Pasadena Announces New Heads of Police Department AND Water and Power

PASADENA — ColoradoBoulevard.net:

The City of Pasadena made two major announcements on Monday, Nov. 21, 2022.

By News Desk

After a robust and inclusive selection process, City Manager Miguel Márquez has announced the appointment of Eugene Harris to serve as Pasadena’s police chief, effective Jan. 3, 2023. And he has appointed Sidney Jackson as general manager of Pasadena Water and Power (PWP).

Pasadena Police Chief Eugene Harris

Chief Harris has served as the police chief for the City of San Gabriel since 2016. He also serves as president of the Los Angeles County Police Chiefs’ Association, actively engaging in advancing the science and art of police administration and crime prevention. In this role, he is also involved in developing, teaching and disseminating best practices across numerous agencies.

Chief Harris brings nearly 30 years of law enforcement and leadership experience to Pasadena, with a proven track record of community engagement and personnel development, strategic budget management, and the use of new law enforcement technology.

“Chief Harris is a well-known leader in law enforcement. His interpersonal and communication skills and his proven approach to proactive and community policing will bring about the effective implementation of ever-evolving best practices to keep our community safe,” said Márquez. “I am confident he will lead our peace officers with distinction and will become an invaluable member of the greater Pasadena community.”

After receiving an honorable discharge from the United States Marine Corps,  Chief Harris began his career in law enforcement as a Los Angeles County deputy sheriff. He also served for 23 years in the Monterey Park Police Department, where he was promoted through the ranks to captain. In 2016, he was named police chief of the City of San Gabriel.

Chief Harris said:

I am honored to be entrusted with this amazing opportunity and am humbled by the responsibility to our residents, visitors, and the men and women of our department. Together, we will continue to enhance the culture of proactive community policing and exceptional service to our stakeholders. I look forward to joining the Pasadena community and serving alongside the professionals of the Pasadena Police Department.

Chief Harris received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration from the University of Phoenix, and a master’s degree in law enforcement and public safety leadership from the University of San Diego. He is also a graduate of the West Point Leadership Program, POST Command College, and the FBI National Academy. He has served on numerous professional organizations and authored a book entitled “The Zero Stress Zone, a Layman’s Guide to Stress Management.”

General Manager of Water and Power   Sidney Jackson

Jackson has a long tenure in both the water and power industries. He currently serves as the chief operations officer and deputy general manager at Austin Energy, which serves more than 500,000 electric customers. He previously served as the chief operations officer at Rochester Public Utility, where he led operations of both the electric and water utilities.

“After an extensive nationwide search, I am excited to appoint Sidney Jackson as the next general manager of Pasadena Water and Power,” said Márquez. “Sidney has a proven track record of leadership, technical and organizational skills in the water and power industries that will strategically position Pasadena to meet the challenges ahead. We are thrilled to have Sidney join our team.”

Jackson’s experience includes leadership roles in building and operating regional independent system operator (ISO) markets and transmission organizations across large geographic multistate regions, functioning with similar authority and scope as that of the California ISO (CAISO). He has served as an elected member of the board of directors for the Midwest Reliability Organization (MRO), a regional entity of North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC); and on NERC committees in support of the nation’s bulk electric system, with a focus upon power system reliability.

Jackson said:

I am honored to join the City of Pasadena and lead one of its most important departments whose work directly impacts our residents each and every day. We will be committed to excellent customer service, to making sound financial and technical decisions, and to contributing to the greater good of our city and its residents.

Jackson earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Kansas State University and a master’s in business administration from the University of Missouri. He prioritizes continuous learning and professional growth and development as core organizational values. Jackson and his family enjoy traveling and outdoor activities.