Politics & Government

Rowland Water District Board Members Re-Appointed to Posts

The Nov. 5 election for the seats was canceled because candidates Szu Pei Lu-Yang, John Bellah, and Robert Lewis were the only ones running.

The following news release is courtesy of the Rowland Water District.

Rowland Water District (RWD) General Manager Ken Deck was notified Aug. 30 by Dean Logan, Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, that Board of Directors candidates Szu Pei Lu-Yang, John Bellah and Robert Lewis, were to be appointed to the positions rather than to participate in the General Election held Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2013.

As of Aug. 30, Lu-Yang, Bellah and Lewis, all Rowland Heights residents, were the only nominees for the upcoming election. With only three open seats, and pursuant to Section 98-52 of the Water Code Appendix, as noted by Logan, “Your Board of Directors shall by resolution, order that an election not be held and immediately request the Board of Supervisors to appoint the persons nominated.”  Officially, the nominees have each been appointed and will serve full terms of service, which run from December 2, 2013 through December 2, 2017.

Lu-Yang is a life-long resident of Southern California and currently serves as President of the Board of Directors for RWD, representing Division 5. She is a graduate of University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where she received her Bachelor of Arts Degree with honors in Political Science and Business Administration. She earned her law degree from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles. She practices civil litigation and general liability law in Riverside. Lu-Yang has been deeply involved in community outreach and education. In addition to her work with RWD, she is a member of the Regional Chamber of Commerce of San Gabriel Valley, the Rowland Unified School District For Us Foundation and the Rotary Board of Directors.  President Lu-Yang also represents the District on the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Advisory Council.

“Based on my long involvement in the community in many different capacities, I understand the dramatic impact water and water districts have in the future of Southern California, Rowland Heights, and the San Gabriel Valley,” said RWD Board President Szu Pei Lu-Yang. “I appreciate the confidence our ratepayers have placed in me and I look forward to continuing to serve the community as a member of the Rowland Water District Board of Directors.”

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Division 3 Director John Bellah has lived in the San Gabriel Valley more than 60 years.  Following his graduation from Mt. San Antonio College, he pursued his business career in various Southern California industries and prior to retiring he owned two small businesses. Bellah is active in the community and represents the District on the Rowland Heights Community Coordinating Council, and the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA).  He is Vice President of the Rowland Water District Board of Directors and Commissioner on the Pomona-Walnut-Rowland Joint Water Line Commission.

“By serving on the Rowland Water District Board of Directors and the Joint Water Line Commission, I am in a position to understand more fully the impact water sharing and transportation have on the Southern California region,” said RWD Director John Bellah. “I am pleased to have the opportunity to work toward finding the means to provide enough water to sustain the region’s residents today and into the future.”

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Division 4 Director Robert Lewis has lived in the Rowland Heights area since the mid-1980s and in Southern California for more than 50 years. He is a veteran and served in the U.S. Army. He attended California State University, Fullerton, where he earned a certification in Industrial Process Controls. He later worked as a field engineer and is now retired.  Lewis now devotes his time to representing the District on the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA), Rowland Heights Community Coordinating Council and the Regional Chamber of Commerce of San Gabriel Valley, Government Affairs Committee.  He also serves as a Commissioner on the Puente Basin Water Agency.

“Water truly is the life-blood of Southern California,” said RWD Director Robert Lewis. “Water districts not only must provide clean water for our community, but we must also see to the needs of the area's future. By serving on the Rowland Board of Directors for the next four years, I hope to help guide the agency in its long-term water supply reliability and sustainability goals.”

 



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