Maria Mehranian is Managing Partner of Cordoba Corporation, a California based full-
service engineering, construction management and program management firm
specializing in the delivery of infrastructure projects in the transportation, water, energy,
and education sectors with offices throughout California. Previously, Maria served as
the Chief Financial Officer of Cordoba Corporation, bringing in her expertise in
corporate services to create and execute a roadmap for a solid financial foundation for
Cordoba Corporation. Cordoba Corporation is ranked by Engineering News-
Record (ENR) as a Top 50 Program Management Firm and a Top 100 Construction
Management-for-Fee Firm in the nation, as well as a Top 100 Design firm in California
For nearly 40 years, Maria has dedicated her career to building Cordoba Corporation
into one of the nation’s top specialty services firms with its staff of engineers, designers,
environmental specialists, and construction professionals from all over the world. For
her efforts, Maria caught the attention of academic institutions and was featured in a
case study by Harvard Business School and Kellogg School of Business at
Northwestern University.
Maria is the former Chair the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board, where
she served two consecutive terms and led the Board in adopting the region’s landmark
Stormwater Permit. As a water policy expert, Maria plays a pivotal role in the
development of California’s water supply, quality, and resource policies. She
participates in numerous water policy panels on water quality and supply issues, and
serves as a guest lecturer for universities throughout the state. She continues to
collaborate with teams of water engineers to develop state of the art guidelines for
stormwater facilities throughout California. Her substantial institutional knowledge in
policy as well as large scale water infrastructure projects adds extra value to Cordoba
Corporation’s Water Infrastructure division.
Maria served as a member of the Delta Stewardship Council as an appointee of the
Senate Rules Committee from 2020-2023 and has most recently been appointed by the
Speaker of the Assembly for an additional term. In addition, Maria was recently
appointed by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to the County’s Safe, Clean
Water Program’s Regional Oversight Committee (ROC). The ROC is an independent
body that reviews all Regional Program Stormwater Investment Plans to ensure
program goals are met. The ROC consists of nine (9) subject matter experts. Maria
was appointed to serve on the ROC as a water quality/water supply expert.
Maria is a past Corporate Woman of the Year honoree, an award jointly presented by
the legislators of the 43rd and 44th Assembly and 21st Senate Districts of California. In
addition, Mujeres de da Tierra declared her an environmental champion and honored
Maria with the Healer of La Madre Tierra award. Maria is also a recipient of the Ellis
Island Medal of Honor for exemplifying outstanding qualities in both her personal and
professional life while continuing to preserve the richness of her Armenian heritage.
Maria serves in leadership positions for several educational institutions and non-profit
organizations. She serves as a member of the Dean’s Leadership Board at Cal Poly
Pomona College of Engineering and as a member of the Board of Trustees at
Southwestern Law School.
In March 2019, Maria was invited to present at the sixty-third session of the United
Nations Commission on the Status of Women at the UN Headquarters in New York
City. She participated on a panel discussion focused on “Developing Infrastructure and
Access to Public Services to Improve Gender Equality.” The presentation focused on
the importance of promoting, sponsoring, and funding specific types of infrastructure in
developing countries that enhance women’s access to capital and ultimately results in
economic and social empowerment of women.