CORONADO, Calif., Oct. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- California American Water announced today that Blanca Zarazua, Monterey County attorney and Honorary Consul of Mexico, has been appointed to its board of directors.
"California American Water is deeply committed to the communities we serve," said company president Rob MacLean. "Ms. Zarazua will bring a highly respected local voice to our board, which will make our commitment more profound. We are fortunate to have someone with strong Monterey County roots and a belief in community values engaged in achieving our company goals."
Blanca Zarazua grew up in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico and Carmel, California where her father worked in the artichoke fields of the former Odello Ranch, south of the Carmel River at the gateway to Big Sur.
Zarazua was educated at Carmel High School and Pitzer College, and received her MBA from the University of California, Berkeley. She completed further studies at Oxford University in England, and after earning her JD at Santa Clara University, served as a law clerk with the California Supreme Court.
In 2004, then president of Mexico, Vicente Fox, granted Zarazua a lifetime appointment as Honorary Consul of Mexico for Monterey and Santa Cruz counties. Zarazua is the only Honorary Consul of Mexico in California.
In addition to her work as Honorary Consul of Mexico, Zarazua has a law practice in Salinas and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Big Sur Land Trust and the Monterey Institute of International Studies, and is a member of the Community Advisory Board for KTEH Northern California Public Broadcasting.
She has previously served on the board of directors for the Girl Scouts of America, Meals on Wheels and the Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley. Zarazua is a current member and past-president of the Monterey County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and was previously appointed to the executive committee for the Monterey County Bar Association.
"I look forward to working with the leadership of California American Water to strengthen its customer relationships and stewardship of the environment and to address the water supply limitations on the Monterey Peninsula," Zarazua said.
California American Water's board of directors supports the company in fulfilling its mission of providing high quality, reliable water and wastewater service to its customers. Members of the board foster a culture of strong corporate governance through rigorous discussion and debate and the exercise of their independent judgment in the decision-making process. The company greatly values the role and input of the board.
California American Water, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), provides high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to more than 600,000 people.
Founded in 1886, American Water is the largest investor-owned U.S. water and wastewater utility company. With headquarters in Voorhees, N.J., the company employs more than 7,000 dedicated professionals who provide drinking water, wastewater and other related services to approximately 15 million people in 32 states and Ontario, Canada. More information can be found by visiting www.amwater.com.
SOURCE California American Water
