This year you will have the opportunity to vote for 2 Directors for the Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency board, Division 3. I strongly recommend that you cast your two votes for Maria Gutzeit and Kenneth (Ken) Petersen.
Maria Gutzeit currently serves as board president and has served on the boards of SCV Water and its predecessor agency for 20 years combined. Maria is a proven leader who will always focus on maintaining our water supply reliability and protecting rate payer interests and concerns. Maria is a chemical engineer and an environmental compliance specialist by profession. Having worked closely with Maria since the inception of SCV Water in 2018, I can attest to her dedication to providing high-quality water service to all of us who call Santa Clarita our home, and working to keep water rates as low as possible. Maria understands that achieving this goal requires maintaining a diversified and reliable water supply portfolio; making proactive investments in our treatment and distribution infrastructure; ensuring that we have a capable staff of professionals to operate and administer our extensive and complex water system; and planning for the future in our ever-changing climate and water world. Maria’s extensive water management knowledge and experience, combined with her proven leadership skills and commitment to our community make her an invaluable member of our board.
Ken Petersen has served on the SCV Water board since September 2022. We are extremely fortunate to have a man with decades of experience in the water industry, especially here in Santa Clarita. As the engineering and operations manager at the former Castaic Lake Water Agency, as well as general manager of the former Valencia Water Co., Ken has a unique understanding and knowledge of our overall water system. Ken’s expertise, vision and commitment to meeting our customers’ needs, while still protecting the environment and keeping costs low, is a valuable asset to our board. Ken holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in civil engineering from Cal State Long Beach, and is a licensed professional civil engineer in California. During Ken’s extensive career, he has served on multiple water-related boards of directors, and has served in general manager positions for both Public Utilities Commission-regulated water companies and voter-approved water special districts in California. Ken is a long-time Santa Clarita resident, and we are indeed fortunate to have access to his water management expertise on our board.
It is critically important that we keep these two dedicated water professionals on our board for another term, so please cast your two Division 3 votes for Maria Gutzeit and Kenneth (Ken) Petersen.
Gary R. Martin
Vice President, SCV Water Board
Santa Clarita
