Cathy D'Anna retires after 20 years with Los Alamos County DPU

Cathy D’Anna’s retirement from Los Alamos County’s Department of Public Utilities on May 19 closed a 20-year county career that moved from customer service into operations and, finally, the job of explaining utility decisions to the public. For Los Alamos and White Rock households that depend on DPU for outage updates, rate notices and conservation guidance, the change matters as much for continuity as for recognition.

The retirement was reported May 21, and DPU Conservation Coordinator Abbey Hayward has taken over the Public Relations Manager role. That means the department is not just losing a longtime employee. It is handing off the public voice that helps translate billing changes, water alerts and energy policy into plain language for residents.

D’Anna’s path through County government reflected how much of DPU’s work happens behind the scenes before it reaches customers. She started in customer service, later moved into assistant management analyst work, then business operations, and eventually into public relations. In the communications role, she drew on journalism skills she had used earlier in her career and said she was proud of helping humanize the department.

That public-facing function has long been part of DPU’s work. A 2013 Daily Post item noted that the department’s Public Relations Office could be reached at 505-662-8002 for Smart House tours, a reminder that the utility’s communications work has extended well beyond routine notices. More recently, the County has leaned on public engagement to shape utility policy, including March 2026 speed engagement sessions that asked residents for ideas on water and energy conservation and efficiency.

Those conversations feed directly into the Water and Energy Conservation Plan, which the County says guides programming tied to strategic goals and initiatives set by the Board of Public Utilities. County materials said the plan was undergoing revision and needed publicly driven ideas, making the communications post central to how residents learn about priorities and respond to them.

The transition also comes as DPU continues to manage financial and operational changes that require clear explanations. County FAQs on FY2025 electric rates said the department was proposing increases over a two-year period, with changes beginning July 1, 2025 if approved by the Board of Public Utilities and adopted by the County Council. Another March 2025 DPU bill insert warned that a family of four likely has a serious leak if winter water use exceeds 12,000 gallons a month.

D’Anna’s departure leaves Hayward with a role that touches nearly every major utility issue in the county. For residents, the question now is not whether DPU will keep communicating, but how the department’s public voice will evolve as conservation, rates and service reliability remain under the spotlight.