"I think that was a good fit for this job," said Cho, who has a strong background in water quality and environmental studies.

Academically, Cho also fits the bill. He earned a master’s degree in civil engineering from Stanford University and a bachelor’s degree in geology from Brown University.

Cho, 43, launched his career as a water quality project engineer for the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County in 1988. Within two years, he joined the Southern California Gas Company, widening his leadership skills by handling diverse jobs, including customer service, environmental engineering, public relations, field operations, project management and distribution engineering.

Cho’s wide range of experience in that job led to employment with Sempra Energy utilities as director of safety and emergency services.

At the Las Virgenes water district, Cho is responsible for customer service, education, conservation and environmental stewardship.

"The world of water is in transition," Cho said, adding he looks forward to convincing the community that water conservation is vital.

According to the State Water Contractors, a nonprofit association made up of public agencies that deliver water throughout the state, California public water agencies are receiving 65 percent less water his year than their usual allocation. To make matters more difficult, a 2007 federal court ruling protecting an endangered fish species restricts the distribution of water in the state even when it is available.

The water system, Cho said, "is definitely under pressure and stress right now."

He said Long Beach, for example, has some of the "most progressive and stringent" measures in place to conserve water, but for Las Virgenes customers, it’s still a "wait and see" situation.

"It’s not about an immediate drought; it’s a long-term issue of sustainability," Cho said. Outdoor usage in Southern California accounts for the largest part of residential water consumption. Cho said some easy solutions to offset water-gobbling gardens is to use "smart" irrigation systems that measure water distribution more exactly based on the weather and to choose drought-tolerant landscaping that not only retains more water but fits in nicely with the natural California terrain.

Besides less water flowing down to Southern California, water districts routinely battle with community groups who don’t want their tap water fluoridated. The Metropolitan Water District began adding minute amounts of fluoride to tap water in October 2007.

"Even Met doesn’t have a choice," said customer service and public affairs manager Jeff Reinhardt about mandatory water fluoridation, which became law when Gov. Pete Wilson signed the water fluoridation bill, Assembly Bill 733, in 1995. The fluoridation process was delayed for 12 years because of funding shortfalls, he said.

Cho is still getting his feet wet at the district and said so far the "outstanding" staff and community have made his job a lot easier.

"I’m just happy to be here," Cho said.

Cho said the district faces difficult times, but he believes the community is ready for a "dialogue and engagement" regarding the issues that continue to confound state and federal agencies.

"I believe the community really wants to do the right thing," he said about water conservation.

Cho has lived in Woodland Hills since 1976 and has been married for 18 years. He and his wife, Helen, have three sons. He has served the community as a board member of the Child & Family Guidance Center, a mental health services organization for families in the San Fernando and Antelope valleys.


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