President Barack Obama has announced his intent to appoint DC Water CEO and General Manager George S. Hawkins to the National Infrastructure Advisory Council (NIAC).

The Council provides the President - through the Secretary of Homeland Security - with advice on the security of the critical infrastructure sectors and their information systems. The council is composed of a maximum of 30 members, appointed by the President from private industry, academia, and state and local government.

In a statement announcing the appointment of Mr. Hawkins and five others to key posts in the administration, President Obama said, “I am pleased to announce that these experienced and committed individuals have decided to serve our country. I look forward to working with them.”

“I am very honored to serve with the distinguished members of this important Council,” said Mr. Hawkins. “Based on what I have learned at DC Water, I will work hard to make sure that water infrastructure is always included in the discussion about infrastructure funding and need. We have a great potential to put people to work, protect and enhance public health, and strengthen a fundamental building block of a strong economy and community.”

Mr. Hawkins has served as Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of DC Water since 2009. Mr. Hawkins served as Director of the District Department of the Environment from 2007 to 2009. Prior to that, he was Executive Director of New Jersey Future, a non-profit economic development organization, from 2004 to 2007. He served as Executive Director of the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association from 1997 to 2004. Mr. Hawkins worked at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from 1992 to 1997 and in 1997 served as the EPA representative to the National Performance Review. He previously worked as an environmental lawyer in private practice from 1988 to 1992. Mr. Hawkins is a member of the Board of Trustees for the North American Electric Reliability Corporation. Mr. Hawkins received an A.B. from Princeton University and a J.D. from Harvard Law School.