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Riverside Public Utilities (RPU) veteran Todd Jorgenson has been named Interim General Manager for public utilities by Riverside City Manager John Russo. He has served most recently as Assistant General Manager for Water for the city of Riverside since October 2015.
Jorgenson joined RPU in July 2004. Prior to his position as Assistant General Manager for Water he served as Senior Engineer, Principal Engineer, Water Operations Manager, and Water Engineering Manager. He previously held engineering positions at the Coachella Valley Water District and at Kleinfelder, Inc. in San Diego.
As the Interim General Manager for RPU Jorgenson will work closely with Assistant City Manager Marianna Marysheva. This will include a review of all of the utilities’ functions including the development of a two-year budget for 2018-20. Jorgenson assumes leadership of the utility at a time when it is also seeking a rate increase from the Board of Public Utilities and the Riverside City Council. RPU is also seeking to secure a second connection to the statewide power grid through the Riverside Transmission Reliability Project.
“Riverside Public Utilities plays a major role in the life, health and economic well-being of Riverside, and I look forward to taking on this important role,” Jorgenson said. “The utility industry is a dynamic and challenging environment, and I am excited about providing leadership of RPU during this time.”
Jorgenson will assume his new position effective Jan. 19 following the departure of General Manager Girish Balachandran. Balachandran, who has been General Manager for four years, is leaving to join Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE), a community-choice energy agency, as its Chief Executive Officer.
Jorgenson holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from Brigham Young University and received his Master of Business Administration (MBA) from California State University San Bernardino. He is a California Professional Engineer and holds Level 2 certification in Water Distribution and Water Treatment from the California Department of Public Health.
“Todd Jorgenson has served RPU well during the past 12 years, and this opportunity speaks volumes about the confidence our leadership has in him,” Mayor Rusty Bailey said. “We look forward to working with Todd to continue RPU’s exceptional level of service to our community.”
Executive search firm Ralph Andersen & Associates of Rocklin, CA will conduct a recruitment for the next General Manager for Riverside Public Utilities. The city anticipates hiring someone by June.
