Chief Executive, Chief Operating Officer, City Manager, Executive Vice

Joe Tait is a multiple award-winning Chief Operating Officer, Business Leader, and Strategic Business Development closer with 25 years strategic management, operations oversight and organizational excellence experience. Mr. Tait served as past Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Metropolitan Water District (MWD) of Southern California, with ultimate responsibility and day-to-day management of the largest environmental and political entity in the U.S. This $2.2 billion, 2,300-employee public entity serves 26-member public agencies and 19 million residents throughout a 5,200 square mile, six-county regional territory. Joe was hired by the 51-member Board of Directors to strategically assess and restructure the organization throughout Southern California – the first complete updating of this vast organization. During his tenure as COO, he assembled small and highly effective, internal “SWOT” teams (21 CORE members) involving four labor unions that designed and restructured the agency from 11 divisions to five, right-sized staffing, reduced redundant service contracts by 45%, and the first ever CEO’s Business Plan and initial MWD’s Strategic Technology Business Plan were adopted. 100+ million dollars in annual savings was achieved through program, process and technology improvements leading to a Corporate-wide Operating Resources management structure. First ever KPI’s were established in 2001.

In mid-2011, Mr. Tait completed a multi-year management and operations oversight and organizational enhancement contract as City Manager / Utilities Director for the City of San Juan Capistrano and was charged with reorganizing the archaic municipal government as well as overseeing the implementation of corrective operations and maintenance practices throughout the water and wastewater department.

Working for private industry, Joe has served as Executive Vice President/Chief Strategy Officer, Western Regional Manager of Operations and Business Development as well as the Executive-in-Charge/Executive Sponsor for numerous, strategic, corporate initiatives and restructuring/acquisition tasks for major utilities, municipalities and multinational firms throughout Southern California. In addition, he has also managed operating competitiveness programs and operating improvement projects for water and wastewater municipalities and firms throughout the western U.S. from Anchorage to Salt Lake City and Los Angeles to Honolulu. He has also served on public utility boards and committees as well as professional industry association boards. His resources pool/shared services work model has led to clients to winning local and national awards.

In addition to day-to-day operations management and performance duties, Mr. Tait has been responsible and accountable for “soft-side” departments including HR, IT, Engineering, Scientific, Finance, Legal & Audit, and Innovation and Renewable/Sustainable initiatives for many years.

EXPERIENCE

Career Strategic & Employment Assignments

Executive Management, Operations and Business Development Strategist – 2004 to Present

Retained or Employed to Assess, Correct, Manage and Lead multi-national and/or municipal organizations. Deliver desired, strategic and bottom-line objectives. Provide effective, day-to-day, focused management that results in 100% regulatory compliance, tailored, measurable solutions to utilities and significant, year-over-year growth meeting corporate and municipal budget milestones. Key short-term (less than 5 yea) engagements have included:

-Managing Partner, Velos LLC, Del Mar. Ca – March 2019 to Present

-Interim General Manager (contract) – Ukiah Valley Sanitation District: (1 year)

-Interim General Manager (contract) – San Luis Rey Indian Water Authority: (less than 1 year)

-SVP & West Regional Manager (contract) - Parsons Brinckerhoff Engineers: (Internal & External less than 1 year)

-VP – Regional Business Solutions, Tetra Tech: (Internal & external for 4 years)

-City Manager and Utilities Director (contract) for the City of San Juan Capistrano, CA: (Internal & external for 4 years)

-VP – Municipal Business Group, URS Consultants: (Internal & external for 1 year)

-VP – Business Solutions Group, MWH Business & Engineering Consultants: (Internal & external for 3 years)

-Executive Vice President, West Region - EMA Services, Inc: (Internal & external for 1 years)

Executive Vice President / Chief Operating Officer - Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD), 1999 to 2004: Ultimate responsibility and day-to-day management of the largest municipal wholesale water agency in the U.S. (see intro description above)

Regional Branch Manager - EMA Services, Inc., 1996 to 1999: Opened EMA’s initial Southern California office. Hired and supervised consultants and staff, served as general area business manager responsible for delivery of all strategic consulting services.

Chief Administrative Officer - Metropolitan Water District of Salt Lake City, 1980 to 1994: Provided senior-level, internal consultation, and issues analysis to the General Manager. Acted as executive liaison to member agency managers and elected officials on behalf of General Manager and Board. Served on the Utah Governor’s water committee as well as other public and private boards.

National & Regional Boards and Appointments

Director (Alternate) – San Juan Basin Authority, South Orange County, CA 2009 - 2011

Committee Chair and Member, AWWA Management Development Committee, Denver, CO, 2006 - 2010

Secretary/Board Member – Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA), Washington, DC, 2000-2003

Trustee – American Water Works Association Research Foundation (AWWARF), Denver, CO, 2000-2003

Orange County Sheriff Department Volunteer (Professional Services Provider) 2007- Present

Awards

Outstanding Resources Management Recipient (MWDSC), California Municipal Utilities Association (CMUA)

Gold Award (MWDSC), Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA), Washington, D.C.

Malcolm Baldridge Awards – pre-Baldridge process implementation (clients)

Outstanding Public Sector Manager Award (MWDSLC) – University of Phoenix

City & State Magazine Outstanding Public Sector Manager Nominee (MWDSLC)

Education:

B.A. Management - University of Phoenix

Registrations/Certifications:

Certificate - Human Resources Management, Institute for Applied Management & Law

Certificate - Industrial Relations, University of Phoenix

Professional Affiliations:

American Management Association

California City Managers Association

California Association of Special Districts (CASD)

American Water Works Association (California, Nevada, Utah, Idaho & Hawaii Sections)

Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies

Association of California Water

Agencies (AMWA)

California Association of Sanitation Agencies (CASA)

Professional & Character References:

Congressman Ron Packard (ret.)

Mayor Sam Allevato (ret.)

Don Polese, Senior Partner – Vectis Strategies

Councilman Mark Packard

Jerry A. King, Chairman (ret.) – Orange County Water District

Duncan M. James – Counsel, Ukiah Valley Sanitation District

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