Meet Tommy
Tommy Faavae is a lifelong Carson resident, dedicated public servant, and passionate advocate for environmental justice, workforce development, and community empowerment. In February 2025, he was unanimously appointed to the West Basin Municipal Water District Board of Directors, representing Division I, which serves Carson, Palos Verdes Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, and the unincorporated Los Angeles County areas of Rancho Dominguez.
With more than 25 years of experience as a proud member of IBEW Local 11, Tommy currently serves as the union’s Business Development Manager, representing over 11,000 members and 350 electrical contractors. His career began as a journeyman wireman, where he worked hands-on installing electrical systems for critical water infrastructure projects at the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant and the Joint Water Pollution Control Plant. This technical expertise gives him a unique, ground-level understanding of how vital systems operate—and how they must evolve to meet the needs of future generations.
Tommy has a proven record of building bridges between diverse stakeholders, including environmental groups, labor leaders, business leaders, and government officials. He has been instrumental in major clean energy and infrastructure initiatives, most notably playing a leading role in the creation of ARCHES (Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems), which secured $1.2 billion in federal funding for renewable hydrogen solutions in California. He also contributes his expertise as a ZEERO Roundtable and Collaborative committee member, helping shape the Port of Long Beach’s carbon-neutral future.
Beyond his professional achievements, Tommy has consistently championed workforce equity and inclusion. He is deeply committed to creating opportunities for entry-level workers and mentoring formerly incarcerated individuals into stable, successful careers in the electrical trade. He serves on the Long Beach Workforce Investment Network and has previously served on Carson’s Environmental and Public Works Commission. As a leader within the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance and the Samoan Heritage Committee, Tommy also works to uplift underrepresented voices and ensure that all communities are heard and represented.
Carson’s history of environmental injustice—including landfills, watershed contamination, and persistent air quality challenges—fuels Tommy’s passion for public service. He drinks the same water and breathes the same air as his neighbors, and he is determined to ensure that the residents of Division I and beyond have access to safe, clean, and reliable water. His key priorities on the West Basin Board include strengthening water infrastructure, advancing sustainability, advocating for environmental justice, creating local job opportunities, and promoting diversity and inclusion across the district’s workforce.
For Tommy Faavae, public service is both a calling and a commitment. Through his leadership, he continues to work toward a more sustainable, equitable, and resilient future for the communities he represents.