ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. – Orange County Water District (OCWD) announced today the appointment of Jan Debay to its board of directors. In a special board meeting held Wednesday, OCWD directors reviewed applications from seven candidates and selected Debay to fill the Director vacancy in OCWD’s Division 7. Division 7 covers Costa Mesa and parts of the cities of Newport Beach, Irvine, Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach, Tustin and Westminster.

"Jan’s wide range of experience in the public sector brings a great contribution to the board," said Jerry A. King, president of OCWD’s board of directors. "Her knowledge of water issues and her leadership experience with several Orange County organizations will be invaluable to OCWD’s future management."

Debay’s service in the public sector started over 13 years ago when she served as a Planning Commissioner for the City of Newport Beach. Her service continued when she was elected to the Newport Beach City Council in 1992 and later re-elected and appointed Mayor in 1996. During this time, Debay was also elected to the Orange County Sanitation District’s (OCSD) Board in 1993 and served as Chair from 1998-2000. While on the OCSD Board, she was appointed as a representative on the Joint Cooperative Committee for the Groundwater Replenishment System – a joint project between OCWD and OCSD that will supply a new, drought-proof source of water to Orange County to help meet future water demands in Orange County.

In addition, Debay was elected to the Orange County League of Cities where she eventually served as President overseeing matters of concern to 33 cities and their Councilmembers. Debay also represented Orange County on the Board of the Southern California Association of Governments – a six-county organization for planning – serving as Chairman of the Community, Housing and Economic Development Committee and as a member of the Executive Steering Committee.

Debay also served on the Board of the National Water Research Institute from 1997 – 2000 and was Chair of the Board in 2000.

OCWD’s Board is composed of ten directors – seven elected and three appointed – representing cities in north and central Orange County. Debay is filling an elected board member vacancy created by the voluntary resignation of the former Division 7 Director. For this reason, Debay will complete the four-year term already in progress, which ends in December 2002. Debay says she would like to continue to serve on the OCWD Board and plans to run for a full four-year term in the November 2002 election.

OCWD is a special agency created by the California Legislature to maintain and manage the groundwater basin under the northern and central areas of Orange County. The OCWD supplies 75 percent of the water needs to more than 2.7 million residents and businesses in Anaheim, Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, most of Irvine, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Newport Beach, Orange, Placentia, Santa Ana, Seal Beach, Stanton, Tustin, Villa Park, Westminster and Yorba Linda.