Palmdale Recycled Water Authority appoints public member director

PALMDALE – Local sixth-grade teacher Zakeya Anson has joined the Palmdale Recycled Water Authority (PRWA) as the new public member director. Anson recently took her oath of office after the Palmdale City Council and Palmdale Water District (PWD) Board of Directors voted unanimously in separate meetings to appoint her to the role.

“I’m excited for this new opportunity,” said Anson, who teaches at Eastside Elementary School. “I learned from a very young age that water is scarce, so it’s important we look to recycled water. I hope to contribute to the public insight needed by the Authority.”

The PRWA Board, which manages the use of recycled water in Palmdale, is made up of two members of the City Council, two members of the PWD Board and a public member. The public member position is for one year and is renewable.

“My fellow Authority Board members and I are pleased to have Director Anson join us,” said PRWA Board President Vincent Dino. “We look forward to working with her to find ways we can use recycled water to ensure sufficient water supply in Palmdale.”

In 2012, PRWA was formed jointly by the city of Palmdale and PWD to study, promote, develop, distribute, install, finance, use, and manage recycled resources created by the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County Nos. 14 and 20 for various uses, including irrigation and recharge, and to
finance the acquisition and construction or installation of recycled water facilities, recharge projects and irrigation systems. Its first project has been irrigating McAdam Park with recycled water.

Before becoming a teacher four years ago, Anson worked in human resources for more than 10 years. As a Northrop Grumman recruiter associate guiding interns, she decided to switch professions and start making positive changes in students at a younger age.

“I feel I have persuaded some students to take an interest in science,” Anson said. “Now, I have even more resources to teach about water. (Being on the Authority) makes me proud to be a citizen of Palmdale. I feel very connected to the community.”

Anson replaces Helen Velador, who served as the public member director from PRWA’s inception until this past December. Velador did not seek to renew her term.

A graduate of Brandman University, Anson has a Master’s in Teaching and an MBA with Emphasis in Human Resources. She received her bachelor’s degree in liberal arts from Chapman University. She resides in Palmdale with husband Ronnell and their three young sons.

[Information via news release from the Palmdale Water District.]

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