California’s largest drinking water supplier has zeroed in on a new general manager after years of leadership turmoil.
What happened: The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which imports and sells water to 19 million people in Los Angeles and the surroundings, earlier this month selected Shivaji Deshmukh, the current general manager of the Inland Empire Utilities Agency, to replace retiring General Manager Deven Upadhyay, according to three people with knowledge whom POLITICO granted anonymity to discuss ongoing internal deliberations.
Metropolitan Board Chair Adán Ortega said in a statement that the board had selected a finalist but would not release the name until contract negotiations were final “in line with best employment practices to protect candidate privacy.” Met declined to comment on Deshmukh specifically, while Deshmukh didn’t return a request for comment.
Key context: The move comes after years of instability at the top. In January, the board voted to fire General Manager Adel Hagekhalil following an investigation into claims of harassment. Hagekhalil was only narrowly voted in by the board in 2021.
