Louis Martinez brings over 19 years of municipal utilities experience
Newport News City Manager Jim Bourey has named Louis Martinez as Director of Waterworks for the City of Newport News. He will begin his
new position April 1, 2017, with an annual salary of $154,000. Martinez will oversee a nearly $89 million operating budget and a staff of more than 350.
“Mr. Martinez brings a wealth of experience in managing public works operations and, specifically, in state-of-the-art water system administration,” said Bourey. “His collegial style and interpersonal skills will serve him very well in our City.”
Martinez brings over 19 years of progressively responsible experience in municipal utilities and most recently served the Director of Operations and Maintenance for the City of Lake Havasu, AZ. Previously he worked for the Albuquerque/ Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority in such roles as Infrastructure Senior Asset Manager and Assistant Wastewater Utility Division Manager. He has worked closely with several regulatory agencies serving as a Commissioner for the New Mexico Coal Surface Mining Commission, as well as the Oil and Gas Commission. Martinez holds a bachelor’s degree in Geology with minors in Chemistry, Math and Physics from the University of New Mexico, and a master’s degree in Water Resources also from the University of New Mexico.
Martinez was selected after extensive national recruitment effort yielded a large number of candidates with 31 well qualified candidates. Last week, three finalists participated in a series of interviews with a panel of select Waterworks employees, the City’s department directors, and the City Manager.
About Newport News Waterworks
Newport News Waterworks is a regional water provider owned and operated by the City of Newport News that serves over 400,000 customers in Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, York County and part of James City County.