Precious Brady-Davis was sworn in as commissioner of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) on Dec. 3, making history as the first Black transgender woman elected in Cook County.
Brady-Davis was appointed to the MWRD board by Gov. JB Pritzker in 2023, filling a vacancy left by former Commissioner Kim du Buclet, who left the MWRD when she was appointed to the Illinois General Assembly.
Now, Brady-Davis will serve two more years in the role as an elected official.
“Eighteen months ago, when Gov. JB Pritzker appointed me to serve, I knew this was the beginning of a full democratic process,” Brady-Davis said after being sworn in. “Now, after completing an election cycle and winning a two-year term, I will be forever grateful to Gov. Pritzker for the opportunity he bestowed upon me.”
Brady-Davis was among four MWRD commissioners sworn in during the Dec. 3 ceremony, including Marcelino Garcia, an openly gay commissioner who was elected for his second term; Kari Steele, who was also reelected; and Sharon Waller, a newcomer to the MWRD. All three will serve full six-year terms on the board.
Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias introduced Brady-Davis before she was sworn in, calling her a “trailblazer” who has “consistently fought for environmental, social and economic justice with passion, grace and tenacity.”
Not only is Brady-Davis the first Black trans woman elected in Cook County, she is also the first known Black trans woman to serve on a water reclamation district in the country, Giannoulias said.
Brady-Davis told Windy City Times she was “humbled and honored” to make this history.
“It weighs extra heavy on me, especially given the political climate, but I believe that when people see themselves reflected in the arc of history, they say, ‘I can be that too,’” Brady-Davis said. “And while being trans is one part of me, it is not all of me. I feel like I’m debunking stereotypes, and I hope that my representation shows that trans people are valuable members of society.”
Brady-Davis joined the MWRD with a background in social justice, environmental advocacy and nonprofit leadership.
In addition to her role in the MWRD, Brady-Davis works as chief strategy officer at the Center on Halsted, an LGBTQ+ community center where she previously worked as youth outreach coordinator from 2011-2014. At the Center on Halsted, Brady-Davis has coordinated youth programs centered around HIV prevention, transgender advocacy and leadership development.
Brady-Davis also has a background in environmental advocacy, having worked at the Sierra Club from 2017 to May 2024 as a communications director. Giannoulias highlighted this experience while introducing Brady-Davis at the swearing-in ceremony.
“Throughout her career, she has demonstrated a passion for reaching and protecting underserved communities,” Giannoulias said. “She has been a consistent champion for a clean energy future by supporting renewable energy, holding corporate polluters accountable, fighting climate change and protecting our precious water supply.”
With the election behind her, Brady-Davis said she’s ready to continue this work.
“We are at a pivotal moment in our region, our country and indeed the world,” Brady-Davis said.
The MWRD faces challenges like aging infrastructure, funding limitations, regulatory compliance, climate change and emerging contaminants—all issues Brady-Davis is committed to addressing, she said.
“We at MWRD inherit the fortitude of the trustees and engineers who reversed the course of the Chicago River,” Brady-Davis said. “They literally broke through frozen ground to start the district at its founding, and I believe together, we too will be just as ambitious about improving lives.”