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-Editorial
In a unanimous decision, the Imperial Irrigation District Board of Directors re-elected Alex Cardenas as President for a second consecutive year. This decision comes due to his performance and leadership skills shown throughout his tenure, according to comments made by the rest of his colleagues during its Dec. 5th meeting.
Under Cardenas’ presidency, the IID has witnessed significant advancements in its operations. His approach and strategic thinking have played a pivotal role in positioning the district as an effective agency that serves its customers.
The IID board had on its agenda the reorganization of the President and Vice-President for 2024. Cardenas said that anyone on that board was more than capable of being board president. He highlighted the fact that he has perfect attendance during his year and it was a commitment he made at the beginning of his term.
“I was expecting a perfect attendance certificate so I could show it to my mom,” Cardenas joked. “We have an amazing team of five individuals, our staff, and the community that holds us accountable.”
IID Director Javier Gonzalez congratulated Cardenas for his successful year and said he did a great job.
“He allows everyone to talk and express themselves. I serve in a lot of commissions and I learned a lot from him the way he presides over this meeting,” Gonzalez said.
“We have seen tremendous improvements in our work process the last year and we have been more efficient, more constructive, and more focused on issues advancing major initiatives that benefit our customers and the operation of the district,” Vice President John Brooks Hamby said. “Let’s have the initiatives that we started in 2023 blend in 2024.”
Hamby was re-elected Vice-President for 2024.
Director Karin Eugenio echoed saying how this board is very united and community-oriented everything they do is for the betterment of the residents and the community as a whole.
Cardenas also serves as a voting delegate for the American Public Power Association’s Policy Makers Council, a group of 40 elected officials from across the nation who advocate for legislative and regulatory priorities in support of public power.
He also serves as a member of the Coachella Valley Association of Governments and has been appointed to the Coachella Valley Conservation Commission. Before his IID service, Director Cardenas was elected to the El Centro City Council in 2013, serving as mayor in 2017.
An El Centro native, Director Cardenas has been employed as the executive director for the Court Appointed Special Advocates of Imperial County (CASA) since 2008, where he works with trained, community volunteers, advocating for the health and wellness of foster children in Imperial County.
