Carlos M. Watson, local real estate broker and community advocate, will serve a five-year term as the newest member of the Tacoma Public Utility Board. He will attend his first board meeting at 6:30 p.m. today.
As a realtor in Tacoma, Watson has developed a wealth of knowledge helping people realize their dreams of becoming homeowners and is committed to cultivating community relationships.
“My goal as a member of the Public Utility Board is to contribute to the implementation of different ideas and policies that will help the public and our community as a whole,” said Watson. “I hope to bring a fresh perspective to the conversation.”
Watson is heavily involved in the Tacoma community and is a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Tacoma Black Collective, National Association of Realtors, Mocha Mentoring, Tacoma Urban League, and 100 Black Men organization. He attended Tacoma Community College and served in the US Navy as an avionics technician.
The board position came available as a result of Woodrow Jones retirement as chair earlier this month. Karen Larkin, a former City of Tacoma and state of Washington employee, will take over as board chair. Bryan Flint will become vice chair, and Mark Patterson will become secretary.
The Public Utility Board is a five-person governing body for Tacoma Public Utilities, which consists of Tacoma Power, Tacoma Water and Tacoma Rail. Tacoma Public Utilities serves 200,000 customers in the Tacoma-Pierce County area.
Tacoma’s City Council appoints the members, who serve five-year terms without pay. The Board meets on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. in the Public Utilities Administration Building, South 35th Street and Union Avenue. Meetings are open to the public and public comments are accepted. Meetings are broadcast live on TV Tacoma channel 12.