San Diego County Water Authority general manager joins Metropolitan board as director

San Diego County Water Authority General Manager Dan Denham was seated today as the Water Authority's newest representative on the board of directors of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

Denham brings more than two decades of water industry expertise, as well as a deep knowledge of the relationship between Metropolitan and the Water Authority. He succeeds Gail Goldberg, who served on Metropolitan's 38-member board since 2019.

The Water Authority board of directors appointed Denham to serve as general manager in 2023 after holding several leadership roles at the agency, including deputy general manager, in which he oversaw the Metropolitan and Colorado River programs. Under his leadership, the Water Authority and Metropolitan settled a 15-year legal dispute, signaling a new era of collaboration between two of the state's largest water agencies.

"It's rare for a general manager from one of Metropolitan's 26 member agencies to serve on our board of directors. It's a testament to the respect and trust that Water Authority directors have in Dan Denham that they appointed him to their delegation," said Metropolitan board Chair Adán Ortega, Jr. "After working with him for more than a year on the settlement we reached in June, I can attest to his skills as a problem solver and consensus builder. I look forward to working closely with him for the benefit of the region's nearly 19 million residents."

Before joining the Water Authority in 2006, Denham worked for the City of San Diego, holding positions in its Metropolitan Wastewater Department, Financial Management Department and Mayor's Office. Denham earned undergraduate degrees in public administration and economics and a graduate degree in public administration from San Diego State University.

Denham sits on several regional boards, including the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp., the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, the San Diego State University Alumni Board, and the Citizens Forum of the U.S. Section of the International Boundary & Water Commission.

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is a state-established cooperative that, along with its 26 cities and retail suppliers, provides water for 19 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.