President Kari K. Steele Received Unanimous Vote by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago Board of Commissioners to Serve a 3rd Term as President of the $1.4 billion dollar ag

 

President Kari K. Steele Received Unanimous Vote by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago Board of Commissioners to Serve a 3rd Term as President of the $1.4 billion dollar agency   

President Steele made history in January 2019 when the board unanimously elected Commissioner Steele as the first African American woman president in the 130-year history of the district 

(CHICAGO) – On Thursday, Jan. 5, during the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) Board Meeting, MWRD President Kari K. Steele received a unanimous vote by the MWRD Board of Commissioners to serve a 3rd term as President of the $1.4 billion dollar agency.  Each term for President is two years and this is Steele’s 3rd consecutive term. President Steele currently serves as the Chairman of the Engineering Committee and the State Legislation and Rules Committee. She is also the Vice Chairman of the Procurement Committee. 

President Steele is a chemist, licensed real estate broker, an environmentalist, and a community leader. She has more than 11 years of experience working as a chemist. She has worked at both the Jardine Water Purification Plant as a water chemist and the MWRD as a water sampler and lab technician.  This background makes President Steele uniquely qualified to discuss and analyze proposed operational changes and efficiencies. 

“I am honored to have the unanimous support of the Board and to have their continued trust.  I’m fully committed to MWRD and excited to work with the Board of Commissioners to execute our mission while being financially responsible, socially aware of any injustices, knowledgeable about spreading information of our responsibility and resources, and boldly being a voice at the table for our key stakeholders…the 5 million residents of Cook County,” said President Kari K. Steele. 

The vote by the MWRD Board of Commissioners included voting for Commissioner Kimberly Neely Du Buclet to serve a 2-year term as Vice President of the MWRD Board of Commissioners and Commissioner Marcelino Garcia to serve a second, 2-year term as Chairman of Finance of the Board of Commissioners of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago.   

President Steele’s MWRD Annual Message 2022: A Year in Review was released at the end of the year.  Steele’s Annual Message incorporates many of the Board of Commissioners collective efforts and successes in 2022 and throughout her tenure as president. The highlights focus on the following areas:  Achieving highest standards, A Focus on Maintenance and Operations, Protecting the Calumet Region for 100 Years, Awards earned, Spreading Resilience across Cook County, Groundbreakings & Ribbon cuttings, Strong Finances, Promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, 2021-2025 Strategic Plan, Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (TARP) at 50, Nutrient Loss Reduction, COVD-19 Sewage Surveillance and more.   

As President Steele remains diligent, focused, and determined in her efforts to conduct business in accordance with “the will of the MWRD Board of Commissioners,” to protect the health and safety of the public in its service area and protect the quality of the water supply source (Lake Michigan), she stresses that there is no end to the impact of the essential work at the MWRD. Entering another term as President she looks forward with confidence in continuing to build a legacy of sustained protection of our water environment today and for future generations. 

For more information about President Kari K. Steele, to review President Steele’s Annual Message 2022 and to learn more about MWRD visit www.mwrd.org. Feel free to reach out to the office of MWRD President Kari K. Steele at (312) 751-5694 with any questions or to discuss issues that are important to you. 

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