Evelyn Cortez-Davis

Evelyn Cortez-Davis, P.E., BCEE is the Chief of Staff for the Water System at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the largest municipal utility in the USA. She has over 30 years of water industry experience in the areas of engineering design, planning, pipeline construction, asset management, water operations, recycled water, water supply, conservation, groundwater remediation, and environmental compliance. As Chief of Staff supporting LADWP’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Engineer, Evelyn supports Department-wide strategic initiatives, including enterprise performance management, process improvements, sustainability initiatives, equity strategies, and culture management. In her most recent prior role, she was the first Latina to serve as LADWP Director of Water Engineering, overseeing the planning, design, and delivery of major infrastructure projects to supply reliable water to the 4 million people of the City of Los Angeles. She has also served as the Assistant Director of Water Resources and was the first woman to serve as Assistant Director of Water Operations. She has served on the Colorado River Board of California, on the Board of Directors of the National Water Research Institute, and on the Board of Trustees of WateReuse California. A first-generation immigrant from El Salvador, Evelyn earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from UCLA and was the first person in her family to graduate from college.