Liberty New York Water is pleased to announce that Deborah Franco will be joining Liberty as President, New York Water, effective June 5. Chris Alario, who led New York Water for the past two years, is transitioning to a new role supporting the regulated business at Liberty. Franco, an accomplished utility executive, brings more than 20 years of utility leadership experience to New York Water.
Franco joins Liberty from SJI Utilities, Inc, in Union, New Jersey, where she served in several leadership roles, the most recent of which was Vice President of Rates, Regulatory and Sustainability. Prior to her time at SJI, Franco served nearly two decades as an attorney at Cullen and Dykman, LLP, in the firm’s Garden City, New York and Newark, New Jersey offices. Early in her career, she was an assistant deputy ratepayer advocate for the New Jersey Division of the Ratepayer Advocate, also in Newark.
In addition to her expertise in utility management, as a long-time Long Islander, Franco also brings a deep understanding of the customer base, local issues faced by both customers and the company, and has the knowledge and experience to address such topics as unfair tax burdens placed on our customers. Alario, who led the organization through the acquisition from American Water in 2021, will continue to support New York Water and his predecessor, ensuring a smooth transition.
“Deborah’s extensive knowledge of rates and regulatory affairs, as well as her intrinsic knowledge of Long Island will be an asset to the business as well as to our customers,” said Vincent Gaeto, Liberty’s President, East Region. “We are thrilled to welcome her to the Liberty family.”
“I am excited to have brought my career back to my roots and serve our customers on Long Island and upstate,” Franco said. “I love living and raising my family here and I feel honored to lead a team that is focused on providing safe and reliable water to all of our customers. I intend to dive right in to ensure that we are doing all we can to provide the best service possible to the communities we serve.”
