Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD) is mourning the passing of former Board Director Franz De Klotz.
“Franz was a dedicated and enthusiastic Director who brought a strong understanding of water resources and a commitment to keeping the district working smoothly while still being a budget hawk, ensuring that he was always an advocate for the rate payers” said CVWD Board President John Powell. “I learned so much from him. He taught me how to question, to dig deeper on what was best for the district and the people.”
After being appointed to the CVWD Board in 2010, De Klotz won election to a full term on the board that same year and served as vice president during that tenure before opting not to run for another term.
At the time of his passing on Saturday, De Klotz was a member of the sales team at Peter Rabbit Farms where President Powell is President and Chief Executive Officer.
“He also was a close friend for 34 years,” Powell said. “My prayers go out to his wife and four children.”
De Klotz was known nationwide for his expertise and enthusiasm in agriculture and water sustainability.
Early in his career, De Klotz worked for Sun World, helping to pioneer such crops as the Superior Seedless grape and the Le Rouge Royale pepper.
In the Coachella Valley, De Klotz served for 20 years as vice president of marketing for Richard Bagdasarian Inc. and Pasha Marketing before joining Peter Rabbit Farms.
In addition to his service on the CVWD board, De Klotz served on the Western Growers board. He also was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown to serve as a member of the Colorado River Board of California.