Four commissioners were installed to lead the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) in preserving the agency’s 135-year history in promoting sustainability and protecting the region’s water environment, while also addressing emerging regulatory challenges, climate change and reducing energy demands.

President Kari K. Steele, Chairman of Finance Marcelino Garcia, Commissioner Precious Brady-Davis and newcomer Commissioner Sharon Waller were installed during a swearing-in ceremony for the MWRD’s Board of Commissioners on Dec. 3 at the MWRD Barbara J. McGowan Main Office Building, 100 E. Erie St., Chicago, IL. Watch the installation ceremony.

MWRD commissioners are responsible for providing financial oversight and establishing policies and procedures which meet the MWRD’s objective of protecting the water environment for more than 5.19 million people living in Chicago and 128 suburban municipalities spread throughout Cook County. The commissioners are elected every two years for six-year terms, but because of previous temporary appointments, Commissioner Brady-Davis was elected to a two-year term.

President Steele enters her third term on the Board, having been first elected in 2012. In January 2019, she became the first African American woman in the history of the MWRD to be elected by the Board to serve as president. In 2023, she was selected to serve as a board member on the Public Building Commission of Chicago and as a trustee for the MWRD Retirement Fund. President Steele earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from Xavier University of Louisiana. She has successfully completed the Illinois Women’s Institute for Leadership Training Academy (2007); the University of Illinois Institute for Government and Politics Edgar Fellows Program (2014); and the Metropolitan Leadership Institute (2016); and has won numerous awards during her time as commissioner. She was introduced by Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch and sworn in by Illinois Supreme Court Justice P. Scott Neville, Jr.

“I am honored that the taxpayers of Cook County entrust me to serve a third term on the MWRD Board of Commissioners, and I look forward to continuing the hard work that has established the MWRD as a fiscally responsible, innovative and pioneering agency improving the communities we call home and sustaining the environment for future generations,” said President Steele. “I congratulate Chairman Garcia, Commissioner Brady-Davis and welcome Commissioner Waller and look forward to collaborating with them, the rest of our commissioners and our staff.”

Chairman Garcia is an attorney with an expertise in public interest law work, local and international governments, healthcare and community affairs. Chairman Garcia is the director of Community Affairs for Cook County Health, the nation’s third largest public health system. Commissioner Garcia is a licensed attorney in Illinois and Commonwealth Puerto Rico. He earned his Juris Doctor degree from Northwestern University and a bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College. He is fluent in English and Spanish and is proficient in French, Italian, and Portuguese. He was recently honored by Crain’s Business Chicago as a Notable Latino Leader for 2024. Chairman Garcia was introduced by 36th Ward Ald. Gilbert Villegas and sworn in by Cook County Circuit Court Judge Megan Goldish.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to serve again on this talented Board of Commissioners striving each day to ensure responsible stewardship of our water environment while also promoting fairness, opportunity, and equity,” said Chairman Garcia. “In this second term, I look forward to the opportunity to build on the momentum created in our Strategic Plan, meeting new organizational objectives and raising the bar to assure we meet new water quality standards and goals that protect our environment.”

Commissioner Waller is a licensed professional environmental engineer and a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, Building Design and Construction (LEED BD+C) accredited professional. Commissioner Waller is the principal engineer at Sustainable Systems LLC - Consulting, a woman-owned business enterprise (WBE) certified consulting company and has served as principal investigator and on advisory committees for water quality research funded by the Water Research Foundation. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering and a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from Purdue University, a doctorate in Civil and Environmental Engineering and a teaching certificate in post-secondary education from Northwestern University. She was introduced by Dr. Cindy Skrukrud, former clean water advocate for the Illinois Chapter of the Sierra Club and sworn in by Cook County Circuit Court Judge Carolyn J. Gallagher.

“Thank you to the voters and residents of Cook County for entrusting their support in me on the MWRD Board of Commissioners to lead our efforts to protect our region’s water environment and upholding a tradition of 135 years of service,” said Commissioner Waller. “I look forward to collaborating with my fellow commissioners to steer this agency toward a resilient future, while providing the financial oversight and shaping the policies that will help us meet the emerging challenges facing our planet.” 

Also elected for the first time, Commissioner Brady-Davis was appointed to the MWRD Board by Governor JB Pritzker in July 2023. She is the first openly Black trans woman appointed or elected to public office in Cook County history and the first to serve on a water reclamation district in the US. Commissioner Brady-Davis is a lifelong social justice advocate, communications professional, environmentalist, author and cares passionately about reaching the marginalized through her extensive career in nonprofit management and public speaking. For the past six years she has served as the associate regional communications director at the Sierra Club leading campaigns that champion renewable energy, hold corporate polluters accountable, and fight climate change. Commissioner Brady-Davis graduated from Columbia College Chicago with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. She was introduced by Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias and sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Joy V. Cunningham.

“I'm honored to receive the support of Cook County voters and residents to return to the Board of Commissioners at the MWRD and continue my mission in protecting our water environment, improving our quality of life, mitigating flooding, and coming to the aid of the vulnerable members of our society,” said Commissioner Brady-Davis. “I hope this historic opportunity to lead at the MWRD paves the way for others to follow in my footsteps and encourages us all to give back to our environment.”