January 12, 2021
EBMUD Board of Directors elects Doug Linney as President and John Coleman as Vice President
Board members also prepare to appoint standby officers for emergency succession plan
OAKLAND - The East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) Board of Directors today unanimously elected Doug Linney President of the EBMUD Board of Directors for 2021. The Board also unanimously elected John Coleman to serve as Board Vice-President.
Linney resides in the City of Alameda and represents Ward 5, which includes Alameda and San Lorenzo, West Oakland, the Oakland Airport Area, and a portion of San Leandro. Linney was elected to the Board of Directors in 2000, and won re-election in 2004, 2008, 2012, and was appointed in 2016 and 2020. He previously served as Board President from 2009 to 2010.
“I am honored to serve as Board President and guide the District in discussions that will deepen our commitments to our communities especially now, during a time of global uncertainty,” Linney said. “EBMUD will soon be 100 years old and our customers continue to be our highest priority. As Board President, I look forward to leading open, compassionate dialogues about a range of critical issues including water affordability, climate change, community engagement, and long-term infrastructure investment. EBMUD will deliver high-quality water and wastewater services to the greater East Bay for generations to come, and I look forward to setting the stage for the work ahead.”
Coleman, a resident of Walnut Creek, represents Ward 2, which includes the cities Lafayette and Walnut Creek, the Town of Danville, communities of Alamo, Blackhawk and Diablo, and portions of Pleasant Hill and San Ramon.
Coleman, EBMUD’s longest serving Board member, was first elected in 1990. He served as Board President from 1996 to 2000 and again from 2011 to 2012. He also served as Vice President in 1994, 1995, 2009 and 2010.
EBMUD’s Board of Directors consists of seven members publicly elected by geographical wards. To ensure continuous leadership during any local or state emergency, on January 26, 2021, the Board of Directors is expected to reappoint or appoint for the first time standby officers for each of EBMUD’s seven wards. These standby officers would be called upon to support the District in the event a Board member is deceased or is missing during an emergency. Standby officers would represent EBMUD and its interests until the elected Board member becomes available, or until a new Board member is elected or appointed. Standby Officer appointments are reviewed annually. If reappointed or appointed for the first time, standby officers for EBMUD Board of Directors in 2021 will include:
- Ward 1 (Director Lesa R. McIntosh): Celia McCoy, Linda Jackson-Whitmore, Lynelle Lewis
- Ward 2 (Vice President John A. Coleman): Dennis Diemer, Carol Rowley, Robert Dean
- Ward 3 (Director Marguerite Young): Jennifer Jackson, Peter Vorster, Alexander R. Coate*
- Ward 4 (Director Andy Katz): Margo Schueler, Xanthe Berry, Helen Burke
- Ward 5 (President Doug Linney): Heinrich Albert, James Prola, Ronald M. Stork
- Ward 6 (Director William B. Patterson): Robert Harris, Jose Guzman, Kevin S. Blackburn
- Ward 7 (Director Frank Mellon): Calvin Sakamoto, Gene Ashford Jr., Gregory Chan
*First-time appointment
###
The East Bay Municipal Utility District has a proud history of providing high-quality drinking
water for 1.4 million customers in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. EBMUD’s
wastewater treatment serves 685,000 customers and protects the San Francisco Bay. EBMUD is a not-for-profit public agency established in 1923.
Connect with EBMUD / Twitter / Facebook / Nextdoor / LinkedIn / YouTube