Connecticut Water Names First Woman President

VERNON, CT — A longtme executive at Connecticut Water called "a trusted leader" by the chief executive officer will become the utility's first woman president in December.

Connecticut Water parent SJW Group announced Thursday that Maureen P. Westbrook has been named president of Connecticut Water Service, effective Dec. 1.

Connecticut Water Service comprises SJW Group’s New England region and provides water service to a population of nearly 450,000 in 80 communities in Connecticut and Maine through its operating utility companies Connecticut Water, Avon Water, Heritage Village and Maine Water.

Westbrook will be the president of the Connecticut utilities, and Rick Knowlton will continue to serve as president of Maine Water, according to the announcement.

"Maureen is uniquely qualified to fill this role, given her 30 years of experience leading the customer service, communication and regulatory affairs efforts at Connecticut Water and her passion for serving customers and employees," said Eric W. Thornburg, chairman, president and chief executive officer of SJW Group.

Thornburg added, "She is highly respected in the water industry and has established strong working relationships with regulators and officials at both the state and national levels. Under her leadership, the company has expanded its communication and community outreach efforts, advanced a number of environmental goals, and routinely achieved world-class customer satisfaction."

Westbrook began her career at Connecticut Water in 1988, and has served as the company's vice president of customer and regulatory affairs since 2008. She is on the board of the Alliance for Water Efficiency, and she has served as president of the Connecticut Section of American Water Works Association and the Connecticut Water Works Association, on the board of the National Association of Water Companies, and as co-chair of Connecticut’s Water Planning Council Advisory Group.

She has a bachelor's degree from Smith College and a master's degree from Pennsylvania State University. Westbrook will be the first woman president of Connecticut Water.

SJW Group officially combined with Connecticut Water on Oct. 9 to create the third-largest "investor-owned pure-play water and wastewater utility," based on rate base, in the United States, serving nearly 1.5 million people across California, Connecticut, Maine and Texas.

Thornburg further said, "With her academic and practical experience in public health and environmental policy, Maureen is ideally suited for the opportunities and challenges of an industry-leading water utility. She is a trusted leader, and I am confident she will build on the company’s strong culture and honor the customer service and local control commitments made during the regulatory approval process to combine the companies."

David C. Benoit announced that he will be retiring at the end of this year after a 24-year career at Connecticut Water. Benoit will continue to serve as president of Connecticut Water until the effective date of Westbrook's appointment. He served as chief financial officer and treasurer before becoming president of Connecticut Water in 2017.

"We are extremely grateful for David's service to the organization," Thornburg said. "In addition to his sharp business and financial acumen, he also had a strong ability to lead people, ensuring that employees felt valued and respected and that customers and shareholders were well-served."

Benoit had delayed his planned retirement in order to lead the company through the recently completed combination with SJW Group.

Benoit said of Westbrook, "I have had the privilege of working with Maureen for nearly a quarter-century. She cares deeply about our 300-plus team members across Connecticut and Maine, and understands it is the men and women on our team who deliver quality water and outstanding service every day. She has effectively led the company’s legislative and regulatory efforts, developing strategies that balance the interests of the company and its customers with other stakeholders, protecting water supplies, and promoting environmental stewardship. Maureen's selection brings continuity and consistency to company leadership. She can be counted on to support the team and work with stakeholders to deliver the benefits of the combination with SJW Group."

According to the announcement, Westbrook will join a relatively small list of female utility senior executives. According to recent research, just 14 percent of senior management in the power and utilities sector are women, according to an Ernst & Young report.

"I appreciate the confidence of the board and the leadership team, and I am honored to take on this new role," Westbrook said. "It is such an exciting time in our company’s history as we join with the SJW Group. I look forward to working with our talented, passionate team of water professionals to deliver on our commitments and to build on our record of service and environmental stewardship."