3 O.C. Men Elected to Board of MWD

Three Orange County residents recently were elected to positions on the board of directors of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

James H. Blake of Fullerton was elected vice chairman; John Killefer of Newport Beach was elected secretary, and Kenneth H. Witt of Brea was made a member of the executive committee of the 51-member board.

Each will serve a two-year term, starting on Jan. 1.

Through its 27-member public agencies, the MWD supplies almost 60% of the water used by more than 15 million people in Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties.

Blake has been a member of the MWD board since 1988 and has served on various committees, including the executive, engineering and operations, special audit, special budget and land committees as well as a special committee concerned with legislation.

He owns Blake Investment Co., a Fullerton-based consulting firm he founded in 1972.

He has served for nine years on the Fullerton Planning Commission, one term as vice chairman and two terms as chairman.

Killefer, representing Coastal Municipal Water District, has been on the board since 1982 and is active in five committees, including the executive committee.

He is chairman of the subcommittee on financial policy as well as the task force to review office space and building sites.

Killefer owns Food Stuffs International, a brokerage firm located in Corona del Mar that specializes in dried fruit.

Representing the Municipal Water District of Orange County, Witt is a 12-year veteran of the board.

Aside from the executive committee, he is a member of eight other committees.

He is a former employee of the California Edison Co. and served on the Brea Planning Commission from 1970 to 1982.