The El Dorado Irrigation District (EID) Board of Directors has offered W. Thomas (Tom) Gallier the job of general manager at the District. Gallier, who has 29 years of experience in the water and wastewater utilities industry and is the former general manager of the water and wastewater utilities department at Tempe, Arizona, is expected to begin his new duties on May 1.
“We are exceptionally pleased to announce this choice,” said EID Board President George Osborne. “Tom rose to the top of a long list of 42 well-qualified, experienced applicants, and we look forward to working with him in the coming years.”
Board Vice President George Wheeldon and Board members Harry Norris, Bill George, and John Fraser each noted that the decision was a difficult one because, as Norris said, “all of the final five candidates we interviewed were top notch. On the other hand,” he added, “it’s actually a nice predicament to have such a great field to choose from.”
During his decade-long tenure at Tempe—where his service area included a population of about 171,000 and more than 41,000 water connections—Gallier led the city’s utilities department through a successful major reorganization that resulted in substantial productivity improvements. He was also the driving force in creating a master plan that served as a blueprint for the utility’s capital improvement program. When Gallier chose to retire and left Tempe a little more than two years ago, the city declared a “Tom Gallier Day,” during which he was honored by city officials, employees, and his colleagues. After spending the past two years living in Mexico, he decided to come out of retirement.
Before he went to Tempe, Gallier was wastewater division manager for the department of public utilities in Fresno, California; wastewater treatment manager and technical projects manager for the City of Fort Collins, Colorado; and director of utilities in the town of Castle Rock, also in Colorado.
Gallier has received numerous awards over the course of his career, has been an active member of several professional organizations related to the water and wastewater utilities industry, and has co-authored a number of papers. He earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and science education and a master’s degree in public administration, both from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. He also has earned credits toward a Ph.D. in political science and environmental policy from Colorado State University in Fort Collins.
EID’s interim general manager, David Witter, will continue his responsibilities until Gallier arrives and then will resume his post as head of the District’s environmental compliance and water policy department. Wheeldon expressed his gratitude for what Witter has accomplished, saying, “David has been outstanding over the past several months, and we appreciate his dedication to the District during this transition period.” The Board also thanked Tom Cumpston, EID’s general counsel, for the significant role he played in assisting the Board with the recruitment process.
