MWRD President Kari K. Steele delivered the keynote address at the City Club of Chicago on September 12, 2024 to engage the audience on the critical role of the MWRD in protecting area water quality. 

President Steele reflected on her ascent from MWRD intern to chemist to Board president, while also detailing the MWRD’s commitment to clean water, lowering its carbon footprint, managing stormwater and the effects of climate change, and maintaining solid financial footing and strong government ethics. She spoke about the triumphs and challenges of meeting clean water standards and managing stormwater for the 5.19 million residents that the MWRD serves in Chicago and 128 surrounding communities throughout Cook County.

As the only chemist on the Board of Commissioners, President Steele was elected to her first term as commissioner at the MWRD in 2012. She was re-elected in 2018 for a second term, before being elected by her peers to serve as president in January 2019. She became the first African American woman in the more than 130-year history of the MWRD to be elected by the Board of Commissioners to serve as president. She is currently serving her third term. 

On the average day, the MWRD transforms about 1.2 billion gallons of wastewater into clean water at its seven water reclamation plants, protects local water quality in Lake Michigan and surrounding waterways, and mitigates flooding through a growing stormwater management program that helps local communities address hundreds of flood reduction projects, policies and strategies. In addition to its world-famous Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (TARP), the MWRD keeps 76 miles of waterways healthy and navigable, owns and operates 33 stormwater detention reservoirs to provide regional flood protection. The MWRD is afforded this range of services due to a stable financial outlook with an AAA credit rating from Fitch Ratings, an AA+ rating from S&P Global and an Aa1 credit rating from Moody’s Investor Services.