QUICK LINKS

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

West County Wastewater is governed by a five-member Board of Directors, elected by local citizens. Each Board member represents the geographic area in which they live. Board members serve 4-year terms.

Arto Rinteela, Vice President
DIVISION 1
Elected in 2022 – Term Expires December 2026

Director Arto Rinteela was born in Finland and raised in the Fairmede Hilltop area of Richmond. In 1978, he became a naturalized American citizen with the help of Congressman George Miller, who inspired him to become a lifelong Democrat.

Director Rinteela’s mother worked as a Registered Nurse at Doctor’s Hospital in Pinole, and his father was a Union Carpenter before his passing.

After 34 years of service working for the Millwrights Union Local 102, Director Rinteela has recently retired.

As a Union Millwright employee, Rinteela served in supervisory roles on multi-million-dollar projects, from new construction power plants to sewage and water treatment plants and on a multitude of heavy industrial construction projects.

Director Rinteela has been politically active in Richmond politics and is currently the Chair of the Fairmede Hilltop Neighborhood Council, an organization committed to supporting its neighbors. Most recently, he was elected President of the Richmond Neighborhood Coordinating Council (RNCC), the umbrella organization for all Neighborhood Councils in Richmond. RNCC’s mission is to build stronger neighborhoods in the city of Richmond.

Public safety, transparency for taxpayers, and organizational accountability are important to Director Rinteela. He is honored to serve as Director of West County’s District 1 and intends to do his best to represent everyone with the utmost integrity and with an eye toward equity.

Cheryl Sudduth, Director
DIVISION 5
Board Member Since 2018 – Term Expires December 2026

Director Sudduth is a Senior Negotiator and Government Compliance Officer, currently working in the technology industry. She brings more than 25 years of business and legal experience, serving in a broad array of senior management roles in intellectual property, contracting, legal, compliance, technology, domestic/international trademark and patent registrations and enforcement, government, international contracting, corporate and non-profit governance, personnel management, mergers and acquisitions, business development and strategic management in the commercial, private and public sectors. She regularly designs and presents training and legal updates to senior managers and Human Resources executives and has participated in government consultations and advises multi-national organizations on regulatory compliance. She is a frequent speaker on corporate compliance, intellectual property and diversity matters.

Director Sudduth volunteers with many community organizations, serving on several boards and steering committees, including the Racial Justice Coalition, Immigration Rights Alliance, ACLU, NAACP, Budget Justice Coalition, CAIR, BWOPA, the Sierra Club, Wounded Warriors, AUSD / WCCUSD Policy and Bond Oversight Committees, Girl Scouts, InterFaith Alliance, and several others. She is also very committed to environmental justice and empowering our young people. Director Sudduth regularly mentors youth and young adults and is a frequent speaker on racial and environmental justice, community development, and women and youth empowerment.

Director Sudduth holds dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Cellular and Molecular Biology and Biochemistry from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

David Alvarado, President
DIVISION 3

Board Member Since 2016 – Term Expires December 2026

Director Alvarado relocated to the West County area in 2011. He has served on numerous boards and commissions, in which he has served as chair and vice chair. Recently, Director Alvarado served as the Chair of the Planning Commission in the City of San Pablo, where he resides, until November 2016. Director Alvarado earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from UC Berkeley in Political Science and was a mentor to students wishing to attend the university. Currently he serves as Vice Chair of the Measure Q Commission in San Pablo.

Harry Wiener, Director
DIVISION 4
Board Member Since 2016 – Term Expires December 2024

Director Wiener has a Master of Science degree in Biology from CSU, Long Beach, and a Bachelor of Science in Zoology from Cal Poly, Pomona. He is retired from 30-plus years of consulting and working with Bay Area Fortune 500 Corporations as well as the University of California and the University of Southern California as a Programmer Analyst. He served on the West Berkeley Planning Area Commission and the Berkeley School District Special Tax Advisory Committee. He and his wife live happily in Richmond.

Annie M. King-Meredith, Director
DIVISION 2

Term Expires December 2024

Director King-Meredith is a long-time Richmond resident and brings a wealth of experience in engineering and community service to the Board. In her career, she’s served as Senior Inspector/Quality Control Engineer for Offsite & Manager Equipment Division, Production Assurance Parts Engineer, and Program Manager. Director King-Meredith has been involved with the North Richmond Municipal Advisory Council (NRMAC) and has served as Contra Costa County’s Neighborhood Service Coordinator and Project Manager.

Director King-Meredith was educated locally, attending Richmond High School, then on to Laney College and Contra Costa College. She participated in extension programs at UC Berkeley and New College of California, East Bay. King-Meredith holds a bachelor’s degree in Humanities/Development of Sustainable Communities.

Presently, Director King-Meredith is involved with the Community Housing Development Corp., Community Property Management Company, Shields-Reid Neighborhood Council, North Richmond MAC and N. Richmond Mitigation Commission, and Davis Chapel Trustee Board.

ELECTIONS

FIND YOUR ELECTION DIVISION
Press Release: WCW Board Unanimously Votes on Redistricting 2022

DIVISION-BASED ELECTIONS

The WCW Board voted to transition from at-large elections to division-based elections in compliance with the California Voting Rights Act, effective November 2020. In accordance with the law, current Board members will serve their full terms if not up for re-election in 2020.

Public Hearings discussing the composition of voting districts and proposed maps took place in November and December 2019. A final Public Hearing and Board of Directors vote to adopt the maps took place on January 15, 2020. Election divisions are required to have equal population.

BOARD COMMITTEES

FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE

The Finance & Administration Committee focuses on items related to WCW finance, staffing, and administration. Examples include budget development, debt issuance, the CAFR (comprehensive annual financial report), compensation and classification changes, director assignments and reimbursements, and other financial, personnel or administrative policy matters. The committee is aligned with the Administrative Services Department.

Meets regularly on the second Tuesday of each month at 9:00 a.m.

Chair: Director, Cheryl Sudduth

Member: Director, King-Meredith

Alternate: President, David Alvarado

VIEW AGENDAS & MINUTES

INFRASTRUCTURE, OPERATIONS & ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE

The Infrastructure, Operations & Environmental Committee focuses on items related to WCW infrastructure, operations and environmental issues. Examples include the Capital Improvement Plan, Climate Action Plan, and other operational matters. The committee is aligned with the Infrastructure & Planning Department and the Water Quality & Resource Recovery Department.

Meets regularly on the second Tuesday of each month at 10:00 a.m.

Members: President, Arto Rinteela

Chair: Vice President, Arto Rinteela

Alternate: Director, King-Meredith

VIEW AGENDAS & MINUTES

AD HOC COMMITTEES

Ad-Hoc Committees are formed for a specific task or objective, and dissolve after the completion of the task or achievement of the objective. They are appointed by the Board President and meet on an as-needed basis.

General Manager/General Counsel Review Process

Chair: Director, Cheryl Sudduth

Members: President, David Alvarado

Alternative: Director, King-Meredith

MEETINGS & AGENDAS

The WCW Board of Directors meets the first and third Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m., unless otherwise noted. All Board and committee meetings are open to the public. Meeting agendas are posted to the website at least 72 hours prior to the meeting.

If a closed session is needed, it will be scheduled before or after the regular open session. Special Board meetings are scheduled on an as-needed basis.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all Board meetings are currently taking place via teleconference. Participation information is available on each agenda.

VIEW AGENDAS & MINUTES
WATCH BOARD MEETINGS LIVE
PRA Policy & Request Form
Enterprise System Catalog