The San Jose Water Group appointed Silicon Valley Leadership Group CEO Carl Guardino to its board of directors this week.
Guardino, who announced in January that he would soon be retiring from his role at the leadership group, has served as CEO since 1993.
“I am very honored about this new role with SJW Group, and have maintained a longstanding relationship with its leadership team. Safe and reliable water service is fundamental for public health protection and economic development,” Guardino said in a press release sent to reporters Wednesday evening. “I look forward to working with them to address the many challenges facing our region and state.”
San Jose Water Group is the second largest investor-owned water utility in the country, serving nearly 1.5 million people. Eric Thornburg, the group’s chairman, president and CEO, called Guardino a “transformational leader in Silicon Valley.”
“We believe his strong background working with local companies and organizations, coupled with his commitment to forging beneficial change in local communities, will be extremely valuable to SJW Group,” Thornburg said.
As board member, Guardino will pocket a six figure annual sum in retainer fees and just for showing up to meetings, according to company SEC filings.
Another guy feeding at the trough filled by the rate payers. San Jose Water and it assorted companies are experts at payoffs.
Oh dear, what’s Carl up to now?
Please find out how much he’ll get paid.
Let’s see if this makes any cents. Carl Guardino needs money and or a Gig. Sam Liccardo is Carl’s best friend or is it the other way around? Sam happens to be the Mayor of a large city which also happens to be SJW Group’s largest customer. Could be some arm twisting going on, or not. But the perception is that there is. Perception by the voting public is everything. But this could also be just a coincidence, or not.
Pass the popcorn and add “Chinatown” (1974) to the streaming queue.
SJW needs cover and they think Carl can give it to them.
”Water projects” have been the time-tested sinkhole for government cash “brought home to the district” by eager and solicitous legislators.
A local water company is just a fairly land for a connected “player”. Probably bundles and stacks of cash in every nook and cranny just waiting to be spent on a play ground, a bike path, or a duck rescue.
There’s a reason Guardino is grinning. He probably thinks he’s died and gone to heaven.
Of course, this man has a storied career of leveraging what should be public goods for private enrichment, always on working people’s dime (despite, or rather due to, his ties to the wealthiest entities in our region). Also, he needs something to do to look busy and collect checks before he runs for Supervisor in the near future.