Meet LA's highest-paid new city employee with a $750,000 salary

LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday confirmed longtime Pacific Gas and Electric executive Janisse Quiñones as the next general manager of the Department of Water and Power, at an annual salary of $750,000 -- nearly twice as much as her predecessor.

The council voted unanimously to approve Mayor Karen Bass' nominee after a nationwide search for a new leader, prompted by general manager Martin Adams' announcement that he would be retiring. Quiñones is expected to begin her new role immediately, according to Bass' office.

"This council will be considering many important appointments that the mayor will be making, but very few will be as consequential as this one," Council President Paul Krekorian said prior to the vote. "Leadership of the DWP is absolutely vital to this city."

Janisse Quiñones Credit: LA DWP

Krekorian added that the massive utility is "in need of a change of culture to ensure that it is a place of unquestionable integrity. DWP needs a resurgence of its commitment to customer service and to ensuring affordability of rates while also being honest about the essential needs of investment in the power and water infrastructure, which we have not been keeping up with."

Some council members asked Quiñones about her goals as the new head of the agency that serves millions of Angelenos, including climate concerns, beautification of facilities and infrastructure upgrades.

"Part of my mission is to really understand the priorities of the department," Quiñones said. "I will have to look into all the energy efficiency projects, understand how we're performing and how we're making those equitable for the communities that we're serving."

Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez emphasized that Quiñones will have "all eyes" on her due to previous issues with transparency and corruption at the DWP that occurred prior to Adams' tenure. Rodriguez suggested that Quiñones move "very judiciously" with everything that she does.

The council also backed a prior action by the Board of Water and Power Commissioners in paying Quiñones a salary of $750,000 a year. Last year, the council approved a new salary range between $435,000 to $751,000 for the general managers who oversee the city's DWP, port and airport.

Funding for Quiñones' salary will come directly from the departments' revenues, and will not impact the city's general fund. According to representative from Bass' office, city officials backed the $750,000 in an effort be remain competitive with private and public agencies. Quiñones' salary is similar to rates at the Omaha Public Power District in Nebraska and the Sacramento Municipal Utility District.

"This is a transformational period for the Department as we make decisions that will build toward the goal of 100% renewable energy by 2035 and I am confident that Janisse's experience overseeing large scale organizational operations, improving safety outcomes for workers and restoring and reconstructing electrical systems following Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico equip her to lead the department," Bass said in a statement.

According to the Mayor's Office, Quiñones brings more than 25 years of leadership experience as a senior executive in utility and engineering industries where she managed large-scale operations in order to deliver reliable service to customers, prioritized the safety of workers on the job and directed improvements that made electrical infrastructure more resilient.

Quiñones had called it an "honor" to serve and lead the department.

"I know the vital role LADWP plays for Angelenos, especially in times of crisis which Los Angeles has endured recently with record rains and winds and I look forward to working closely with Mayor Bass, the Board of Water and Power Commissioners and the committed employees of the department as we move towards our commitment of 100% clean energy by 2035," Quiñones said in a statement. "Together, we will achieve our transformational goals and shore up our systems to fight climate change and deliver for the people of Los Angeles."

Bass also thanked Adams for his accomplishments and "decades of leadership to the people of Los Angeles."

While Adams had previously announced his departure by the end of March, he agreed to stay on for a limited time to help with the transition to new leadership.