We continue celebrating Illinois’ Economic Drivers—and close out our Women’s History Month installment—by uplifting the story of Illinois American Water President and Illinois EDC Board Member Rebecca Losli, who has lived and worked in Illinois for three years.
What inspired your career path and industry involvement?
Growing up in Alabama near Mobile Bay. I knew early on I wanted a career to make an impact on the environment.
As a woman leader in your field, what challenges have you faced, and how have you overcome them?
Diversity is important to the workplace. Diversity can mean a lot of things. Commonly we think about diversity in gender and race. But diversity can also mean diverse backgrounds. I think bringing diverse backgrounds together in the workplace makes our projects stronger and enhances our business performance.
Who are (or have been) some of your mentors, role models, or inspirations?
Mentors include Illinois EDC Board Member Lenny Singh (Ameren), Jim Coll (Jacobs — retired), and Steve Hontz (Ace Pipe Cleaning President).
What does success look like to you—professionally and/or personally?
I am the president of Illinois American Water, the largest regulated water utility in Illinois, providing water and/or wastewater services to about 1.3 million people. In my role, I reinforce and strengthen customer, regulatory and local government relationships, drive operational and financial excellence, and am the principal external contact for the company. I lead more than 600 employees. It’s a responsibility I don’t take lightly. Water is personal. It is the only utility we ingest. There’s a real underappreciation of the importance of water in our lives and the large amount of work utilities perform to provide clean water and wastewater services. As a leader in the utilities sector, my three biggest priorities are providing clean safe and reliable water service to customers and communities, the reduction of PFAS (also known as forever chemicals) in drinking and wastewater, and the replacement of lead service lines. The latter two are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Illinois American is making significant investments to address them.
How does being in Illinois contribute to your success as a woman leader (if it does)?
Illinois is a place where women’s leadership is valued. From a strong network of professional organizations to statewide initiatives focused on equity and workforce development, I’ve found consistent support to step into roles that enable me to serve as a female leader. I previously led the Illinois Utilities Business Diversity Council as a Board Chair; here, I worked with other committed leaders to advance diverse business growth in the state and really emphasized support for women-owned businesses, among other diverse and small business enterprises. And earlier this year, I was named by Scott Air Force Base to its 2027 Class of Honorary Commanders. The class is comprised of 20 community leaders from the St. Louis metropolitan region, and the designation enables me to grow my understanding of the military and work closely with leadership at this military base that serves as an economic engine for my local economy.
What do you love most about living and working in Illinois?
Working here has connected me with talented, mission driven people who are dedicated to building stronger communities, and those collaborations have helped me to grow as a leader. Illinois American Water operates in more than 150 communities across the state, and I am proud of our dedicated workforce of more than 600 people working to provide safe, clean, reliable, and affordable water and wastewater services to approximately 1.3 million people. I enjoy visiting our expansive operations and our communities and leading this outstanding team.
What makes Illinois a strong place for women business leaders?
Illinois has a breadth of diverse industries that create a range of leadership pathways for women. Across Illinois’ utilities field, I work amongst several women in significant executive positions, which was not necessarily the case a decade or so ago. The state of Illinois has a commitment to an equitable and inclusive workforce system that starts at the highest levels of government and supports women in the workforce, and also women-owned businesses, and Illinois is ranked as a top state nationally for the number and scale of women-owned companies.
What policies, programs, or networks in Illinois have supported your professional growth or your organization’s mission?
I will point to my time spent as a board member for Illinois EDC, where I can play an impactful role in helping to drive our state’s economic growth. At Illinois American Water, we are committed to economic growth and that starts by supporting the evolving needs of communities. As a leader in the water and wastewater industry and a solutions provider, Illinois American Water is well positioned to support business growth within our existing service territory to advance economic development. Since 2015, we’ve invested more than $2 billion in water and wastewater system improvements across our service territory. Last year, we invested more than $280 million in infrastructure work—from new pipes to hydrants to technology.
How do you or your organization support your local community or underrepresented groups?
In 2025, Illinois American Water contributed more than $784,500 to 195 organizations, including $110,000 to 112 firefighter departments within our service territories. We are proud to support strong, healthy communities through donations, volunteer efforts, and educational outreach. Partnering with people who make a positive impact in the communities we serve helps us to Keep Life Flowing for our customers.
Are there any initiatives or organizations in Illinois that you’re proud to support?
Illinois American Water has a long-standing customer assistance program called H2O Help to Others, which helps provide supplemental funding to our residential customers who would otherwise have trouble paying their bills. H2O Help to Others is supported by donations from Illinois American Water and donations from customers, and the Salvation Army agencies’ trained caseworkers determine the needs of families and individuals, who must be Illinois American Water customers. Another benefit of H2O Help to Others is that it often connects customers with other sources of aid in their communities, including other assistance programs for which they might qualify. Some of the Salvation Army agencies also provide educational programs on managing utility usage and bills.
What inspires you to continue to affect change in your world?
Water is personal. It is the only utility we ingest. There’s a real underappreciation of the importance of water in our lives and the large amount of work utilities perform to provide clean water and wastewater services. As a leader in the utilities sector, my three biggest priorities are providing clean safe and reliable water service to customers and communities, the reduction of PFAS, also known as forever chemicals, in drinking and wastewater, and the replacement of lead service lines. The latter two are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Illinois American is making significant investments to address them.
How can Illinois EDC help elevate or amplify your work and that of your organization?
Be a partner on change that needed for economic impact.
What does Women’s History Month mean to you personally?
Recognizing the amazing accomplishments of women.
What would you say to a young woman professional considering launching or relocating their career to Illinois?
Illinois is a state that has tremendous career opportunities for women.
Favorite Illinois historical figure:
Abraham Lincoln
Favorite book of all time:
Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela
Best business advice you’ve ever given (or received):
Don’t rush a decision. Sleep on it. But then decide and move on.
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