Frank Hilliker Elected Board Chair of San Diego County Water Authority by San Diego County Water Authority Sep 17, 2026 Member Submitted News New officers for the San Diego County Water Authority’s Board of Directors were elected unanimously today, with Frank Hilliker starting his two-year term as Board chair on Oct. 1, vowing a continued focus on reliable, affordable water and transparent, forward-looking leadership for the region’s 3.3 million residents. Hilliker, vice chair of the Board for the past two years as a representative of the Lakeside Water District, will serve with incoming Vice Chair Teresa Acosta from the Carlsbad Municipal Water District, and incoming Secretary Ismahan Abdullahi from the City of San Diego. Hilliker will serve as the 29th Board chair since the Water Authority’s founding in 1944. Hilliker follows Nick Serrano, representing the City of San Diego, as Board chair. Serrano has served as a Board member since 2021 and as chair since 2024. His term as chair ends on September 30, when he starts his tenure as chair emeritus. This new leadership team takes the helm at a pivotal moment for the Water Authority, which continues to invest in the infrastructure, transparency and innovation that keeps water reliable and affordable for the region’s residents, businesses, and $267 billion economy. As chair, Hilliker will work with Water Authority staff to help strengthen public trust, deepen regional partnerships and engage the communities the Water Authority serves. “It’s an honor to be voted Board chair of the San Diego County Water Authority,” said Hilliker. “I’m eager to build on the foundation laid by the current Board and leadership team with a focus on reliability and affordability for everyone – from the agricultural community to working families in San Diego.” His tenure begins as the agency puts decades of infrastructure investment to work for the broader region while helping keep local rates in check. In June, the Board approved the lowest water rate adjustment in recent memory – just a 3% wholesale rate increase for 2027, a figure below the national inflation rate. The agency credits recently-signed landmark water transfer agreements – with the Western Municipal Water District and the Eastern Municipal Water District, both in Riverside County, and Burbank Water and Power in Los Angeles County – for helping keep costs in check. These agreements are generating tens of millions of dollars each year for the Water Authority to the benefit of the San Diego region’s ratepayers. The Water Authority is also pursuing a first-of-its-kind framework to explore sharing its desalinated seawater with other states along the Colorado River. A Board member since 2007, Hilliker sits on the Legislation & Public Outreach Committee, Administrative & Finance Committee, Resource Strategy Work Group, and Hodges Litigation Committee. Hilliker is the co-owner of Hilliker’s Ranch Fresh Eggs in Lakeside, a company started by his grandparents in 1942. He is a longtime director for the Lakeside Water District, joining that board in 1998, and currently serves as secretary of the San Diego County Farm Bureau board. A third-generation San Diego County resident, Hilliker is passionate about helping small farmers and ranchers in the region survive and thrive. “I worked on the family farm after school and on weekends, so I know how important reliable and affordable water is for every family and every local business across our region,” said Hilliker. “My upbringing is what makes this personal for me. I know what it means for a farmer, rancher, and family to depend on water showing up when they need it, and that’s the perspective I will bring to every decision this Board makes.” On October 1, Teresa Acosta will take on her new role as vice chair. Acosta currently serves as vice chair of the Water Authority’s Legislation and Public Outreach Committee and as a member of the Administrative and Finance Committee and Hodges Litigation Committee. She was appointed to the Board in June 2023 representing the Carlsbad Municipal Water District. Acosta has served as Carlsbad’s District 4 councilmember since 2020. Additionally, she is the first vice president of the League of California Cities Board of Directors and will become board president at the conclusion of the organization’s Annual Conference later this month. Incoming Board secretary Ismahan Abdullahi currently serves as chair of the Water Authority’s Administrative and Finance Committee and vice president of the Finance Agency JPA. She also sits on the Engineering and Operations Committee. She was seated on the Board in 2021 and is the National Executive Director for the Faith Power Alliance.
