Janisse Quiñones

CEO & Chief Engineer

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power

Janisse Quiñones is a distinguished executive with over 25 years of leadership experience, currently serving as the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Engineer of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), the nation’s largest publicly owned water and power utility. Since her appointment in May 2024, she has led a workforce of nearly 12,000 employees in delivering safe, reliable water and power to approximately four million residents.

Quiñones has guided LADWP through a period of exceptional progress. She demonstrated critical crisis leadership during the response and recovery efforts for the Pacific Palisades fire, which impacted over 8,000 water and power services, successfully restoring service with record efficiency while continuing to rebuild critical infrastructure. Her strategic vision for sustainability has been pivotal; she oversaw the completion of the landmark Eland Solar-plus-Storage Center and secured approval for major renewable projects like Milford Solar Phase II. These initiatives have enabled LADWP to deliver 62% clean energy to customers, exceeding statewide goals.

Previously, Quiñones served as senior vice president at Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), where she was responsible for gas engineering and electric system operations. She has also held executive roles at National Grid, Cobra Energy and San Diego Gas & Electric. Her expertise in crisis recovery was notably instrumental in leading grid restoration projects in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria. This public service ethos extends to her 21-year career in the U.S. Coast Guard.

A proud native of Caguas, Puerto Rico, Quiñones holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering magna cum laude from the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez, an MBA, and a master of advanced studies in international relations. She is a licensed professional engineer in five states and a dedicated role model for women and underrepresented communities in STEM.