Director Ronald C. Smith Elected to Vice Chair of Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission’s Executive Committee

SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin) Director Ronald C. (Ron) Smith has been elected to serve on the Executive Committee as a Vice Chair for the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission (SMBRC) Governing Board. The SMBRC oversees the restoration and enhancement of the Santa Monica Bay (Bay) through partnerships that improve water quality and conserve and rehabilitate natural resources. Smith joined the Board in June 2011 as a West Basin representative.

“I have enjoyed applying my water supply management and public policy experience as part of the SMBRC Board, and I look forward to providing further contributions in my new role.”

“Currently West Basin has many programs in place which are already helping to preserve the Bay. Our conservation and recycling programs reduce run-off and treat 30 million gallons of wastewater and keep five tons of biosolids from being discharged into the Bay every day,” said West Basin Director Ron Smith. “I have enjoyed applying my water supply management and public policy experience as part of the SMBRC Board, and I look forward to providing further contributions in my new role.”

The SMBRC has been implementing innovative policies and projects that clean up the Bay since 1990. The commission oversees programs like the 360 Fisheries Project which seeks to ensure that seafood is sustainably harvested and caught around Los Angeles, and their Clean Boating program which educates boaters on safe and environmentally friendly ways to use and care for their boats.

Director Smith currently represents West Basin Division 1 serving the cities of Carson, Palos Verdes Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills Estates, Rolling Hills and portions of San Pedro. He has served for the past four years as the West Basin representative on the Association of California Water Agencies' Joint Powers Insurance Authority Board of Directors. In 2010, Smith was appointed to the National Water Research Institute Board of Directors. He is also the founder and chief executive officer of the REALTYSMITH Group and the Success Mastery Institute.

West Basin Municipal Water District is a wholesale water district that serves nearly a million people in 17 cities and unincorporated areas throughout its 185-square-mile service area. West Basin is reducing its dependence on imported water through the Water Reliability 2020 program that will double conservation, double recycled water production and add desalted ocean water to our portfolio by the year 2020. Visit www.westbasin.org to learn more.

The Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission is a locally based state organization whose functions and governance are prescribed by the Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency, the Secretary of the California Resources Agency and the Chair of the Watershed Advisory Council. Commission members include federal, state and local public agency officials and community members.