Gloria D. Gray has built a career around public service, community leadership and responsible government.
In early 2023, Gray was elected to serve as Councilwoman of District 1 on the Inglewood City Council. An Inglewood resident, Gray got her start in public service in 1995 when she was elected to the Inglewood Unified School District Board of Education, serving as president for two terms.
Gray is the past chairwoman of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California Board of Directors. She was the first African-American to lead the board, from January 1, 2019 - December 31, 2022, and only the second woman to do so in the district’s 90-year history. In recognition of her commitment to community service, Gray received an acknowledgement proclamation from Metropolitan’s Board for her work and outstanding leadership on the Delta Stewardship Council and later received the 2014 African Legacy Award as the first African-American woman to be elected to Metropolitan’s Board.
After retiring as a health care administrator from the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, Gloria D. Gray began her career in water in 2006 when she was elected to the West Basin Municipal Water District Board of Directors. She was the first African-American woman elected to that board in its 65 years and served as board president in 2010. She represents the Division II cities and communities of Inglewood, South Ladera Heights, Lennox and the areas of Athens, Howard, and Ross-Sexton.
In 2009, Gray was appointed as one of West Basin’s two representatives to Metropolitan’s board. In 2017, Gray was appointed chair of the Water Planning and Stewardship Committee and was the first African-American woman to lead the committee, which focuses on Metropolitan water projects, programs, and policies.
Chairwoman Gray and Metropolitan were recognized by the international water community in 2022 when she was invited to attend the Global Water Summit. There, she made a presentation highlighting Metropolitan’s key water innovations and participated in the inauguration of Metropolitan into a select group of agencies given the distinction of Leading Water Utilities of the World. Also in 2022, Gray was one of the first signatories to the Equity in Infrastructure Program, a new nationwide effort to leverage infrastructure spending and create more prime, joint venture and equity contracting opportunities for historically underutilized businesses.
Since taking office as Metropolitan’s chairwoman, Gray has been honored by numerous organizations, including the California Black Chamber of Commerce and several Southern California water agencies. She also has been honored by the Los Angeles City Council and was recognized by the region’s small business community at the Meet the Decision Makers Event for her significant contributions to the water industry.
Additionally, Gray has taken multiple leadership roles in the water community outside of her role as Chairwoman of Metropolitan’s board. She is vice chair of the Southern California Leadership Council Executive Committee and co-chair of the BizFed Water Committee.
Demonstrating her support for and mentorship of young women, Chairwoman Gray has worked with representatives from the DIY (Do it Yourself) Girls organization to increase girls’ interest and success in technology and engineering, and with members of the Blythe 4-H Youth Development program to address community health inequities, engaging in civil discourse and advocating for equity and inclusion for all.
A longtime supporter of organized labor and an advocate for the rights of workers, Gray was a member of SEIU 721, the largest public sector union in Southern California, for more than 30 years. In 2019, Gray was honored by Labor 411 Foundation, which supports the creation and preservation of union jobs.
Gray earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Redlands; a Health Services Management Certificate from the University of California, Los Angeles; and a Masters in Governance Certificate from the California School Boards Association.
Gloria Gray brings decades of public service, leadership and community experience to the future of Inglewood.
