IT News Wire
Gloria D. Gray was elected as the first Black woman to lead the West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin) Board of Directors in 2006, representing the City of Inglewood in Division ll, and on March 7 she is aspiring to become the second Black woman on the Inglewood City Council as she faces a runoff against incumbent George Dotson.
Gray survived a crowded field of candidates to advance to the runoff and throughout the final phase of the race she has accumulated a slew of endorsements representing former elected officials such as Inglewood City Clerk Yvonne Horton and of her husband retired Assemblyman Jerome Horton.
Perhaps, just as impressive Gray has managed to secure the backing of former Inglewood Mayor candidates Fredrisha “Sha” Dixon and Miya Walker and District 1 candidates Leonard Redway and Cindy Giordina, in addition to local business owner Billy Campbell, Carolyn Fowler
(Democratic Party/Women’s Caucus Chair), Patt Sanders (Vice Chair. L.A. County/Democratic Party), Richard Galindo (Community Advocate), Pat Douglas (Owner Pat Douglas Realty) and Inglewood Today owner Willie Brown.
Gray was appointed to the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) Board of Directors in 2009 to serve as one of two West Basin representatives. In 2018, she was elected Chair of the MWD Board and was unanimously re-elected in 2020, but her term concluded in December 20222. Gray is the second woman and first person of color to serve as Chair of the MWD Board, also the first African-American woman to serve as Vice-Chair, the first African-American woman to chair a Board meeting and currently serves on the Executive Committee.
Moreover, her expansive resume includes being appointed by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to serve on a water quality Community Task Force in 2009, which is part of the County’s Clean Water, Clean Beaches Initiative to address pollution in our local waterways that include rivers, lakes, bays, beaches, and coastal waters. Gray, an Inglewood resident, was elected to the Inglewood Unified School District Board of Education in 1995 and served as President for two terms.
In April 2010, Gray was also appointed to the Delta Stewardship Council by former Assembly Speaker Karen Bass and served a four-year term. She served through July 2014 and was the first African-American and African-American woman to serve on the Council. In 2011, she met with state stakeholders and suggested the Delta Council hold public forums to gain broader knowledge in order to develop a comprehensive Delta Plan. She was also invited and made presentations on the status of the Delta Plan and water resources management to the Association of California Water Agencies, Southern California Water Committee, Urban Water Institute, Council for Watershed Health, Los Angeles African American Public Policy Institute, California Latino Water Coalition Delta Summit, Leadership Southern California and Water Environment Federation Technical Conference.
In May 2012, she was confirmed by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors as a member of the Oversight Commission for the dissolution of the City of Carson Redevelopment Agency. In 2013, Gray was recruited by the White House Obama Administration to interview for a Cabinet position in the Department of the Interior.
“As your next council member, I assure you that I will be an INDEPENDENT-ACTIVE VOICE and RELENTLESS ADVOCATE for DISTRICT 1. I believe my years of policy and budget management will help me to best represent the shared values of hard-working everyday families. I will stay engaged to identify issues, assess the needs of the district and be accountable and accessible to all residents,” Gray stated in her pitch to voters.
She added; “My experiences as a former Healthcare Administrator, School Board member, and currently Water Board Director along with my education, experience and leadership skills give me the background to serve effectively.”
“I will fight to preserve our quality of life while leading us towards a better future. As an Inglewood resident for over 30 years, I will always strive to keep our neighborhoods safe, attractive, and prosperous. I respectfully ask for your vote to serve you and continue to advance our great community.”
George Dotson has represented District 1 since 2013 and has the backing of Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts, Jr.
