Blanche is a trailblazing figure in the complex landscape of California water management, and a testament to the transformative power of commitment, determination and vision.
Originally hailing from Newton, Kansas, Blanche's journey into the world of water systems began in 1985 when, then a real estate broker who had studied accounting, she volunteered as the accountant for Amarillo Mutual Water Company in Rosemead, California.
Despite possessing limited knowledge of water management at the outset, Blanche's keen sense of responsibility and financial acumen saved Amarillo from the brink of closure, steering it toward efficiency and fiscal stability. Subsequently, she assumed the roles of Executive Vice President and a Board Member for Amarillo.
Blanche's dedication didn't just save a company; it set the stage for her role in reshaping the fate of mutual water systems statewide.
Blanche recognized the importance of unity among small water companies and organized meetings of Los Angeles County mutual water companies in the kitchen nook of her home in the late 1990s. These gatherings fostered the exchange of ideas, operational experiences and mutual support among members.
Her visionary leadership set the groundwork for CalMutuals. Blanche, one of CalMutuals' original 13 charter members, remains a symbol of exceptional contributions and steadfast dedication to championing the interests of small water systems, a legacy reflected in the prestigious award that bears her name.
Award Recipients
CalMutuals annually recognizes an individual that makes an extraordinary contribution to small water systems with the Blanche Vizzini Award.
2025 Stacy Taylor
Honoring your support and dedication as a founding member and your extraordinary contributions through the Community Water Systems Alliance, through persistent advocacy of legislative and regulatory priorities critical to small systems.
2024 Kenneth Bradbury
Honoring your support and dedication as a founding member, and your extraordinary contributions to the Board of Directors and the success of CalMutuals and CalMutuals JPRIMA.
2023 Douglas Nunneley
Honoring your support and dedication as a founding member, and your extraordinary contributions to the Board of Directors and the success of CalMutuals, CalMutuals JPRIMA and the Community Water Systems Alliance.
2022 Julia Eckstrom
In recognition of our vision, action and commitment to small water systems.
2020 Cindy Byerrum
For initiative and leadership in helping California water systems understand SB998.
2018 Armando De La Paz
For your dedicated professionalism in helping small water systems with operator training, guidance and technical support.
2017 Myra Evangelista
For your dedicated professionalism and support in the foundation and success of the organizations.
For decades, California's mutual water companies operated largely in isolation–small, independent systems without a shared voice and limited capacity to engage the policy world shaping their fate. That changed when AB 54, AB 240, and related legislation threatened to impose regulatory burdens on small mutuals comparable to those of large public utilities. The mutual water community organized, advocated at the Capitol with a unified position, and succeeded in limiting the most burdensome provisions. The experience was galvanizing: when small systems organized together, they could shape outcomes, and a permanent organization was not just useful, but necessary.
Jim Byerrum understood both lessons. As long-time President and General Manager of California Domestic Water Company, he believed larger, well-resourced systems had both the ability and the obligation to help those that were not.
He gathered the founding members together in 2013, secured the financial commitments to launch CalMutuals, and then got in his car–driving to remote corners of California to meet mutual water company leaders, listen to their concerns, and make the case to join. When modest dues proved insufficient to sustain the resources small systems needed, Jim helped envision CalMutuals JPRIMA, a joint powers insurance authority purpose-built for water systems of all sizes, with residuals directed back to fund CalMutuals' mission.
Award Recipients
CalMutuals annually honors a water company or district that demonstrates extraordinary commitment to supporting mutual water companies and small water systems with the Jim Byerrum Award – named for the leader who proved that the largest contribution you can make is the one you make on behalf of someone else.
2025 Coachella Valley Water District
In recognition of Coachella Valley Water District’s exceptional leadership in support of small water systems. Through its Disadvantaged Communities Infrastructure Task Force, CVWD listened first, partnered with neighboring systems to identify priorities, invested its own resources to assess needs and costs, and developed a comprehensive regional funding and infrastructure plan. By doing work that many larger agencies would consider beyond their responsibility, CVWD helped create a pathway for small systems to secure critical improvements and long-term water reliability.
2024 San Gorgonio Pass Water Agency
In recognition of San Gorgonio Pass Water Agency’s innovative Gap Funding Program, which has expanded access to grant-funded infrastructure improvements for small water systems. Through flexible financing, regional partnerships, and a commitment to practical solutions, SGPWA has demonstrated how collaboration can help small systems overcome financial barriers and strengthen long-term water resilience.