Capitol Weekly’s Top 100: Jennifer Pierre

No. 76 Jennifer Pierre

A newbie to this list, Pierre is hardly a neophyte when it comes to her role in California’s endlessly complex, often archaic and always political water system. Pierre is the General Manager for the State Water Contractors, the statewide non-profit comprised of the 27 public water agencies that contract with the Department of Water Resources to receive water from the State Water Project. As we know, getting 27 entities to agree on an office potluck would be a monumental task, never mind water policy. But Pierre has been at this water management gig for over two decades now, the last eight heading SWC. She is widely respected as a consensus builder, someone known for her witty tough mindedness as well as for having the chops to translate scientific jargon into language both her members and lawmakers can understand. In a state where water policy can be a bloodsport, Pierre has emerged as a reliable voice and leader for her members that can also be trusted by folks outside that sphere. And that is the definition of influence.