Selection committee nominates Tim O'Connor for Office of Public Accountability executive director

A citizen selection committee recommended Tim O'Connor as executive director of the Office of Public Accountability (OPA), the committee said during a meeting that reviewed its multi-month selection process and candidate interviews.

Committee members told the panel they sought a candidate with experience in utility tariff-setting, administrative strength and the ability to translate technical decisions to ratepayers. The committee described a process that began in 2023, included about 20 meetings and reduced an initial pool of 12 candidates to a shorter list of finalists.

Tim O'Connor, introduced to the committee, told members he was born and raised in Los Angeles and described the OPA role as an opportunity to “participar en encontrar las soluciones que mi ciudad y que todos nosotros necesitamos.” He said the office should promote transparency, civil accountability and clear public communication about the costs and benefits of large water and energy investments.

Committee co-chairs outlined the search. Jean Marie said the process was “exhaustivo y reflexivo,” and David Nagi (committee co-chair) said the panel looked for “capacidades forenses” and deep familiarity with how utilities set rates. Members named Turice Hernández, Keren Mandoban and Michael Medissen as additional committee participants.

A motion to approve the committee recommendation was made on the record, and the chair instructed the secretary to call the roll. The transcript does not include the roll-call outcome for the nomination; a later roll call recorded in the transcript applies to other agenda items but not this nomination.

The committee emphasized that the nominee's tasks would include building the OPA staff, reviewing rate-setting analyses and engaging the public and neighborhood councils to explain complex infrastructure and tariff choices. Committee members also said they wanted the OPA to evaluate equity and affordability programs tied to rates.

The committee presentation and Tim O'Connor's answers covered public outreach strategies, including refreshing communications, engaging neighborhood councils and distilling technical analysis into accessible materials for ratepayers. Committee members repeatedly raised the need for the OPA to identify where legal constraints limit action and where the city could pursue additional initiatives.

No ordinance or statute was cited during the recorded discussion of the nomination; references focused on prior internal roles, the city's energy and water investment plans and the OPA's relationship with the Department of Water and Power (DWP).

The matter was left on the record for formal action; the transcript does not record a final vote on the nomination.

The committee moved on to other agenda items after the nomination motion was placed for a roll call.