BOARD AGENDA MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT:
Title
Board Confirmation of the Chief Operating Officer of Water Utility Enterprise.
End
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Confirm the appointment of the Chief Operating Officer of Water Utility for the Santa Clara Valley Water District.
Body
SUMMARY:
Board Governance Policy Executive Limitation 3.8 states that a “BAO shall present an appointment of a Chief-level position to the Board for confirmation.”
Following a competitive open recruitment process, the Interim Chief Executive Officer has selected a candidate for the position of Chief Operating Officer of Water Utility and requests that the Board confirm the appointment.
SUMMARY
The Chief Operating Officer of Water Utility (COO WUE) is a critical executive leadership position that is high profile, complex in nature, and requires the highest level of accountability. The position is tasked with directing, managing, and overseeing four Water Utility divisions: Water Utility Capital, Treated Water Operations and Maintenance, Water Supply, and Raw Water Operations and Maintenance with a total operating budget of $337 million and 332 employees.
The COO WUE reports directly to the CEO and is designated as unclassified/at-will. The COO WUE serves as a key member of the executive leadership team and represents the CEO and the District in interactions with employees, external partners, the community, other agencies, and key stakeholders. A copy of the recruitment brochure is attached (Attachment 1).
SELECTION PROCESS
Since early last year, the District began implementing a new recruitment process for executive positions. All candidates must go through three rounds of interviews to ensure fairness and transparency, with the initial interviews consisting of a panel of external subject matter experts. Once the external panelists make their recommendations, the top candidates are invited back to meet with a panel of internal staff, which includes reporting staff in the division, labor union representatives, and other staff outside the division who will be working closely with the individual. Diversity in race, gender, work area, and classification are all considered in the makeup of each of the interview panels.
CANDIDATE
The selected name of the candidate for this position will be finalized and provided to the Board by August 18, 2017 as a supplemental posting.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The successful candidate will assume the position of Chief Operating Officer of Water Utility with an annual starting salary to be determined prior to confirmation.
CEQA:
The recommended action does not constitute a project under CEQA because it does not have the potential for resulting in direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1: Recruitment Brochure
UNCLASSIFIED MANAGER:
Manager
Norma Camacho, 408-630-2084