Patricia Horton concluded her term as a Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) Commissioner on November 30 after six years of service.

Commissioner Horton was elected to the Board of Commissioners in 2006 and served as Chairman of three Committees: Industrial Waste and Water Pollution, Information Technology, and Public Health and Welfare. It was this last committee in which she focused her community presentations. She particularly enjoyed speaking to senior citizens on topics ranging from medication disposal to health and wellness. She emphasized the importance of proper, environmentally-friendly disposal of unwanted pharmaceuticals by promoting community drop-off events and educating citizens at events and community centers.

Commissioner Horton worked to educate the public about the importance of conservation and promoted the use of rain barrels and permeable paved surfaces as a means of capturing stormwater. She was an advocate for additional federal funding for needed upgrades to the MWRD’s Tunnel and Reservoir Plan, which will reduce combined sewage overflows.

Commissioner Horton earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Organizational Management from North Park University and a Liberal Arts degree in Applied Science from Truman College. She is vice president of the Madison Western Chamber of Commerce in Chicago and is executive director of the West Side Women’s Business Center.

She looks forward to spending more time with her family now that her official duties with the MWRD have come to an end.

Our water environment...Take it personally!

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