Press Release

Venice, CA–On Thursday, September 17, 2009, at 7:00 pm, the G2 Gallery will present a lecture given by Ed Little, director of the West Basin Municipal Water District, division IV, and Debra C. Man, assistant general manager & chief operating officer for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.  The lecture will delve into recent developments in California’s water crisis.  This will be the first in a series of lectures on California water related issues inspired by G2 Gallery owners Susan and Dan Gottlieb, who have made it their mission to provide public education about the urgent need for water conservation.

About the Speakers
Ed Little’s post as director of the West Basin Municipal Water District, division IV, encompasses the area from El Segundo to West Hollywood to Malibu. Over the course of his 12-year tenure, Ed has focused on sourcing new alternatives to the overtaxed Colorado and Sacramento Rivers, including the construction of the largest wastewater treatment plant in the world.  To date, this project has reclaimed and treated up to 300 million gallons of water that would have otherwise polluted the Santa Monica Bay, and has also been a leader in desalinization research, doubling the available water supply to homes and businesses.

Debra C. Man is the assistant general manager and chief operating officer for Metropolitan.  She is responsible for managing the operational business functions of the district, including system operations, engineering, information technology, planning and resources management.  One of her primary duties is to implement the Chief Executive Officer's Business Plan and initiatives, and oversee the application and operational practice of the Board's policies and directives.  As a 20-year veteran at Metropolitan, Debra has been involved in various aspects of business and water management.  During this time she was responsible for securing water supplies through agreements and partnerships with other water and agricultural interests in the San Joaquin Valley and Southern California and demonstrated Metropolitan's water supply reliability in compliance with current laws.