Maria Mehranian is the Managing Partner and Chief Financial Officer for Cordoba Corporation, a full- service civil engineering, construction management, and program management firm specializing in transportation, education & facilities, water, and energy. Cordoba is headquartered in Los Angeles, with offices in Sacramento, San Francisco, Santa Ana, and San Diego
For over 30 years, Maria has dedicated her career to building Cordoba into one of the top engineering- consulting firms in the nation. For her efforts, Maria's rapid rise through Cordoba's executive ranks caught the attention of academic institutions and was included in a case study prepared by the Harvard Business School and the Kellogg School of Business at Northwestern University recording her career growth and the firm's success.
In addition to the leadership she provides as managing partner & CFO, Maria plays a key role in overseeing Cordoba’s water and energy projects, including the development of sustainable water resource strategies and renewable energy infrastructure. Since 2005, Maria has been responsible for overseeing Cordoba’s involvement in the Owen’s Lake dust mitigation program - specifically in creation of air and water monitoring plans. She has played an active role in developing the Stormwater Capture Master Plan for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power as well as developing funding strategies for the Dominguez Channel enhanced watershed management plan.
Maria has served on the Los Angeles Water Quality Control Board since 2008, having been appointed by Governor Brown for two consecutive terms. She chaired the Board in 2012 and 2013, and during this period she led the Los Angeles Water Quality Control Board in adopting the region’s landmark MS4 Permit. As a part of this process, she negotiated mitigation measures and remediation programs with a number of oil companies while successfully building consensus among stakeholders. The negotiated agreements included relocation of residents and cleanup of soil in affected areas.
Additionally, as a member of the Los Angeles Water Quality Control Board, Maria helped pass dozens of Total Maximum Daily Loads in the Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. Specifically, she was instrumental in passing the Santa Monica Bay Debris and Bacteria TMDL. She has shared the expertise she has gained through these experiences serving as a panelist on a number of water policy panels and as guest lecturer at universities discussing water quality and supply issues specifically focusing on stormwater capture, water reuse and recycling strategies, and identification of local water sources.
As CFO, Maria is responsible for the firm's strategic financial planning, including capital financing, cash flow operations, profit/loss responsibilities, and project delivery. Maria's ongoing relationships with the California business community and financial institutions allow her to develop long and short-term growth plans.
Prior to serving as the CFO and her involvement in the water and energy sectors, Maria managed the company's very successful urban and transportation planning division. Her portfolio includes a number of landmark infrastructure projects that shaped California's current infrastructure. Maria’s studies were instrumental in developing Regulation IV, a city ordinance that regulated employees' solo driving patterns by promoting alternative commute modes.
As an urban planner Maria played a key role in developing a number of large scale infrastructure development plans including: the downtown strategic plan, a blueprint of development in downtown Los Angeles that planned for 100,000 housing units in the area. This plan was strategically used to preserve and protect the industrial zones while rezoning the underutilized space for office spaces. In addition, Maria led Cordoba into international markets by heading multi-million dollar planning projects.
