ACWA Past President Jerry Gladbach Passes Away by ACWA Staff Jul 18, 2022 Water News Past ACWA President, SCV Water Vice President and longtime local, state and national water leader E.G. “Jerry” Gladbach passed away July 13. He was 82. Gladbach served as ACWA President during 2004 and 2005, and remained active within the association up until his passing, participating in Board of Directors’ meetings and leading ACWA JPIA as its Board President. His extensive contributions to ACWA included chairing the Region 8 Board and work on association committees, including the Energy and Business Development committees. “Jerry treated everyone with respect. He was not only my dear friend, but my mentor, a confidante and a true leader who was instrumental in my success,” said ACWA President Pamela Tobin. “I will be forever grateful, and I aspire to be the person he confidently entrusted to follow in his footsteps in the water industry. We need more people like him in this world, and he left all of us who knew him better for knowing him.” A resident of the Santa Clarita Valley since 1968, Gladbach also served as a tireless water leader within his home community. He was first elected to the Castaic Lake Water Agency Board in 1985 and served from that point onward, including when the agency merged with other local water entities to become SCV Water in 2018. He was SCV Board of Directors Vice President at the time of his passing. “We lost a dear friend and vital member of our board,” said SCV Board of Directors President Gary Martin, in an SCV Water news release. “Jerry was one of the most knowledgeable and accomplished water professionals in the state, and we were fortunate to have him serving the SCV community for the last 37 years.” During his tenure as ACWA President, the association developed “No Time to Waste: A Blueprint for California Water,” a landmark document which articulated the water community’s call for a comprehensive solution to California’s water problems. Gladbach’s experience in water spanned seven decades. He retired from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power after 35 years of employment, concluding his career as Manager of its Marketing and Special Projects section. His extensive civic contributions included serving on the Board of Directors of the National Water Resources Association and as Past President of the California Association of Local Agency Formation Commissions. He received his Master of Science and Bachelor of Science degrees from the University of Missouri – Columbia. He is a registered professional engineer in California and is a “Fellow” Life Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Gladbach is survived by his wife, Donna, three children and six grandchildren.