Commissioner Flynn to serve as new vice president of MWRD
The Board of Commissioners at the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) has elected a new vice president to help lead the agency tasked with a critical mission to protect the region’s water environment.
Commissioner Patricia Theresa Flynn was elected by her peers to serve as vice president during the meeting of the MWRD Board of Commissioners on June 15. Vice President Flynn replaces Kimberly Du Buclet, who was recently appointed to serve as state representative in the Illinois General Assembly.
“I am incredibly honored and humbled to serve the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago as a commissioner and even more today as vice president,” Vice President Flynn said. “I give my oath and promise to serve this agency and our constituents to the best of my ability and thank my fellow commissioners and our taxpayers for placing their trust in my leadership.”
Elected to the MWRD Board of Commissioners in 2022, Vice President Flynn serves as chairman of the MWRD committees on Ethics, Industrial Waste and Water Pollution and Labor and Industrial Relations, and she also serves as vice chair of the committees on Information Technology and Public Information and Education.
“We are excited to elect Vice President Flynn to this new position of leadership as vice president,” said President Kari K. Steele. “In her brief time on the board, we have already witnessed her extraordinary diligence, thoughtfulness, and commitment to the taxpayers we serve and the environment we aim to protect. I look forward to serving alongside her in this new capacity.”
Vice President Flynn was first elected to public office serving as trustee for the village of Crestwood in 2011. After a drinking water scandal impacted her community, she went straight to work as trustee to promote clean water, effective government and fiscal responsibility.
Prior to running for local office, Vice President Flynn was an MWRD employee, working in both Pollution Control and in the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant laboratory. She returned to the MWRD years later now with an opportunity to serve in another meaningful way.
In her work, Vice President Flynn and her fellow commissioners establish the policies and procedures steering the MWRD and also the financial oversight to manage the MWRD’s $1.4-billion budget for 2023. In its work, the MWRD protects local waterways and Lake Michigan, manages stormwater and mitigates flooding throughout Cook County, and transforms wastewater into clean water for 5.19 million residents living in Chicago and 128 surrounding communities. Due to this responsible fiscal management, strong reserves and stable outlook, the MWRD maintains an AAA credit rating from Fitch Ratings and an AA+ rating from S&P Global.