Jose Lopez Re-Elected as Otay Water District Board President for 2025 by Otay Water District Jan 30, 2025 Member Submitted News SPRING VALLEY – At its January meeting, the Otay Water District board of directors elected Jose Lopez as president for 2025, marking his second consecutive term. Lopez represents division four. The board also elected board member Gary Croucher (division three) as vice president and Francisco Rivera (division one) as treasurer. Jose Lopez President Division 4 Gary Croucher Vice President Division 3 Francisco X. Rivera Treasurer Division 1 Lopez will serve until January 2026, when officer elections will again occur. He has served most recently on the District’s board since December 2020. He also served on the Otay board from 2001 to 2016. “I am honored to serve as board president for a second term,” says Lopez. “I look forward to collaborating with our leadership team to enhance the District’s programs and processes, always striving to minimize rate increases for our customers. Together, we will address the opportunities and challenges ahead.” In 2024, Lopez served on several of the District’s key committees, including finance and administration and the desalination project. He also served on ad hoc committees: recycled water agreement, legal services, general manager evaluation, and employee negotiations. He represented the District at various local organizations and task forces, including Chula Vista Interagency, the OWD/Sweetwater Authority Task Force to develop recycled water opportunities, the Water Conservation Garden Authority, the WateReuse Association, and the South County Economic Development Council. Lopez also previously held the treasurer position in 2004, 2021, and 2022. Also, during his tenure on the Otay board from 2001 to 2016, he served as president in 2002, 2003, 2005, and 2012 to 2015. He also served as vice president from 2006 to 2010 and 2016. Lopez retired as an Assistant Fire Marshal from the San Diego Fire Department in 2011. He has a background in fire science from San Diego Miramar College and attended the University of California, San Diego. He previously represented the Otay Water District on the San Diego County Water Authority board. A long-time resident of Chula Vista, Lopez enjoys traveling and spending time with his wife and grandchildren. Under Lopez’s leadership, the District will continue its commitment to excellence, ensuring reliable water services and financial stewardship for its customers. The five-member board of directors is the governing body of the District and is responsible for setting rates for service, taxes, policies, ordinances, adopting the annual budget and other matters related to the management and operation of the water agency. Each director is elected by voters within one of five divisions to represent the public’s interest on the Board. Directors serve four-year terms in office. The Otay Water District is a public agency providing water, recycled water, and sewer service to approximately 238,008 customers within approximately 125 square miles of southeastern San Diego County, including the communities of eastern Chula Vista, Bonita, Jamul, Spring Valley, Rancho San Diego, unincorporated areas of El Cajon and La Mesa, and east Otay Mesa along the international border with Mexico. For more information about the Otay Water District, visit otaywater.gov. Otay Water District’s Social Media Accounts: twitter.com/OtayWater instagram.com/OtayWater facebook.com/OtayWaterDistrict youtube.com/OtayWaterDistrict linkedin.com/company/otay-water-district nextdoor.com/pages/otay-water-district