Top Aide to San Diego Mayor Gloria Tapped As New Water Authority Board Chair
A prominent aide to San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria will start a two-year term as chair of the San Diego County Water Authority's Board of Directors on Oct. 1.
Nick Serrano, Gloria's deputy chief of staff , has served as vice chair of the board for the past two years while representing the city.
He was unanimously elected as chair Thursday and will serve with incoming vice chair Frank Hilliker from the Lakeside Water District, and incoming secretary Joy Lyndes from the San Dieguito Water District.
Serrano, 34, will be the 28th board chair since the Water Authority 's founding in 1944, the first openly LGBTQ chair and the youngest in board history.
He follows Mel Katz, representing Del Mar, a board member since 2018 and chair since 2022.
"As chair, my pledge is to continue my unwavering focus on ensuring safe, clean and affordable water for the ratepayers of San Diego, and to bring new, innovative solutions to the table in order to maintain affordability so that every San Diegan has a secure water future," Serrano said.
A board member since 2021, Serrano has served on the Water Authority's committees for Imported Water and Legislation and Public Outreach, along with the Colorado River Strategy Work Group.
A career public servant and native San Diegan, Serrano graduated from San Diego State. He is the son of a San Diego police officer and longtime San Diego County employee.
Hilliker also will take on his new role as vice chair on Oct. 1. He currently chairs the Finance Planning Work Group and serves on two other committees and three work groups.
Hilliker joined the Water Authority board in 2007 representing the Lakeside Water District and is among the longest-serving members. He is the past chairman of the Lakeside Chamber of Commerce and president of Hilliker's Ranch Fresh Eggs, Inc.
Lyndes serves on the legislation and Water Planning and Environmental committees. The Encinitas City Council member was appointed to the board in December 2022. The licensed landscape architect and fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects is also a board member with the San Dieguito Water District.
The Water Authority's 35-member board, representing 23 retail member water agencies, holds its regular meetings on the fourth Thursday of each month. The November and December meetings are combined.
