Director Cynthia Koehler Elected MMWD 2012 Board President; New Vice President is Director Larry Russell

Director Cynthia Koehler of Mill Valley was elected president of the Marin Municipal Water District Board of Directors for 2012, taking over from outgoing president Director Jack Gibson of Sleepy Hollow. Director Larry Russell of Tiburon was elected vice president.  

Koehler was first elected to the MMWD board in 2004 and represents MMWD Division IV, which includes Mill Valley, Corte Madera, and Larkspur.  

Koehler represents MMWD on the district’s Conservation Action Committee and the Association of California Water Agencies’ Federal Affairs Committee.  

Koehler is the California water legislative director for the Environmental Defense Fund and has been a leader in California water policy for two decades. In 2011, she received the Marin Conservation League’s Ted Wellman Water Award for her advocacy on behalf of water conservation and ecosystem preservation. She also serves on the board of POWER (Public Officials for Water and Environmental Reform), and has been an adjunct professor of water law at Golden Gate University School of Law and legal director for Save San Francisco Bay Association. Koehler is a graduate of the University of Oregon School of Law and a past president of the Tam Valley Elementary School PTA.  

Larry Russell, a board member since 2004, represents Division V, which includes portions of Corte Madera, Strawberry, Tiburon, Belvedere, Sausalito and Marin City. In addition to serving as vice president in 2012, he is chair of the District Operations and Compensation committees and vice chair of the Watershed and Climate Change committees. He represents MMWD on the district's Conservation Action Committee, Russian River Ad Hoc Committee and Bay Area Water Forum.  

Russell has a doctorate in civil/environmental engineering from the University of California at Berkeley and is a licensed professional civil, chemical and corrosion engineer with more than 30 years of technical experience in water management and conservation. Dr. Russell is a life member of the American Water Works Association and the Water Environment Federation, and is the chair of the Corrosion Committee of the International Water Association.  

Completing MMWD’s board are directors David Behar of San Anselmo, Jack Gibson of Sleepy Hollow and Armando Quintero of San Rafael.  

The Marin Municipal Water District is Marin County’s largest provider of drinking water, serving a population of 185,000 in a 147-square-mile area of south and central Marin County. Primary funding of MMWD’s operations is from the sale of water.  

April 25, 2012 marks the 100-year anniversary of MMWD, the first municipal water district in California. Many of the unique features that define Marin today can be attributed to the efforts of MMWD’s founders in 1912, including the preservation of Mt. Tamalpais, a central landmark revered by many. Under MMWD’s stewardship, almost 20,000 acres of pristine watershed land on Mt. Tamalpais is protected in its natural state and available for recreation. Thanks to the founders’ foresight, Marin residents today also enjoy a high-quality, reliable water supply from local sources and maintain local control of their water through a publicly governed water agency.