By @Vanessa Gonzales
The California Special Districts Association (CSDA) mourns the passing of Bette Boatmun, an extraordinary woman of leadership, a long-time supporter of CSDA and recipient of CSDA's top honor, the Hollingsworth Award of Excellence. Bette Jane Boatmun, 87, passed away peacefully at home on September 20, 2024. She will be long remembered as a local and state leader in the water industry, helping bring safer and healthier drinking water to our communities during her 46-years of dedicated service.
Boatmun was a devoted CSDA leader who served as a board member and committee member. She was a key figure in the development of the Special District Leadership Academy, CSDA's core governance training continuing education program. In 2013, the CSDA Board of Directors honored her with the Hollingsworth Award of Excellence, the most prestigious award bestowed by CSDA. This award celebrates distinguished, ongoing service, and exceptional contributions to special districts and the communities they serve.
"Bette was a true leader at the local and state level. She was driven by a passion to serve and was extremely well respected by so many," said CSDA CEO Neil McCormick. "A couple of the things I most admired about Bette were both her drive to do the right thing even if it wasn't the most popular position to take and her leadership style which focused on honesty and integrity. Bette will be greatly missed, but her legacy and impact will continue on at CSDA and throughout the special district world for decades to come."
Boatmun will be best remembered as a leader in the world of water, serving for over 46 years on the Board of Directors for Contra Costa Water District (CCWD) from 1974 to 2020 – she was Vice President from 1981-1989 and President from 1990-1992. Boatmun was a role model for women in the water industry and in local governance. When she took her position on CCWD’s Board in 1974, she was one of only a few women in a leadership position. While serving on the CCWD Board, it was her goal to provide an essential service to residents of Contra Costa County, including: developing a Lifeline program to help people needing assistance in paying their bills; promoting a water education program for students; encouraging water use efficiency; modernizing water treatment facilities to the highest standards; and investing in significant infrastructure for water conveyance and storage, including Los Vaqueros Reservoir, which improved water quality.
Under her leadership at CCWD, Boatmun supported numerous projects, including the construction and expansion of Los Vaqueros Reservoir and building the Randall-Bold Water Treatment Plant. In 2017, the Contra Costa Board of Supervisors recognized her as the longest-serving elected official in the county’s history in an honorary resolution. Her dedication to water efficiency was honored in the naming of the Bette Boatmun Conservation Garden at the CCWD offices on Concord Avenue, which features drought tolerant and butterfly friendly plants.
Boatmun also served the California water industry as the President of the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) from 2002 – 2003; and as the chair of the Governing Board of East County Water Management Association; the Sanitation and Water Agencies of Contra Costa County; and the Contra Costa Special Districts Association, a CSDA chapter.
Her community involvement extended far beyond California water. She was a former Executive Director of the YWCA of Contra Costa County and volunteered her time in several community organizations, including the Concord American Association of University Women, League of Women Voters of Diablo Valley, Kennedy King Scholarship Foundation, Sons of Italy, and Soroptomist International.
In addition to receiving CSDA's 2013 Hollingsworth Award of Excellence, Boatmun was recognized in 2001 as the California State Assembly’s “Woman of the Year” as well as recipient of ACWA’s 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award. These outstanding recognitions show the influence and impact she had in her community and beyond during her remarkable lifetime.
“Our overall purpose has to be to serve the public. We should remember that’s the ultimate goal.”
- Bette Boatmun
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