Metropolitan General Manager Refines Leadership Structure, Executive Team; Kightlinger Names Debra C. Man, Roger K. Patterson as Assistant General Managers, Returns to Using Public Agency Administrative Titles.

LOS ANGELES -- Marking his first month on the job, Metropolitan Water District General Manager Jeff Kightlinger today added a new member to his executive team as he refined the agency's reputation as one of the nation's leading public water providers.

In solidifying his leadership role, Kightlinger announced to Metropolitan's Board of Directors that water policy expert Roger K. Patterson would join Debra C. Man, MWD's chief operating officer, as assistant general managers in the Office of the General Manager.

Kightlinger further honed his executive team by declaring the district was reverting back to public agency administrative titles and dropping the corporate management headings used since 2001.

"Today our leadership team is unrivaled in the water industry. It's comprised of committed, effective leaders with experience that speaks more to their true abilities than a borrowed title from the corporate world," said Kightlinger, who is dropping the use of chief executive officer, president and vice president titles.

"Reclaiming the administrative titles of a public agency is a subtle yet significant step to regain our identity as a premier public water district," he added.

Patterson, who had previously been serving as a consultant to Metropolitan on Colorado River issues, joins Metropolitan as assistant general manager of water planning and resources. He will oversee Colorado River issues and the management of Metropolitan's water planning and resources group.

As director of the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources from 1999 to 2005, Patterson was responsible for water administration, water planning, flood-plain delineation, dam safety and the state databank. He also represented Nebraska on interstate compacts, decrees and basin associations and led the state team in the settlement of U.S. Supreme Court cases on the North Platte and Republican rivers.

Prior to his work in Nebraska, Patterson served in a number of leadership positions in the western United States during his 25 years with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. During his Reclamation tenure, he served as regional director in both the mid-Pacific region based in Sacramento and the Great Plains region headquartered in Billings, Mont.

A registered professional engineer in Nebraska and Colorado, Patterson earned bachelor's and master's degrees in engineering from the University of Nebraska.

Under the new organization and executive management responsibilities, Man continues to oversee the district's day-to-day core operations and business functions. Metropolitan's chief operating officer since 2003, she will manage Metropolitan's water system operations, corporate resources, and real property and asset management groups, as well as the workplace health, safety and environmental section.

In addition to Kightlinger, Man and Patterson, the Office of the General Manager includes a chief administrative officer and two deputy general managers. Chief Financial Officer Brian Thomas' title remains unchanged.

Gilbert F. Ivey takes over as Metropolitan's chief administrative officer responsible for human resources, the Office of the Board of Directors, business outreach efforts and long-term staffing strategies.

Thomas maintains his responsibilities over Metropolitan financial programs, including financial and capital planning, risk management, investments, debt management and the annual budget, as well as accounting operations and reporting. He also is in charge of developing and implementing Metropolitan's rates and charges.

Timothy H. Quinn serves as deputy general manager of State Water Project resources, reflecting his strategic oversight of district positions on state water issues, including district positions on the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and the CALFED Bay/Delta Program. He also will work with Patterson on statewide water issues.

Rounding out the executive team, Kathy Cole, Metropolitan's executive legislative representative and chief lobbyist in Sacramento, will continue to serve as interim deputy general manager of external affairs until the position is permanently filled.

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is a cooperative of 26 cities and water agencies serving 18 million people in six counties. The district imports water from the Colorado River and Northern California to supplement local supplies, and helps its members to develop increased water conservation, recycling, storage and other resource-management programs.