Special Districts Association of North L.A. County Receives Chapter of the Year Award by Palmdale Water District Sep 8, 2025 Member Submitted News MONTEREY – At the annual California Special Districts Association (CSDA) conference in Monterey, the Special Districts Association of North Los Angeles County (SDANLAC) was presented with the 2025 Chapter of the Year Award. Several of the chapter’s executive board members accepted the award that recognizes outstanding work by one of the 27 affiliated chapters in the state. SDANLAC is comprised of about a dozen special districts and affiliate members in the Antelope and Santa Clarita valleys. “This award is a testament to how fast the Special Districts Association of North L.A. County has gone from being CSDA’s newest affiliated chapters in 2021 to becoming its most celebrated in 2025,” stated CSDA CEO Neil McCormick. “The local leaders of the north L.A. chapter have gone above and beyond to elevate their special districts in service to their communities; I congratulate and commend them.” One of the first people to congratulate the chapter was Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who served as the chapter’s keynote speaker during its initial chapter formation meeting in 2021. The Supervisor voiced her support for the local chapter and applauded the collaboration between the Antelope Valley and Santa Clarita Valley. I cannot think of a more deserving honoree than the Special Districts Association of North Los Angeles County,” Supervisor Barger said. “In just a few short years, the association has become a trusted voice and advocate for the unique needs of our North County communities. I’m proud of all they’ve accomplished so far and look forward to continuing our work together to push their mission forward in service to our residents.” At the conference, SDANLAC Board Directors Kathye Armitage, Drew Mercy and Elvie Ancheta accepted the award from CSDA Senior Public Affairs Field Coordinator Chris Palmer. The award is chosen by CSDA staff. “I am extremely proud of our chapter for receiving this special recognition,” Armitage said. “I know our fellow chapters are also doing exceptional work to further the mission of special districts, so being selected for this award highlights the support our members have given to the chapter from day one. We thank CSDA for validating our work.” The Chapter of the Year Award comes at a bittersweet time for the chapter. Founding Board President Vincent Dino, who had planned to attend the conference to accept the award, unexpectedly passed away one month ago. President Dino, who also was a Palmdale Water District Board Director, was a strong and proud supporter of the chapter that he led from day one. Formed in late 2021, the SDANLAC chapter was the first CSDA affiliated chapter in Los Angeles County. It was created to give special districts in the Antelope Valley and Santa Clarita Valley a stronger voice on the state level of the CSDA, which is a not-for-profit association formed in 1969 to promote good governance and improve core local services. The active member districts are Antelope Valley-East Kern Water Agency, Antelope Valley Cemetery District, Antelope Valley Mosquito Abatement & Vector Control, Antelope Valley Resource Conservation District, Antelope Valley Air Quality Management District, Los Angeles County Sanitation District, Palmdale Water District, Quartz Hill Water District and Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency. The chapter holds general membership lunch meetings several times a year to bring districts together for networking, collaboration, legislative updates and educational talks. For more information about SDANLAC, visit www.sdanlac.org. ###
