Executive Director/Ratepayer Advocate - City of Los Angeles Office of Public Accountability
Company: National League of Cities
Location: Los Angeles
Posted on: October 16, 2024
Job Description:
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the United States with
a population of over 3.8 million people. It is the world's premier
centre for the entertainment industry and home to a handful of the
world's most famous studios. In addition, L.A. is a tour de force
in tourism and international trade, as well as having an increasing
strength in digital media, technology, fashion and the arts,
solidifying the diversification of the region's economy. The city
prides itself on its ethnic diversity with an estimated 200
languages spoken. As one of the world's great cities, Los Angeles
will host the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, as well as other
international events. Los Angeles is a Charter City and is governed
by a Mayor and City Council. The City Council serves full-time and
has fifteen members elected by district for four-year terms. Boards
of Commissioners, appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City
Council, oversee several of the City's departments and bureaus.
Mayor Karen Bass was elected in 2022 and is currently serving her
first term. The City has 38 departments, bureaus, and offices for
which funds are budgeted annually by the Mayor and City Council.
Additionally, the City has three departments (the Departments of
Water & Power, Harbor, and Airports) that are financed by revenue
generated from their operations, which are governed by Commissions,
as well as two distinctly separate pension systems. In total, there
are 43 departments, bureaus, and offices that support the elected
officials and provide a full range of services to the City. The Los
Angeles Department of Water and Power ("LADWP" or "DWP") is the
nation's largest municipal utility. These combined utility
operations provide 8,058 megawatts (MW) of dependable electric
capacity and serve an average of 447 million gallons of water per
day to more than 4 million residents of Los Angeles, its
businesses, and visitors. For more than 100 years, LADWP has
provided the city with reliable water and power service. With a
workforce of more than 11,500 employees, LADWP is guided by the
five-member Board of Water and Power Commissioners, appointed by
the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council. LADWP owns and
operates facilities in Los Angeles, the Owens Valley and in several
Western States. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
Commissioners oversees and sets policy for the utility and its
leadership. Home - Board Of Water And Power Commissioners
(ladwpcommission.com). The Board members are appointed by the Mayor
for five-year terms. Richard Katz is the current President of this
five-member Board that meets regularly twice a month to provide
oversight and direction. The Board of Commissioners works closely
with the General Manger to fulfil its duties that include:
- Policy Setting: The Board establishes policies that guide the
operations of the LADWP, ensuring that it provides safe, reliable,
and cost-effective water and power services to the city of Los
Angeles.
- Oversight: The Board oversees the activities of the LADWP,
ensuring that it operates in a customer-focused and environmentally
responsible manner.
- Equity and Sustainability: The Board is committed to building a
stronger Los Angeles through job creation, economic development,
sustainability, and equity. The City of Los Angeles and LADWP are
committed to strong Sustainability leadership. Reducing greenhouse
gas (GHG) emissions to fight climate change continues to be a
priority for LADWP as it works to meet its accelerated
decarbonization targets. In 2016, LADWP achieved the target set by
California Senate Bill 32 to reduce GHG emissions to 40% below the
1990 baseline level by 2030- exceeding this target 14 years ahead
of the deadline. The City of Los Angeles was also ranked No. 1 for
solar energy capacity in the 2022 Environment America Research and
Policy Center's report Shining Cities: The Top U.S. Cities for
Solar Energy, which tracked data through December 2021. The report
designates Los Angeles a "Solar Superstar," meaning it boasts 100
or more watts of solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity installed per
capita. In 2021, LADWP released the landmark "LA100 Study," done by
the National Renewable Energy Laboratory
(https://www.nrel.gov/analysis/los-angeles-100-percent-renewable-study.html)
which laid out paths to achieve 100% clean energy by 2035. Through
the 2022 Strategic Long-Term Resource Plan (SLTRP), LADWP has
analyzed scenarios for L.A.'s future power mix that contemplate
aggressive buildouts of renewable energy resources, energy storage,
demand response, and energy efficiency. These alternative pathways
target reducing GHG emissions to between 80% and 90% below the 1990
baseline by 2030, achieving the state's long-range GHG emissions
reduction goal 20 years early. LADWP is firmly committed to its
role in helping ensure the economic viability and sustainability of
Los Angeles. It has a strong legacy of leadership performance in
delivering high quality and cost-effective utility services while
also focusing on reliability and resiliency for the communities it
serves. Additional details about LADWP operations and programs can
be found at 2022-23_Briefing_Book_Online.pdf (amazonaws.com) or at
their website https://www.ladwp.com. The Office of Public
Accountability ("OPA") functions as the Ratepayer Advocate and
provides independent public review of the water and power rates of
the DWP. The OPA, operating with a small technical and
administrative staff, performs periodic rate proposal reviews,
directs analytical support, issues and presents public reports on
findings, and, equally important, responds to public inquiries on
rate related matters. In summary, the overall mission of OPA is
to:
- Study policies and objectives for the purpose of analyzing a
number of issues, including but not limited to, rate proposals
compensation, DEI, operational budgets, integrated resource
planning (power and water), grid transformation, renewable energy,
environmental and customer service and performance.
- Provide public independent analysis of rate proposals and
significant decisions that are likely to impact rates, reliability
and customer satisfaction and service.
- Prepare reports and presentations that increase the public's
and City Council's understanding of whether these utility
operations and financial decisions are reasonable and consistent
with the goals set forth by the City, including analysis of costs
and risks of alternative rates.
- Develop metrics for assessing customer service and satisfaction
by DWP customers and analyze DWP performance based on those
metrics.
- Establish and oversee consumer protection and selectively
oversee complaint procedures as appropriate. The Office of Public
Accountability (OPA) is a city department established by voter
approved Charter Amendment I (adopted March 8, 2011) in order to
shed greater light on the DWP's operations and finances and to
serve as an independent watchdog, charged with analyzing utility
operations and the impact of these operations on proposed increases
in water and power rates on a timely and continuous basis. The
Executive Director of OPA is selected and appointed to serve a
five-year term. The current Executive Director, Frederick H. Pickel
Ph.D, is preparing to retire after serving 2+ consecutive terms and
a Citizen Selection committee has been formed to interview and
select the next OPA Executive Director. Additional information
about OPA is available at Home Page of The Office of Public
Accountability (OPA) (lacity.gov) The Executive Director/Ratepayer
Advocate has the overarching responsibility to improve the
transparency of the DWP by analyzing its complex financial
transactions, financial reporting, long-term strategic planning
documents, department policies, and contracts for the purpose of
determining reasonableness of utility rates. Responsibilities of
the Executive Director will include, but not be limited to:
- Provide independent financial leadership and expertise
including securing and overseeing outside financial consultants in
support of complex fiscal analysis and in-depth financial
reviews;
- Develop, with the assistance of staff and legal counsel, the
processes and scheduling of independent review of DWP's periodic
rate adjustment requests that require action by the City
Council;
- Implement sound procedures for compilation and retention of
supporting data and public comment on DWP rate adjustment requests
that require action by the City Council;
- Preside over and provide leadership at public meetings and
proceedings involving OPA/Ratepayer Advocate review of DWP's rates
and operations;
- Request and access DWP financial and supporting information;
and
- Prepare and submit the annual budget for OPA to the City
Administrative Officer and the Board of Water and Power
Commissioners. The Executive Director/Ratepayer Advocate will be
that rare individual who will establish credibility as a decisive,
results-oriented professional committed to excellence,
independence, transparency, and fiscal accountability. The ideal
candidate will also have exceptional financial analysis skills with
the ability to probe, question, and investigate complex details in
order to fulfil the critical aspect of independent public review
essential in this position. The Executive Director/Ratepayer
Advocate will have effective organizational leadership skills for
the development and execution of this Office, including continuing
to evolve policies and procedures and ensure the that the structure
and culture of this Office is appropriate for the recruitment and
development of this small, yet highly effective, professional
staff. As a seasoned utility executive, the successful candidate
will bring a clear bottom-line financial orientation to the
Office's independent public review and evaluation of proposed
utility rates. In addition to superior analytical skills, the
Executive Director/ Ratepayer Advocate will be an exceptional
listener, communicator, and an accomplished presenter in a public
forum. The Executive Director/Ratepayer Advocate will also be adept
at managing in a fast-paced, political and dynamic environment that
requires engagement with a robust and diverse stakeholder base. The
ideal candidate for this position will be a very effective and
accomplished utility leader or consultant with skills transferable
to this executive-level position. The top candidate will be able to
inspire loyalty within the Office and, externally, to garner the
trust of the public. Both diplomatic and decisive, the successful
candidate will work with a sense of urgency and timeliness. The
ideal candidate will also have a laser-focus on results, measuring
success through accountability, the use of appropriate
data/metrics, and with a strong customer-service orientation.
Ultimately, the top priority of this position must be the customers
of DWP, the people and businesses of Los Angeles, as this position
serves as an independent and effective advocate to ensure maximally
reliable and efficient water and power services at a fair and
reasonable cost. The following attributes are of the greatest
importance to the Citizens Committee in assessing top candidates:
- Critical Thinking - The ideal candidate will have a proven
track record of understanding and distilling complex utility rate
making theory, financial analysis and application in the context of
an oversight function. The Committee is open to someone who
provides a fresh and independent perspective whilst also being able
to grasp the complexities of the municipal utility environment and
DWP specifically.
- Leadership and Management - The ideal candidate will have a
track record of not just managing an office and a budget, but of
leading teams like the ones likely to emerge at the Office of
Public Accountability, including expert financial analysts,
researchers, writers, administrative staff, and public and
government liaisons. He or she must be able to build and lead a
team to obtain the necessary information from consultants and DWP
analysts to then create informative and action-oriented reports,
and effectively disseminate that information to its diverse
stakeholders.
- Advocacy - The ideal candidate will have a proven ability to
communicate the Office's work and findings effectively to the
people, the media, the DWP, policymakers and staff, and other
constituencies who rely on this Department for sound ratepayer
advocacy counsel.
- Fair and Inclusive Service - The ideal candidate should also
have knowledge of and/or experience with diverse utility customer
market segments; including those that constitute urban settings and
underserved customer classes. The candidate's analyses should
incorporate an equity lens to ensure the provision of equitable
services to ratepayers.
- Independence - Due to the structure of the role reporting to,
but not being directed by the Board of Water and Power
Commissioners, the ideal candidate will require the political
discernment and strength of character to make independent and
transparent decisions in support of equitable services to
ratepayers. In summary, the greatest responsibility of the
Executive Director/Ratepayer Advocate is the ability to effectively
communicate and evaluate the DWP utility rate structure in an open
fashion, in support of the City Council, and ultimately on behalf
of the general public. The criteria that will determine the level
of the Executive Director/Ratepayer Advocate success in the role
after one year will include:
- Having worked as a collaborative and effective partner with the
Mayor's Office, City Council, Board of Commissioners, DWP
leadership and a wide range of community constituents and
stakeholders to quickly grasp DWP's rate structures to ensure a
seamless leadership transition while delivering continued progress
against OPA's strategic goals and management of day-to-day
activities.
- Being viewed as a credible spokesperson and ratepayer advocate;
will have executed a robust and transparent strategic plan that
addresses challenging and controversial topics related to rate
adjustments and other key initiatives in a way that garners buy-in
from key stakeholders and cultivates trust with the public.
- Having quickly developed (within the first 3-6 months) a strong
understanding of the critical projects and initiatives of the
Office of Public Accountability and DWP, as well as a grasp of the
network of stakeholder engagement required to deliver against these
projects and initiatives.
- Recruit staff for OPA as needed to fill vacant roles as
required to fulfill the required tasks of this organization.
Provide leadership and direction for the professional staff of the
Office of Public Accountability, including the development of
processes and procedures to deliver credible, timely and
cost-effective work output from this organization. The Executive
Director for the Office of Public Accountability will be expected
to possess the following experience and qualifications:
- The successful candidate will have substantial executive level
experience, ten (10) years or more of senior level experience, with
a strong emphasis on rate making and assessment expertise and
organizational accountability in relevant utility sectors or
consultancies.
- With a proven track record of success, top candidates will have
achieved broad utility leadership recognition through a
progressively responsible career path.
- Preference may be given to candidates with direct and
applicable experience dealing with the utility industry, energy
and/or water sectors, rate setting, and/or financial management in
a dynamic setting.
- Career history must also include a verifiable track record of
success with recognition for exceptional integrity and
unquestionable ethics. In an effort to find the best suitable
candidate, the Citizens Committee will consider a broad spectrum of
talented individuals, both locally and on a national scale. All
highly qualified candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
Qualifying experience may be drawn from public sector experience,
private sector experience with a top-tier organization, consulting
as an industry expert in finance, utilities, engineering, or a
related field, or a combination of experience that can effectively
demonstrate a keen understanding of the mission of OPA and the
overall deliverables/outcomes desired. On behalf of the appointed
Citizens Committee, Korn Ferry will have the full responsibility
for identifying and qualifying prospective candidates and for
reviewing all applications and supporting documentation outlining
career highlights and notable achievements. The final selection
decision of the Citizens Committee will ultimately be made based on
the best combination of experience, education, industry
credentials, and overall leadership that will best serve the people
and businesses of Los Angeles. The candidate selected by the
Citizens Committee's will require public appointment by the City
Council and Mayor.
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Keywords: National League of Cities, Florence-Graham , Executive Director/Ratepayer Advocate - City of Los Angeles Office of Public Accountability, Executive , Los Angeles, California
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