Cheryl Porter

Cheryl Porter is the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Great Lakes Water Authority's Water and Field Services Area where she oversees five water treatment facilities and water transmission to the Authority's member partner communities, ensuring GLWA's water consistently meets and exceeds all quality standards and regulations.

Ms. Porter is an active member of the American Water Works Association. In addition to serving as a Michigan Section Trustee (2018-2021) and sitting on the Section's Government Affairs Council, Ms. Porter also currently serves on AWWA's national board as Director-at-Large (2019-2022), as well as on its Finance Committees (2018- 2021). In 2017, Crain's Detroit Business recognized her as one of Detroit's Women in Leadership.

Ms. Porter provides leadership that's grounded in experience and manages engineers, field staff and administrative and technical support personnel. Her broad knowledge base in the water service sector began at DWSD as a Junior Chemist, where her dedication yielded eventual advancement to Water Production and Operations Manager. As the COO of the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD), she was part of the team that helped establish GLWA in 2016.

Ms. Porter earned her BS degree from the University of Michigan, an MBA with a concentration in Human Resources Management from Madonna University, and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. Ms. Porter maintains State of Michigan operator certifications for both Water Distribution (S-3) and Complete Treatment (F-1). Under her direction, GLWA's Water Works Park received the "2019 Directors Award for Water Treatment" from the Partnership for Safe Water (PSW).