January 14, 2026
Board elects Luz Gómez as President and Valerie D. Lewis as Vice President
OAKLAND – On January 13, the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) Board of Directors unanimously elected Luz Gómez President of the seven-member EBMUD Board of Directors. The Board also elected Valerie Lewis as Board Vice President with one abstention.
President Gómez resides in the City of San Ramon and represents EBMUD’s Ward 2, which includes Alamo, Lafayette, the Town of Danville, the communities of Blackhawk and Diablo, and portions of Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill and San Ramon. She was appointed in April 2024 to replace former Director John A. Coleman after his resignation and was successfully elected in November 2024 to complete the term and will serve through December 2026.
Gómez is chair of the Contra Costa County Sustainability Commission with more than 20 years of experience in public health, air quality, lead poisoning prevention and community engagement. Gómez has managed programs for Contra Costa Public Health and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and was Chief of Staff to Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia. Gómez co-founded the San Ramon Valley Climate Action Coalition and has been a member of the American Association of University Women San Ramon, San Ramon Library Advisory Committee, Dougherty Valley San Ramon Rotary Club, Lafayette Vision Zero Stakeholder Group, and the San Ramon Valley Unified School District Cultural Responsiveness Committee.
“It is an honor to serve in this capacity, and I appreciate my fellow board members for placing their trust in my ability to lead this organization,” said President Gómez. “I look forward to an impactful year as we continue to serve our 1.4 million customers while maintaining our core values of stewardship, integrity, respect and teamwork.”
Vice President Lewis was elected to the Board of Directors in 2024, representing EBMUD’s Ward 6, which includes major portions of the City of Oakland (East Oakland and south of Park Boulevard/5th Avenue to the San Leandro city boundary.) Director Lewis is a practicing attorney and retired Assistant Vice President and Assistant Secretary, Legal, for Safeway Inc/The Albertsons Companies. Director Lewis is a former trustee of the Alameda Health System and is a member of the Executive Leadership Council, International Women’s Forum, Oakland branch of the NAACP, Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce, Oakland-Bay Area Chapter of the Links, Inc., and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
“I want to thank my colleagues for their confidence and support,” said Vice President Lewis. “It is an honor to work with such a group of knowledgeable, dedicated and committed people. It continues to be my highest honor to represent Ward 6, as well as the regional ratepayer interests, and to work with the finest workforce anywhere. I look forward each day to another opportunity to serve this unique District and the people of the East Bay.”
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The East Bay Municipal Utility District has a proud history of providing high-quality drinking water for 1.4 million customers in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. EBMUD’s wastewater system serves 740,000 customers and helps protect the ecosystem of San Francisco Bay. EBMUD is a not-for-profit public agency established in 1923.