Effort to Prepare Future Leaders Gains Attention of California Special Districts Association
March 18, 2020 – Rowland Water District’s succession planning efforts are highlighted in the latest issue of the California Special Districts Association magazine, which caters to 3,400 organizations across the state.
One of the District’s primary strategic goals established by the Board of Directors is to preserve talent and institutional knowledge. The objective was first spelled out in the District’s 2015 Strategic Plan update and again in 2018.
“It’s no secret that the water industry and other sectors are anticipating the loss of a great number of employees who have reached retirement age,” Rowland Water District General Manager Tom Coleman said. “To make sure we are ready for this ‘silver tsunami,’ we have been training and promoting staff, so we have no gaps in leadership or skills.”
The District recently promoted four veteran staff members into leadership roles.
Employment experts have estimated that more than 70 million baby boomers – those born between 1946 and 1964 – will retire in the next decade. At Rowland Water District, adequately planning for their successors will avoid interruptions in service delivery, reliability and emergency response, Coleman said.
The article can be viewed online at https://www.csda.net/member-resources/magazine.
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