Gretchen Shepherd Romey (Photo – MWD)
Gretchen Shepherd Romey, a prominent lawyer and civic leader, has been appointed as San Marino’s new representative on the board of directors of the Metropolitan Water District (MWD) of Southern California. Shepherd Romey succeeds John Morris, who was censured by the MWD Board of Directors in December 2024 following the use of a racist term at a Board event in late 2023.
By News Desk
Shepherd Romey served on the San Marino City Council since 2017 and currently in her second term as mayor. Her appointment also marks the end of Morris’ nearly 35-year tenure, which began in January 1990.
Throughout her career, Shepherd Romey has held leadership roles in several prominent organizations, including Huntington Memorial Hospital, CASA of Los Angeles, the Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles, and The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. She is also actively involved in local initiatives, serving as the co-founder and current board president of the Hill-Harbison House in San Marino, and contributing to the San Marino Historical Society and the L.A. Philharmonic Affiliates.
A graduate of the University of Michigan with a bachelor’s degree in history, Shepherd Romey earned her law degree from the University of California, Berkeley, where she co-founded the East Bay Community Law Center. She then served a federal court clerkship under the Honorable Earl B. Gilliam in the Southern District of California, before joining the prestigious law firm O’Melveny & Myers in Los Angeles.
“Director Shepherd Romey’s experience as a lawyer, civic leader and mayor will allow her to bring to the board a grounded perspective about regional water policy, which is welcome at this time of transformational change at Metropolitan,” said MWD Board Chair Adán Ortega, Jr. MWD oversees the water supply for millions of people across Southern California.
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