MWD board approves collaborative operations plan, targets consolidated business strategy

MWD board approves collaborative operations plan, targets consolidated business strategyThe Metropolitan Water District of Southern California has approved a foundational operations plan guiding its four direct reports, addressing the utility’s unique non-CEO management structure while preparing for a unified business plan.

The MWD board approved the Department Head Operations Plan on June 23, 2026, formalizing collaboration among its four equal executive leaders.

The utility operates without a traditional CEO framework, requiring the General Manager, General Counsel, General Auditor, and Ethics Officer to function as equals.

Utility leadership confirmed that a consolidated business plan combining the individual goals of all four departments is currently being drafted.

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) Board of Directors approved a foundational Department Head Operations Plan on June 23, 2026, formalizing the collaborative framework for the utility's top executives. The plan addresses MWD's unique management structure, which operates without a traditional chief executive officer. Instead, the utility is led by four equal direct reports: the General Manager, General Counsel, General Auditor, and Ethics Officer. The board chair noted that for the first time this year, each of the four direct reports has been assigned a specific home oversight committee. During the meeting, Director Seckel observed that the operations plan focused heavily on how the executive team will work collaboratively, rather than serving as a comprehensive joint business plan for the agency. In response, the board chair emphasized that the document is a necessary evolution to ensure the four equal leaders work together deliberately and avoid past organizational issues. The General Manager confirmed that a broader, consolidated business plan is already in development. Staff indicated they are currently gathering feedback from the respective home committees on individual departmental goals before finalizing the unified strategy. Utility leadership expects to present the fully consolidated business plan to the board in August or September. In other board business, MWD officially inducted Director R. Reddy Pakala to represent the Calleguas Municipal Water District. Pakala brings extensive infrastructure experience to the board, having spent 34 years with Ventura County, where he managed multiple water, sewer, and recycled water systems, including the delivery of the Moore Park recycled water system and an associated 1-megawatt solar farm.