Linda Griego, a prominent Los Angeles businesswoman, was appointed to serve as a member of Southwest Water Company's board of directors.
Griego, 53, is president of Zapgo Entertainment Group, a developer and producer of television programming aimed at the young Latino market. She also serves as a board member for several prominent companies in the banking, construction and entertainment industries.
In addition to her work with Zapgo Entertainment, Griego is the managing general partner of Engine Co. No. 28, a successful Los Angeles restaurant and office complex. She serves as a board member of United California Bank, Blockbuster Inc., and Granite Construction Inc., a heavy civil construction contractor with public and private infrastructure customers nationwide. She is also a Los Angeles Director of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.
Griego's career also includes extensive service in the public sector. A former deputy mayor of Los Angeles under Tom Bradley in the early '90s, Griego was in charge of economic development for the city and had oversight responsibility for the departments of Public Works, Building and Safety, Planning, and the Community Redevelopment Agency.
In addition, from 1994 until 1997, she served as president and chief executive officer of Rebuild LA, a nonprofit corporation created to design and implement a riot recovery plan. Appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1995, she served on the NAFTA's North American Development Bank Community Adjustment Committee from 1996 until 2000.
Griego's other affiliations include the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Anton C. Garnier, Southwest Water chairman, president and CEO, said, "Linda Griego's rich blend of experience in the public and private sectors is of tremendous value to Southwest Water, since well over half our total revenue is derived from contracts with cities and other public authority clients. Linda's insight into municipal politics, as well as her hands-on familiarity with public-private partnerships, will contribute significantly to Southwest Water as we work to further the growth and development of our business."
Commenting on her appointment, Griego said, "I am excited about serving on the board of Southwest Water. The company is very dynamic and forward thinking." Born and raised in Tucumcari, N.M., Griego holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from UCLA. She and her husband, Ronald C. Peterson, have lived in Los Angeles for more than 25 years.
James C. Castle, Ph.D., also was appointed to serve as a member of the Board of Directors of Southwest Water Co.
Castle, 65, is President and Chief Executive Officer of Castle Information Technologies LLC, an information technology consulting firm. He holds a doctorate in Computer and Information Sciences and a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania. Castle received his undergraduate degree from the United States Military Academy.
Prior to forming his own company, Castle served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of DST Systems of California, Inc., a division of DST Systems, Inc., a provider of computer software solutions and services to the financial services industry.
Earlier in his career, Castle was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of USCS International, Inc., the leading global provider of customer care and billing solutions to high-volume service industries, and was President, Chief Executive Officer and a Director of Teradata Corporation, a developer and manufacturer of high performance relational database systems. Castle's career also includes senior executive positions with Infotron Systems Corporation, TBG Information Systems, Inc., Memorex Corporation, Honeywell Corporation and General Electric Company.
Anton C. Garnier, Southwest Water chairman, president and CEO, said, "Jim Castle brings a valuable blend of knowledge and experience to Southwest Water Company. We will benefit greatly from his expertise in strategic planning, operations management and business development as we work to further our own growth."
In addition to Southwest Water, Castle is a Board member of DST Systems, Inc., PMI Group, Inc. and ADC, all public companies. Among his honors, Castle has been named Distinguished Citizen of the Year by the Boy Scouts, and Sacramento Businessman of the Year. He and his wife, Dottie, live in Manhattan Beach, California.
Source: Southwest Water Co.
