Published on November 21, 2022
PITTSBURGH – Today Mayor Ed Gainey signed an Executive Order rescinding a previous executive order from then Mayor Bill Peduto which created a Board of Nominators to select appointments for the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority Board of Directors. The creation of the Board of Nominators was the result of a Blue-Ribbon Panel that worked to restructure PWSA and implement a variety of measures in order to ensure the mission of PWSA of providing safe, clean water.
This Executive Order brings the City back into compliance with section 219 of the Home Rule Charter which states that “the mayor shall appoint all members of authorities subject to the approval of Council…” Given the process of appointing nominees with the approval of council it is the belief of the administration that these safeguards are sufficient to eliminate other special considerations when naming appointments to the PWSA board of directors.
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey also announced today his nominations to the PWSA Board of Directors – City Solicitor Krysia Kubiak and Vice Chancellor for STEM Research and Innovation at the University of Pittsburgh Dr. James Martin.
“I am proud to nominate Krysia Kubiak and James Martin to the Board of Directors at PWSA,” said Mayor Ed Gainey. “Ms. Kubiak brings a wealth of experience in regulatory practices for public utilities and Dr. Martin adds his decades of experience in engineering to the PWSA board. Together they also create a more diverse board that more truly represents Pittsburgh to PWSA.”
Prior to joining the Gainey Administration Kubiak served as the director of state regulatory strategy for Duquesne Light Co. working on regulatory and policy issues. In August Dr. Martin was named Vice Chancelor for STEM Research at the University of Pittsburgh, he was previously the Dean of the Swanson school of Engineering.
The full executive order can be found online at https://apps.pittsburghpa.gov/redtail/images/20113_Executive_Order_Rescinding_EO2018-01.pdf