Welcome to the East Valley Water District

Board and Staff...

The Board of Supervisors of San Bernardino County approved a petition for the formation of the East Valley Water District (formerly East San Bernardino County Water District) under a division of the Water Code of the State of California and ordered an election held January 12, 1954. The electors approved the formation of the District with the County Board of Supervisors. Incorporation of the District was approved by the State of California on February 1, 1954.The District was originally formed to provide domestic water service to the unincorporated and agriculturally based communities of Highland and East Highlands. Over the years, a portion of the District’s service area was annexed into the City of San Bernardino. That service remains with the District, primarily due to logistics and cost. In 1987, the City of Highland incorporated. The District’s predominantly agricultural area is now urbanized, with only a few orange groves remaining. Prior to September 20th, 2000, the District’s service area was approximately 14,750 acres, or 23 square miles. An annexation in September 2000 increased the District’s service area by 3,220 acres. Approximately 15 percent of the District is located in the unincorporated area of San Bernardino County and the remaining 85 percent is located within the City of San Bernardino and the City of Highland. The District has been engaged in furnishing water and sewer services to its customers since its inception. The initial sewer trunk lines and collection system were completed in 1960.

The District currently has a service population of approximately 65,000 people. Average water use in the District is 19 million gallons per day, with 36 million gallons per day used during peak usage periods. The District does not receive any tax revenues. Services are financed solely by rates.

Because the District focuses on providing two services, water and sewer, East Valley Water District has put together a professional team of experts to monitor and maintain both systems. The District has developed a straightforward management structure consisting of a Board of Directors elected by its customers, a general manager and a staff. The Board of Directors consists of members of the community who represent their neighbors. To assure the highest quality, they hire trained professionals to operate and maintain the District’s facilities. This combination of elected representatives and water professionals working together provides the customers of East Valley Water District with an efficient and cost effective water and sewer operations. The five-member Board of Directors, elected at large within the District, serve staggered terms of four years.

Board of Directors

The current President of the Board of Directors of the East Valley Water District is Kip E. Sturgeon , who has served on the East Valley Water District Board of Directors since November 1991. Mr. Sturgeon has held the positions of Vice President and Executive Director of the United Cancer Research Society since 1982. Mr. Sturgeon earned an Associate of Arts Degree in Business from San Bernardino Valley College in 1988 and an Associate of Arts Degree in Psychology from Crafton Hills College in 1984. He also earned a Certificate from the Special District Board Management Institute in 1993.

Serving as Vice President is Edward S. (Steve) Negrete. Mr. Negrete has served on the Board of Directors of East Valley Water District since 1993. Mr. Negrete owns his own building contractor business and is a professional entertainer and recording artist.

Donald D. Goodin, has served on the Board of Directors of East Valley Water District since 1994. He is retired from the State Compensation Insurance Fund where he was a loss control computer consultant. He is also a retired United States Air Force Officer. He has taught business courses at the City College of Chicago. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree and a Master’s in Business Administration and a Master's in Public Administration.

Glenn R. Lightfoot has served on the Board of Directors of East Valley Water District since 1979. During this time, Mr. Lightfoot has served three terms as President. Mr. Lightfoot is a retired Deputy Sheriff/Criminalist, formerly with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminalistics and a Master of Arts in Education.

George E. (Skip) Wilson, who has served on the Board of Directors since November 1997, is retired from the Mojave Water Agency where he served as the Director of Administration and Finance. Mr. Wilson has served on the Board of Directors of Valley Bank in Moreno Valley since 1975. He also served as an officer in the United States Air Force. Mr. Wilson is a native of San Bernardino and holds a Bachelors of Science Degree in Finance from the University of Southern California.

Management Structure

The management of East Valley Water District falls on a team of professionals working with the Board of Directors to achieve its primary goal, which is excellent service at a reasonable cost.

Robert E. Martin has served as the General Manager for East Valley Water District since 1990. Before becoming the general manager, Mr. Martin served 6 years as the District Engineer for East Valley Water District. Before Mr. Martin’s employment with the District, he was employed as a private civil engineer. Mr. Martin holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering and is a Registered Professional Civil Engineer in California.

The Chief Financial Officer for the District is Brian W. Tompkins. He has been with the District since January of 2002. Before coming to East Valley Water District he was employed by Rogers, Anderson, Malody and Scott Certified Public Accountants. Mr. Tompkins holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration and is a Certified Public Accountant.

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