OPINION:
The District of Columbia hired David Gadis as CEO and general manager of DC Water in 2018 after he lied to Flint, Michigan, residents that their water was safe to drink, even though it was contaminated with lead.
Why? Diversity.
Mr. Gadis was the first Black leader of a major utility in Indianapolis. After taking the helm at DC Water, Mr. Gadis prioritized “equity” for its customers, employees, small-business partners and the broader community, CIO Views reported in 2022, naming Mr. Gadis one of the 10 most influential Black corporate leaders of the year.
One of his first moves as CEO was to fire White male executives at the utility and hire less-experienced people of color. He oversaw a $520 million budget in diversity, equity and inclusion projects.
Mr. Gadis said that when he joined DC Water, “this was an organization that looked very similar to our industry. It was predominantly, you know, White male at the top, but this was a utility that’s, you know, more than 70% people of color work at this utility.”
He added: “But the people at the top, the executives, the chiefs in that C suite, they should look like the employees that they serve and that they work with, and the same thing with the community. And so my executive team, you know, looks exactly like the community.”
Now, he is overseeing the largest wastewater spill in American history. At least 240 million gallons of raw sewage have flowed into the Potomac River. Residents in nearby Fairfax County, Virginia, have been asked to ration toilet flushes and toilet paper while Mr. Gadis oversees emergency repairs to the sewer line.
DC Water focused more on DEI and environmental justice than on oversight, repair work and maintenance of the sewer lines. Dozens of DEI programs were created, with multiple officials and offices overseeing initiatives such as “unconscious bias.” Under Mr. Gadis’ leadership, the utility focused on supplier diversity, inclusion councils, training, outreach, compliance goals and internal equity practices.
Even more incredible is that Mr. Gadis was hired in the first place. His race, no doubt, was a major contributing factor, if not the reason, for his being given the CEO title.
Before Mr. Gadis came to DC Water, he served as an executive at Veolia North America during the 2015 Flint water crisis and became its chief spokesman.
The city of Flint hired Veolia to assess water quality and safety with a focus on lead levels. According to several lawsuits against the company, plaintiffs claimed that Violia failed to identify necessary corrosion control treatments, leading to lead-contaminated water.
Internal communications showed that the company was aware of the contamination but continued to assure Flint residents their water was safe to drink.
Mr. Gadis became the primary company spokesperson during the crisis. His early assessment suggested that the water was “safe” despite needing work. Multiple lawsuits name Mr. Gadis and his false assurances, leading to about $79.3 million in corporate settlements. Veolia continues to deny any responsibility for the lead contamination.
Now, residents of DC, Maryland and Virginia are relying on Mr. Gadis’ assurances on whether their water is safe to drink.
The Democrats’ focus on DEI hiring mandates wiped out competency and replaced it with a focus on race, gender and sexual identity, leading to disastrous outcomes. Who knows how many other basic aspects of our lives — construction, transportation, medicine, education — have been compromised by this misguided policy?
• Kelly Sadler is the commentary editor at the Washington Times.
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