PASSAIC VALLEY WATER COMMISSION WELCOMES NEW BOARD MEMBER, RIGO SANCHEZ NAMED PRESIDENT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Clifton, N.J. – January 27, 2025) – Passaic Valley Water Commission (PVWC) reorganized its board of commissioners last Friday, with the appointments of Rigoberto “Rigo” Sanchez (Passaic) as President, Gerald “Jerry” Friend (Clifton) as Vice President, Carmen Depadua (Paterson) as Treasurer, and Ruby N. Cotton (Paterson) as Secretary. Deborah “Deb” Rizzi (Clifton) was sworn in as the board’s newest member, replacing Clifton Councilman Joseph “Joe” Kolodziej. With over 30 years of experience in the water industry, Rizzi served as Director of Corporate Communications at SUEZ Water, now Veolia, until she retired in 2021.

President Sanchez was also reappointed to the board for another four-year-term by Passaic Mayor Hector C. Lora. “It’s an honor to continue serving PVWC as the next President. I’ve enjoyed working with the folks at PVWC for more than 20 years, to continue providing clean drinking water to our valued customers,” said President Sanchez.

The meeting opened with Executive Director Jim Mueller presenting Commissioner Jeffrey “Jeff” Levine (Paterson) with a commemorative plaque, recognizing his 2024 presidency, followed by a presentation of Mr. Mueller’s 2024 year-in review. Mr. Mueller highlighted the progress PVWC has made during the first year of the company’s 5-year, $809 million capital plan. Project highlights include construction of the Levine Reservoir storage tanks, the ongoing lead service line replacement program, water main replacements and water meter replacements.

About PVWC’s Board of Commissioners

Passaic Valley Water Commission’s board consists of seven (7) commissioners appointed by the mayors of Paterson, Passaic, and Clifton. Commissioners are responsible for setting policy and voting on matters such as budgets, capital projects and hiring qualified staff as part of PVWC’s succession planning.

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Passaic Valley Water Commission, recipient of the 2023 Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies Gold Award for exceptional utility performance, serves over 800,000 consumers in Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris and Passaic counties. Please follow us on X (@PVWC), Instagram (@passaic_valley_water) and/or Facebook (@thePVWC).