DWP chief resigns, takes Puerto Rico job

The head of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is stepping down to become chief executive of an electric company in her native Puerto Rico.

- BY NOAH GOLDBERG AND DAVID ZAHNISER

JANISSE QUI ONES is a native of Puerto Rico.

(Brian Van Der Brug L.A. Times)

Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement Wednesday that Janisse Quiñones, the DWP's top executive since 2024, brought "steady leadership and engineering expertise" to the utility. In her new job, Quiñones will work on modernizing Puerto Rico's electric grid.

"During her tenure, LADWP reinforced electric grid and water system reliability, enhanced coordination during wildfire events, and advanced investments to strengthen resilience amid increasing climate pressures," the statement said.

An interim general manager for the DWP will be announced in the coming days, the mayor said.

City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez said she was "totally shocked" by Quiñones' announcement, which comes as the agency is tackling several large-scale utility projects, including the $2.6-billion upgrade of the city's Convention Center.

"It couldn't come at a worse time for our city," she said. "The Department of Water and Power has a great deal of work to do, from the Palisades fire recovery to the infrastructure they're building out along the East San Fernando Valley light-rail line."