Board of Directors
Board of Directors
Meet the Cadiz Board
The Cadiz Inc. Board of Directors is responsible for overseeing the Company’s management and strategic direction and for establishing our corporate policies and leadership structure. The Board also oversees and reviews key aspects of the company’s risk management efforts and strategic business plans. Our Board members possess a strong combination of skills and experiences that help contribute to the company’s overall success and provide counsel and guidance to ensure management fulfills our mission and best reflects the needs of the communities of California where we do business.
Susan Kennedy, Chairman & CEO
Stephen E. Courter, Audit & Risk Committee Chair
Maria Dreyfus, Board Member
Maria Echaveste, Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee Chair
Winston Hickox, Lead Independent Director & Compensation Committee Chair
Barbara Lloyd, Board Member
Ken Lombard, Board Member
Richard Polanco, Board Member
Carolyn Webb de Macías, Equity, Sustainability & Environmental Justice Committee Chair
Susan Kennedy, Chairman & CEO
Stephen E. Courter, Board Member
Maria Dreyfus, Board Member
Maria Echaveste, Board Member
Winston Hickox, Board Member
Barbara Llloyd, Board Member
Ken Lombard, Board Member
Richard Polanco, Board Member
Carolyn Webb de Macías, Board Member
Susan Kennedy
Chairman & CEO
Susan Kennedy is Chairman of the Cadiz Board of Directors and CEO of the Company. Ms. Kennedy joined the Board in February 2021 and was elected Chairman in February 2022. In January 2024, Ms. Kennedy was appointed CEO.
Ms. Kennedy has led a distinguished career as a policymaker and entrepreneur, a top advisor to two California Governors, former Commissioner of the California Public Utilities Commission, and founder and chief executive of a distributed energy company. Ms. Kennedy joined the Board of Directors of Cadiz, Inc. in March 2021 and currently serves as Executive Chair of the water solutions company, which is headquartered in LA and has infrastructure assets in San Bernardino, LA and Kern County.
Prior to entering the private sector, Ms. Kennedy served for two decades at the highest levels of California government, including chief of staff to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and cabinet secretary to Governor Gray Davis. From 2003 to 2006, Ms. Kennedy served as Commissioner of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), which regulates the state’s investor-owned utilities. In this role, she oversaw the CPUC’s efforts to ensure water utilities deliver clean, safe, and reliable water to their customers at reasonable rates.
In her leadership role for two California Governors, Ms. Kennedy was responsible for negotiating some of the largest agreements among agricultural interests, environmentalists, rural and urban water users for multi-billion-dollar investments in water supply, storage and conveyance facilities, as well as conservation and environmental restoration projects including the $8 billion,10-year restoration of the San Francisco Bay Delta ecosystem and the early plans to restore the Salton Sea.
Stephen E. Courter
Steve Courter is an independent director, appointed to Board effective October 9, 2008. Mr. Courter is the Chair of the Company’s Audit and Risk Committee and is a member of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee.
Mr. Courter is currently on the faculty of the McCombs School of Business, University of Texas at Austin where he teaches MBA courses in strategy and new venture creation. He also serves as a director of Upland Software, a business process software company, and in this role has developed extensive information security and cyber security management experience. Mr. Courter has over 30 years of experience in management positions in the technology/telecommunications industry, serving as CEO of Broadwing Communications from 2006 to 2007 and CEO of NEON Communications from 2000 to 2006. Mr. Courter has also previously served as a director on several corporate boards, including NEON Communications from 2001-2006, Broadwing Communications from 2006-2007, and GLOBIX from 2006-2007. Mr. Courter began his career as an officer in the U.S. Army and has also held various executive positions, both in the U.S. and Europe, at several major corporations including KPMG, IBM and Sprint. Mr. Courter holds an MBA from George Washington University and a B.S. in Finance from Pennsylvania State University.
Maria Dreyfus
Maria Dreyfus is an independent director elected to the Board in June 2023. Ms. Dreyfus is a member of the Audit and Risk Committee and the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee.
Maria Dreyfus was elected to the Board in June 2023. Ms. Dreyfus is the CEO and Founder of Ardinall Investment Management, an investment firm focused on sustainable investing and resilient infrastructure that she started in 2017. Prior to Ardinall Investment Management, Ms. Dreyfus spent 15 years at Goldman Sachs, where she most recently served as a Portfolio Manager and Managing Director in the Goldman Sachs Investment Partners (GSIP) Group. Ms. Dreyfus also currently serves as a director on the boards of Pioneer Natural Resources (NYSE: PXD), Nabors Energy Transition Corp (NYSE: NETC), one of Canada’s largest pension plans CDPQ, XiO, a private California-based water controls company and on the advisory board of Eni Next (Eni SpA’s corporate venture arm). Previously, she served as an independent director on the board of Macquarie Infrastructure Corporation (NYSE: MIC) from 2018 – 2022. Ms. Dreyfus also serves as a director on several private companies’ governing and advisory boards in the energy transition space and on community and non-profit boards. Ms. Dreyfus sits on the advisory board of the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University, on its executive committee, and serves as co-chair of its Women in Energy program. Ms. Dreyfus is also a member of the MIT Corporation’s Development Committee and sits on the MIT Economics Department’s Visiting Committee. Her current and past non-profit board memberships include the Global CCS Foundation, New America Alliance, Breakthrough New York, and Girls Inc. of NYC. She is a member of the Economic Club of New York and the National Association of Investment Companies (NAIC). Ms. Dreyfus has held her CFA since 2004 and holds a dual degree in economics and management science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Maria Echaveste
Maria Echaveste is an independent director elected to the Board in June 2019. Ms. Echaveste is Chair of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee and a member of the Equity, Sustainability & Environmental Justice Committee.
Ms. Echaveste has a distinguished career working as a community leader, public policy advisor, lecturer, senior White House official, and attorney. She is presently President and CEO of the Opportunity Institute, a California-based non-profit working to increase economic and social mobility focused on equity for the most vulnerable students and communities, and also serves on the board of directors of the Leadership Council of Tipping Point (philanthropic organization focused on eliminating poverty in the Bay Area) Mi Familia Vota (increasing Latino civic participation) and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals. Director Echaveste has held various roles at University of California at Berkeley, including as a lecturer and policy director of the Law School’s Chief Justice Earl Warren Institute on Law and Social Policy. Previously, Director Echaveste served as Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for President Bill Clinton focused on issues relating to immigration, civil rights, education, finance, Mexico and Latin America, and as a special representative to Bolivia for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Director Echaveste also served as vice-chair of the California International Trade and Investment Advisory Committee, an appointment by Governor Brown.
Director Echaveste added about the new ESEJ Committee: “To achieve a more equitable society we must increase opportunities so that all have access to the basic needs of society, including clean water, safe infrastructure, and adequate housing. Immigrant communities suffer disproportionately when drought, fire or other systemic crises occur, which are increasing dramatically. I am pleased to be a member of Cadiz’s efforts to be part of the solution to the State’s resource challenges with equity front and center.”
Winston Hickox
Winston Hickox is the Company’s lead independent director and was appointed as a director in October 2006. Mr. Hickox is Chair of the Company’s Compensation Committee and is a member of the Audit and Risk Committee and the Equity, Sustainability and Environmental Justice Committee.
Mr. Hickox is currently a partner at the public policy consulting firm California Strategies, a position he has held since 2006. Mr. Hickox is also a Member of the Strategic Advisory Group of Paladin Capital Group, a leading global investor in cybersecurity and digital infrastructure resilience. Previously, from 2007 until 2012, Mr. Hickox chaired the FTSE Environmental Markets Committee responsible for bi-annual reset of the FTSE Environmental Markets Index Series. From 2004 – 2006, Mr. Hickox served as Senior Portfolio Manager with the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS), designing its environmentally-oriented impact investment initiatives for the fund’s now $463 billion investment portfolio. Prior to CalPers, from 1999 – 2003, Mr. Hickox served as Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) and a member of the Governor’s cabinet. Earlier in his career, Mr. Hickox’s additional private sector experience includes head of Portfolio Management, Managing Director and Partner at Lasalle Investment Management from 1987 to 1998, where he managed a $2B real estate portfolio, and President of his own securities brokerage firm, the Hickox Financial Corporation. Mr. Hickox has also served on numerous corporate boards, including Thomas Properties Group, a publicly traded full service real estate investment firm, and GRIDiant Corporation, a privately held corporation in the energy technology sector. Mr. Hickox’s prior government service includes the Board of the $12 billion Sacramento County Employees’ Retirement System (SCERS) from 1998 – 2012, Chair of the Market Advisory Committee, which helped prepare for the implementation of AB 32 California’s sweeping effort to address climate change, and seven years as a Special Assistant to the Governor for Environmental Affairs as well as a Deputy Secretary for Environmental Affairs. From April 1997 to January 1999, Hickox also served as one of the California Assembly Speaker’s appointees to the California Coastal Commission. Mr. Hickox holds an MBA from Golden Gate University and a BS from California State University.
Barbara Lloyd
Barbara Lloyd is an independent director, appointed to the Board effective February 29, 2024. Director Lloyd is a member of the Company’s Audit & Risk and Compensation Committees.
Director Lloyd is Founder and CEO of IMPACTS USA Advisory Services, a private consulting firm advising governments, developers and investors on innovative capital asset strategies, including public-private partnerships for complex infrastructure projects such as California High-Speed Rail. IMPACTS advisory clients include the University of California and the California Departments of Transportation and Veterans Affairs. She also advised the state Department of Water Resources and the cities of Los Angeles, Oakland and San Jose at prior employers. Prior to founding IMPACTS, Lloyd served as a Managing Director for KPMG Corporate Finance, a global leader in alternative financing and delivery options for complex infrastructure projects and governmental facilities. Previously, Lloyd served as Chief Deputy Treasurer and Deputy Treasurer for Public Finance for the California State Treasurers Office where she led multiple high-profile, complex bond transactions, such as California’s $11 billion Power Supply Revenue Bonds, then the largest municipal bonds ever issued (2002), and $12.3 billion Economic Recovery Bonds, including the largest single-day issuance in municipal bond history, at $7.9 billion (2004). In her role at the State Treasurers Office, Lloyd also served as chief negotiator and senior spokesperson with rating agencies, credit enhancement providers, investors, governmental agencies, and other bond market participants. Lloyd’s expansive financial career also includes roles in senior executive public finance positions at Lehman Brothers Public Finance, acquired by Barclays, and Leifer Capital, now KNN Public Finance. She led banking transactions for the State of California, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power; California Department of Veterans Affairs; Irvine Ranch Water District; San Diego County; City of Oakland; and California Communities JPA. Lloyd began her career as chief of staff in the 14th California State Assembly district and also served as treasury manager for the City of Oakland. Lloyd has an MBA from Stanford University and a B.A. in Political Science from UC Davis.
Ken Lombard
Ken Lombard was appointed a director of the Company in April 2022. Mr. Lombard is a member of the Audit and Risk Committee.
Ken Lombard is presently President & CEO of BRIDGE Housing, a leading nonprofit developer, owner, and manager of affordable housing. He joined BRIDGE in November 2021. Previously, from 2018-2021, Mr. Lombard held positions at Seritage Growth Properties (NYSE: SRG), most recently as Special Advisor, and previously as Seritage’s EVP and COO. Earlier, from 2016-2018, Mr. Lombard was President, Vice Chairman and Partner of MacFarlane Partners, an investment management firm that acquires, develops, and manages real estate assets on behalf of pensions and institutional investors. From 2009-2016, Mr. Lombard served as head of investments for Capri Capital Partners, and President of the Capri Urban Fund, which has invested over $1 billion in commercial, residential, and mixed-use development, redevelopment, and repositioning projects in densely populated urban markets of the U.S. From 2004 to 2008, Mr. Lombard served as President of Starbucks Entertainment, where he managed the collaboration with Concord Music to form a new Starbucks music label. In 1992, Mr. Lombard and Earvin “Magic” Johnson co-founded the Johnson Development Corporation focused on economic improvement in underserved communities; Lombard served as President and Partner of Johnson Development Corporation until 2004.
Mr. Lombard has held several positions on public agency boards and commissions, including the Los Angeles Fire Department Commission, the Los Angeles Charter Reform Commission, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Board of Commissioners, and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California Board of Directors, among others. Mr. Lombard holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of Washington.
Senator Richard Polanco (ret.)
Senator Richard Polanco (ret.) is an independent director elected to the Board in July 2022. Sen. Polanco is a member of the Compensation Committee and the Equity, Sustainability and Environmental Justice Committee.
Sen. Polanco is an esteemed California political and business leader, and champion for the state’s disadvantaged communities. He brings to the Board 40 years of high-level experience in elected office and the public and private sectors with frontline expertise in public policy, economic development, risk management and community empowerment, among other areas. Sen. Polanco is presently managing director of Tres Es Inc., a boutique government affairs firm.
Senator Polanco began his career in public service in 1975 and has served on the staff of several local and state officials including Los Angeles County Supervisor Ed Edelman in (1975 – 1978), California Governor Jerry Brown (1978 – 1982) and Assemblyman Richard Alatorre (1982 – 1986).
In 1986, Senator Polanco was elected to the California State Assembly where he served until 1994 when he was elected to the California State Senate. Senator Polanco served in the Senate from 1994 until his retirement in 2002, including four years as the Senate Majority Leader from 1998 – 2002. During his 16 years in the State Legislature Sen. Polanco rose to some of the most powerful positions in Sacramento, including as Senate Majority Leader (1998-2002) and Chair of the Latino Legislative Caucus (1990 – 2002), while authoring landmark bills across a wide range of policy areas, from clean drinking water to voting rights.
In October 2002, Senator Polanco established the California Latino Caucus Institute for Public Policy, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization that supports innovative leadership programs to enhance the quality of life for all Californians. The Institute was created as a non-partisan effort by the California Latino Legislative Caucus. Senator Polanco served as the Institute’s first Chairman of the Board.
Previously, Senator Polanco served as the Executive Director to the Maravilla Neighborhood Project Area Committee, a $24m community redevelopment program in East Los Angeles, and as a Community Organizer for the Maravilla Public Housing Project.
Senator Polanco has also served on a variety of public and private sector boards and commissions, including California Delta Dental Plan (Board Director), Meruelo Maddux Construction Inc. (Board Director), California Public Utility Commission Low Income Oversight Board (Board Director), Sylvatex Inc. (Advisory Board), Farmworker Institute for Education & Leadership Development- Cesar Chavez Adult Charter School (Advisory Board) and the UCLA Luskin School of Urban Affairs (Advisor).
Senator Polanco resides in Los Angeles with his wife Olivia where he continues to serve his community.
He attended both the University of Redlands and the Universidad Nacional Mexico, majoring in business administration.
Carolyn Webb de Macías
Carolyn Webb de Macías is an independent director elected in June 2019. Ms. Webb de Macías is Chair of the Equity, Sustainability and Environmental Justice Committee and is a member of the Compensation Committee.
Ms. Webb de Macías is a community leader with an extensive career in public policy and higher education. Ms. Webb de Macías currently serves as Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to the City of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. She is also Board Chair for the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, a non-profit organization that manages 20 schools through a Memorandum Of Understanding with the Los Angeles Unified School District, and is a former Member of the Board and previous chair of the Community Coalition of South Los Angeles, a community education and advocacy organization.
Previously, Ms. Webb de Macías served in the office of Elementary and Secondary Education in the US Department of Education as an appointee of President Barack Obama from 2010-2012. From 1997 – 2008, Ms. Webb de Macías served in various roles at the University of Southern California including adjunct faculty member in the USC Rossier School of Education, associate provost from 1997 – 2002 and vice president for external relations from 2002 – 2008. Upon retirement from USC in 2008, Ms. Webb de Macías was granted the title of Vice President Emeritus. From 2005 - 2006, Ms. Webb de Macias served as Special Advisor to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. From 1991 – 1997 Ms. Webb de Macías served as chief of staff for Los Angeles City Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas. Ms. Webb de Macías’ strong record of community service includes previous roles as founding member of the Board for the Alliance for Regional Collaboration to Heighten Educational Success (ARCHES), member of the Boards of the Los Angeles African American Women’s Public Policy Institute and the International Black Women’s Public Policy Institute, member of the Central City Association Executive Committee, and founding president of the Education Consortium of Central Los Angeles. Ms. Webb de Macías has been honored for her work as a founding member of Young Black Scholars of Los Angeles and named a Black Woman of Achievement by the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund.
Susan Kennedy
Chairman & CEO
Susan Kennedy is Chairman of the Cadiz Board of Directors and CEO of the Company. Ms. Kennedy joined the Board in February 2021 and was elected Chairman in February 2022. In January 2024, Ms. Kennedy was appointed CEO.
Ms. Kennedy has led a distinguished career as a policymaker and entrepreneur, a top advisor to two California Governors, former Commissioner of the California Public Utilities Commission, and founder and chief executive of a distributed energy company. Ms. Kennedy joined the Board of Directors of Cadiz, Inc. in March 2021 and currently serves as Executive Chair of the water solutions company, which is headquartered in LA and has infrastructure assets in San Bernardino, LA and Kern County.
Prior to entering the private sector, Ms. Kennedy served for two decades at the highest levels of California government, including chief of staff to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and cabinet secretary to Governor Gray Davis. From 2003 to 2006, Ms. Kennedy served as Commissioner of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), which regulates the state’s investor-owned utilities. In this role, she oversaw the CPUC’s efforts to ensure water utilities deliver clean, safe, and reliable water to their customers at reasonable rates.
In her leadership role for two California Governors, Ms. Kennedy was responsible for negotiating some of the largest agreements among agricultural interests, environmentalists, rural and urban water users for multi-billion-dollar investments in water supply, storage and conveyance facilities, as well as conservation and environmental restoration projects including the $8 billion,10-year restoration of the San Francisco Bay Delta ecosystem and the early plans to restore the Salton Sea.
Stephen E. Courter
Steve Courter is an independent director, appointed to Board effective October 9, 2008. Mr. Courter is the Chair of the Company’s Audit and Risk Committee and is a member of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee.
Mr. Courter is currently on the faculty of the McCombs School of Business, University of Texas at Austin where he teaches MBA courses in strategy and new venture creation. He also serves as a director of Upland Software, a business process software company, and in this role has developed extensive information security and cyber security management experience. Mr. Courter has over 30 years of experience in management positions in the technology/telecommunications industry, serving as CEO of Broadwing Communications from 2006 to 2007 and CEO of NEON Communications from 2000 to 2006. Mr. Courter has also previously served as a director on several corporate boards, including NEON Communications from 2001-2006, Broadwing Communications from 2006-2007, and GLOBIX from 2006-2007. Mr. Courter began his career as an officer in the U.S. Army and has also held various executive positions, both in the U.S. and Europe, at several major corporations including KPMG, IBM and Sprint. Mr. Courter holds an MBA from George Washington University and a B.S. in Finance from Pennsylvania State University.
Maria Dreyfus
Maria Dreyfus is an independent director elected to the Board in June 2023. Ms. Dreyfus is a member of the Audit and Risk Committee and the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee.
Maria Dreyfus was elected to the Board in June 2023. Ms. Dreyfus is the CEO and Founder of Ardinall Investment Management, an investment firm focused on sustainable investing and resilient infrastructure that she started in 2017. Prior to Ardinall Investment Management, Ms. Dreyfus spent 15 years at Goldman Sachs, where she most recently served as a Portfolio Manager and Managing Director in the Goldman Sachs Investment Partners (GSIP) Group. Ms. Dreyfus also currently serves as a director on the boards of Pioneer Natural Resources (NYSE: PXD), Nabors Energy Transition Corp (NYSE: NETC), one of Canada’s largest pension plans CDPQ, XiO, a private California-based water controls company and on the advisory board of Eni Next (Eni SpA’s corporate venture arm). Previously, she served as an independent director on the board of Macquarie Infrastructure Corporation (NYSE: MIC) from 2018 – 2022. Ms. Dreyfus also serves as a director on several private companies’ governing and advisory boards in the energy transition space and on community and non-profit boards. Ms. Dreyfus sits on the advisory board of the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University, on its executive committee, and serves as co-chair of its Women in Energy program. Ms. Dreyfus is also a member of the MIT Corporation’s Development Committee and sits on the MIT Economics Department’s Visiting Committee. Her current and past non-profit board memberships include the Global CCS Foundation, New America Alliance, Breakthrough New York, and Girls Inc. of NYC. She is a member of the Economic Club of New York and the National Association of Investment Companies (NAIC). Ms. Dreyfus has held her CFA since 2004 and holds a dual degree in economics and management science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Maria Echaveste
Maria Echaveste is an independent director elected to the Board in June 2019. Ms. Echaveste is Chair of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee and a member of the Equity, Sustainability & Environmental Justice Committee.
Ms. Echaveste has a distinguished career working as a community leader, public policy advisor, lecturer, senior White House official, and attorney. She is presently President and CEO of the Opportunity Institute, a California-based non-profit working to increase economic and social mobility focused on equity for the most vulnerable students and communities, and also serves on the board of directors of the Leadership Council of Tipping Point (philanthropic organization focused on eliminating poverty in the Bay Area) Mi Familia Vota (increasing Latino civic participation) and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals. Director Echaveste has held various roles at University of California at Berkeley, including as a lecturer and policy director of the Law School’s Chief Justice Earl Warren Institute on Law and Social Policy. Previously, Director Echaveste served as Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for President Bill Clinton focused on issues relating to immigration, civil rights, education, finance, Mexico and Latin America, and as a special representative to Bolivia for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Director Echaveste also served as vice-chair of the California International Trade and Investment Advisory Committee, an appointment by Governor Brown.
Director Echaveste added about the new ESEJ Committee: “To achieve a more equitable society we must increase opportunities so that all have access to the basic needs of society, including clean water, safe infrastructure, and adequate housing. Immigrant communities suffer disproportionately when drought, fire or other systemic crises occur, which are increasing dramatically. I am pleased to be a member of Cadiz’s efforts to be part of the solution to the State’s resource challenges with equity front and center.”
Winston Hickox
Winston Hickox is the Company’s lead independent director and was appointed as a director in October 2006. Mr. Hickox is Chair of the Company’s Compensation Committee and is a member of the Audit and Risk Committee and the Equity, Sustainability and Environmental Justice Committee.
Mr. Hickox is currently a partner at the public policy consulting firm California Strategies, a position he has held since 2006. Mr. Hickox is also a Member of the Strategic Advisory Group of Paladin Capital Group, a leading global investor in cybersecurity and digital infrastructure resilience. Previously, from 2007 until 2012, Mr. Hickox chaired the FTSE Environmental Markets Committee responsible for bi-annual reset of the FTSE Environmental Markets Index Series. From 2004 – 2006, Mr. Hickox served as Senior Portfolio Manager with the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS), designing its environmentally-oriented impact investment initiatives for the fund’s now $463 billion investment portfolio. Prior to CalPers, from 1999 – 2003, Mr. Hickox served as Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) and a member of the Governor’s cabinet. Earlier in his career, Mr. Hickox’s additional private sector experience includes head of Portfolio Management, Managing Director and Partner at Lasalle Investment Management from 1987 to 1998, where he managed a $2B real estate portfolio, and President of his own securities brokerage firm, the Hickox Financial Corporation. Mr. Hickox has also served on numerous corporate boards, including Thomas Properties Group, a publicly traded full service real estate investment firm, and GRIDiant Corporation, a privately held corporation in the energy technology sector. Mr. Hickox’s prior government service includes the Board of the $12 billion Sacramento County Employees’ Retirement System (SCERS) from 1998 – 2012, Chair of the Market Advisory Committee, which helped prepare for the implementation of AB 32 California’s sweeping effort to address climate change, and seven years as a Special Assistant to the Governor for Environmental Affairs as well as a Deputy Secretary for Environmental Affairs. From April 1997 to January 1999, Hickox also served as one of the California Assembly Speaker’s appointees to the California Coastal Commission. Mr. Hickox holds an MBA from Golden Gate University and a BS from California State University.
Barbara Lloyd
Barbara Lloyd is an independent director, appointed to the Board effective February 29, 2024. Director Lloyd is a member of the Company’s Audit & Risk and Compensation Committees.
Director Lloyd is Founder and CEO of IMPACTS USA Advisory Services, a private consulting firm advising governments, developers and investors on innovative capital asset strategies, including public-private partnerships for complex infrastructure projects such as California High-Speed Rail. IMPACTS advisory clients include the University of California and the California Departments of Transportation and Veterans Affairs. She also advised the state Department of Water Resources and the cities of Los Angeles, Oakland and San Jose at prior employers. Prior to founding IMPACTS, Lloyd served as a Managing Director for KPMG Corporate Finance, a global leader in alternative financing and delivery options for complex infrastructure projects and governmental facilities. Previously, Lloyd served as Chief Deputy Treasurer and Deputy Treasurer for Public Finance for the California State Treasurers Office where she led multiple high-profile, complex bond transactions, such as California’s $11 billion Power Supply Revenue Bonds, then the largest municipal bonds ever issued (2002), and $12.3 billion Economic Recovery Bonds, including the largest single-day issuance in municipal bond history, at $7.9 billion (2004). In her role at the State Treasurers Office, Lloyd also served as chief negotiator and senior spokesperson with rating agencies, credit enhancement providers, investors, governmental agencies, and other bond market participants. Lloyd’s expansive financial career also includes roles in senior executive public finance positions at Lehman Brothers Public Finance, acquired by Barclays, and Leifer Capital, now KNN Public Finance. She led banking transactions for the State of California, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power; California Department of Veterans Affairs; Irvine Ranch Water District; San Diego County; City of Oakland; and California Communities JPA. Lloyd began her career as chief of staff in the 14th California State Assembly district and also served as treasury manager for the City of Oakland. Lloyd has an MBA from Stanford University and a B.A. in Political Science from UC Davis.
Ken Lombard
Ken Lombard was appointed a director of the Company in April 2022. Mr. Lombard is a member of the Audit and Risk Committee.
Ken Lombard is presently President & CEO of BRIDGE Housing, a leading nonprofit developer, owner, and manager of affordable housing. He joined BRIDGE in November 2021. Previously, from 2018-2021, Mr. Lombard held positions at Seritage Growth Properties (NYSE: SRG), most recently as Special Advisor, and previously as Seritage’s EVP and COO. Earlier, from 2016-2018, Mr. Lombard was President, Vice Chairman and Partner of MacFarlane Partners, an investment management firm that acquires, develops, and manages real estate assets on behalf of pensions and institutional investors. From 2009-2016, Mr. Lombard served as head of investments for Capri Capital Partners, and President of the Capri Urban Fund, which has invested over $1 billion in commercial, residential, and mixed-use development, redevelopment, and repositioning projects in densely populated urban markets of the U.S. From 2004 to 2008, Mr. Lombard served as President of Starbucks Entertainment, where he managed the collaboration with Concord Music to form a new Starbucks music label. In 1992, Mr. Lombard and Earvin “Magic” Johnson co-founded the Johnson Development Corporation focused on economic improvement in underserved communities; Lombard served as President and Partner of Johnson Development Corporation until 2004.
Mr. Lombard has held several positions on public agency boards and commissions, including the Los Angeles Fire Department Commission, the Los Angeles Charter Reform Commission, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Board of Commissioners, and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California Board of Directors, among others. Mr. Lombard holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of Washington.
Senator Richard Polanco (ret.)
Senator Richard Polanco (ret.) is an independent director elected to the Board in July 2022. Sen. Polanco is a member of the Compensation Committee and the Equity, Sustainability and Environmental Justice Committee.
Sen. Polanco is an esteemed California political and business leader, and champion for the state’s disadvantaged communities. He brings to the Board 40 years of high-level experience in elected office and the public and private sectors with frontline expertise in public policy, economic development, risk management and community empowerment, among other areas. Sen. Polanco is presently managing director of Tres Es Inc., a boutique government affairs firm.
Senator Polanco began his career in public service in 1975 and has served on the staff of several local and state officials including Los Angeles County Supervisor Ed Edelman in (1975 – 1978), California Governor Jerry Brown (1978 – 1982) and Assemblyman Richard Alatorre (1982 – 1986).
In 1986, Senator Polanco was elected to the California State Assembly where he served until 1994 when he was elected to the California State Senate. Senator Polanco served in the Senate from 1994 until his retirement in 2002, including four years as the Senate Majority Leader from 1998 – 2002. During his 16 years in the State Legislature Sen. Polanco rose to some of the most powerful positions in Sacramento, including as Senate Majority Leader (1998-2002) and Chair of the Latino Legislative Caucus (1990 – 2002), while authoring landmark bills across a wide range of policy areas, from clean drinking water to voting rights.
In October 2002, Senator Polanco established the California Latino Caucus Institute for Public Policy, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization that supports innovative leadership programs to enhance the quality of life for all Californians. The Institute was created as a non-partisan effort by the California Latino Legislative Caucus. Senator Polanco served as the Institute’s first Chairman of the Board.
Previously, Senator Polanco served as the Executive Director to the Maravilla Neighborhood Project Area Committee, a $24m community redevelopment program in East Los Angeles, and as a Community Organizer for the Maravilla Public Housing Project.
Senator Polanco has also served on a variety of public and private sector boards and commissions, including California Delta Dental Plan (Board Director), Meruelo Maddux Construction Inc. (Board Director), California Public Utility Commission Low Income Oversight Board (Board Director), Sylvatex Inc. (Advisory Board), Farmworker Institute for Education & Leadership Development- Cesar Chavez Adult Charter School (Advisory Board) and the UCLA Luskin School of Urban Affairs (Advisor).
Senator Polanco resides in Los Angeles with his wife Olivia where he continues to serve his community.
He attended both the University of Redlands and the Universidad Nacional Mexico, majoring in business administration.
Carolyn Webb de Macías
Carolyn Webb de Macías is an independent director elected in June 2019. Ms. Webb de Macías is Chair of the Equity, Sustainability and Environmental Justice Committee and is a member of the Compensation Committee.
Ms. Webb de Macías is a community leader with an extensive career in public policy and higher education. Ms. Webb de Macías currently serves as Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to the City of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. She is also Board Chair for the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, a non-profit organization that manages 20 schools through a Memorandum Of Understanding with the Los Angeles Unified School District, and is a former Member of the Board and previous chair of the Community Coalition of South Los Angeles, a community education and advocacy organization.
Previously, Ms. Webb de Macías served in the office of Elementary and Secondary Education in the US Department of Education as an appointee of President Barack Obama from 2010-2012. From 1997 – 2008, Ms. Webb de Macías served in various roles at the University of Southern California including adjunct faculty member in the USC Rossier School of Education, associate provost from 1997 – 2002 and vice president for external relations from 2002 – 2008. Upon retirement from USC in 2008, Ms. Webb de Macías was granted the title of Vice President Emeritus. From 2005 - 2006, Ms. Webb de Macias served as Special Advisor to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. From 1991 – 1997 Ms. Webb de Macías served as chief of staff for Los Angeles City Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas. Ms. Webb de Macías’ strong record of community service includes previous roles as founding member of the Board for the Alliance for Regional Collaboration to Heighten Educational Success (ARCHES), member of the Boards of the Los Angeles African American Women’s Public Policy Institute and the International Black Women’s Public Policy Institute, member of the Central City Association Executive Committee, and founding president of the Education Consortium of Central Los Angeles. Ms. Webb de Macías has been honored for her work as a founding member of Young Black Scholars of Los Angeles and named a Black Woman of Achievement by the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund.