Los Angeles Attorney Wilma Williams Pinder was sworn in as the newest commissioner on the Los Angeles Board of Water and Power.
Pinder received the oath of office from Mayor Karen Bass and was confirmed by the Los Angeles City Council on March 8. Her term will end June 30, 2027.
Pinder is a former Los Angeles assistant city attorney. She served the city as a civil litigator and trial attorney for 30 years with 20 of those years in the legal unit that served the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP). In that capacity, she became familiar with an array of issues that impact the public consumer, ratepayers, LADWP employees, property damage and personal injury cases, and the business endeavors and mandates of the department.
She has been active with national, state and local bar associations, serving as a board member on several. Pinder is a Life Fellow of the American Bar Foundation (ABF) and served on its board for 10 years. The ABF expands knowledge and advances justice through research on law and legal institutions.
Commissioner Pinder has served on alumni boards at the University of Southern California (USC) and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She speaks often to undergraduates and law students at both institutions.
Pinder is active in the greater Los Angeles area with several service-oriented groups and has been profiled and honored for her many years of seeking knowledge and speaking out on matters that impact the quality of our lives. She has understanding, knowledge and empathy for the major concerns of Los Angeles residents in every walk of life.
Pinder holds a B.A. in Psychology from USC, a M.S. in Psychology from Howard University, and a Juris Doctorate from UCLA School of Law. She is also trained in community mediation and dispute resolution. In 2021, Commissioner Pinder was named Alumna of the Year by the USC Black Alumni Association.
As a commissioner, her immediate interest is in seeing that LADWP fully implements the many outstanding programs already in development, which are intended to reach the numerous residents of Los Angeles. She is a strong advocate of LADWP’s goal to reach 100 percent carbon-neutral power by 2035.
Traveling extensively throughout the world has provided Ms. Pinder with relaxation, education, and adventure. She has visited over 50 countries throughout the World. She has attended the Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Seoul, Atlanta, Beijing and Rio.
She has explored all seven continents, the most recent an expedition to Antarctica in January 2024. She views her most challenging and important undertaking as serving as a commissioner on the LADWP Board.
She replaces Attorney Cynthia McClain-Hill who resigned from the board in January of this year.
