Kishia L. Powell is a dynamic force in the global water sector with 28 years of experience in both the public and private sectors across the U.S. and London, England. She leads a team of 1,880 strong and manages the day-to-day operations of the largest water utility in Maryland – the 8th largest in the country – serving 1.9 million customers.

Kishia serves on the board of NACWA, (formerly as President), representing over 400 clean water agencies across the country; on the Board of the Water Research Foundation; and the AWWA International Council. She serves on the City of Baltimore's Water Governance Task Force appointed by Mayor Scott and was appointed to the National Infrastructure Advisory Committee subcommittee on Workforce Development. In May 2023, the Maryland Society of Professional Engineers honored her with the Industry Icon Award. She has the distinction of having testified before both houses of congress on multiple occasions in support of water infrastructure funding.

Prior to WSSC Water, Kishia has held top utility executive positions as DC Water’s Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President, where she provided oversight for DC Water’s 10-year $6.4 billion capital improvement program, as the City of Atlanta’s Commissioner of Watershed Management, the City of Jackson, Mississippi’s Public Works Director and Bureau Head of Water and Wastewater for the City of Baltimore. A licensed Professional Engineer in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia, she holds a BS in Civil Engineering from Morgan State University.