AWWEE is pleased to welcome Evelyn Cortez-Davis, Assistant Director of Water Operations at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to share her path from an undocumented student to her current leadership position. We will hear how opportunities and life-turning events set the trajectory for Evelyn’s life and career, we will also learn her insights about leadership.
About our Speaker
Evelyn Cortez-Davis P.E., is the Assistant Director of Water Operations at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. She is a civil engineer with more than 25 years of water industry experience in the areas of water conservation, water quality, pipeline design and construction, environmental compliance, recycled water, water rights, groundwater remediation, and groundwater planning. Evelyn leads a team to safely treat, store, and transport water for the 4 million people in the City of Los Angeles, including capturing more stormwater, conserving, and expanding the use of recycled water and groundwater.
Cortez-Davis wrote December Sky: Beyond My Undocumented Life, a book about her family’s immigration story, her fear of living as an undocumented student, and her journey to U.S. citizenship. Her activism reflects her STEM education advocacy for nearly three decades, in which she encourages girls and other underrepresented students to pursue careers in science and engineering. She was a founding member of the K-12 outreach program of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers student chapter at the University of California, Los Angeles. As a UCLA alumna, Cortez-Davis received the university’s Center for Excellence in Engineering and Diversity Advocacy Award in 2006. She represents Los Angeles on the Colorado River Board of California and served on the board of directors of the National Water Research Institute and the board of trustees of WateReuse California.
Registration is free for active AWWEE members and $20 for non-members