Former state Assemblyman Phillip D. Hawkins was seated today as a member of the board of directors of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.
Hawkins joins Robert Apodaca as Central Basin Municipal Water District's representatives on the 37-member Metropolitan board. He replaces Phillip J. Pace, who had served on the Metropolitan board since May 1995, including three terms as board chairman.
Elected to Central Basin's board of directors in November 2000 and reelected in 2004, Hawkins' district consists of the cities of Artesia, Bellflower, Cerritos, Hawaiian Gardens, Lakewood, Paramount and Signal Hill. He currently serves as vice president of the Central Basin board and chairs the board's Finance/Administration Committee. He also participates in the Colorado River Water Authority, the American Water Works Association and the California Contract Cities Association.
A real estate broker since 1977, Hawkins has opened several businesses, including Realty World in Bellflower, Herbert Hawkins Realty, also in Bellflower, Century 21 in Norwalk and the Dean Company.
Hawkins was elected to the California Assembly in 1994, representing the 56th Assembly District until 1996. During his Assembly term, he was chairman of the Committee on Housing and Community Development and vice chairman of the Committee on Budget, and served as a member of various other committees.
A Cerritos resident, Hawkins has served on the Rancho Southeast Association of Realtors and the Bellflower Township Redevelopment Committee. He is a member of the Bellflower, Cerritos, Lakewood and Paramount chambers of commerce. He is a supporter of Bellflower High School, Paramount High School and the Artesia Library.
As a community leader, Hawkins was appointed by then-Gov. Pete Wilson as a special director of trade and commerce in 1997. In 2000, Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe appointed Hawkins to the Los Angeles County Assessment Appeals Board.
Hawkins and his wife, Janice, have two children and six grandchildren.
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is a cooperative of 26 cities and water agencies serving 18Â million people in six counties. The district imports water from the Colorado River and Northern California to supplement local supplies, and helps its members to develop increased water conservation, recycling, storage and other resource-management programs.
Note to editors: A digital photograph of Phillip D. Hawkins is available upon request.
