OAKLAND, January 25, 2011
EBMUD Board of Directors names Alexander R. Coate as tenth general manager of 88-year-old district
The East Municipal Utility District Board of Directors has unanimously appointed Alexander R. Coate to serve as its 10th General Manager.
Coate, architect of EBMUD’s 30-year water supply plan, came to the District in 1993 as an associate engineer in the Wastewater Office of Reclamation. Previously, he worked for ten years with private legal and engineering consulting firms.
At the District, Coate became a familiar face as manager of Environmental Compliance, ensuring EBMUD met emerging and stricter environmental standards before managing the Regulatory Compliance Office, which provides for the District’s overall safety and security.
Then, in 2003, Coate became manager of the Water Supply Improvements Division, a group that did much of the work to allow the historic Freeport Regional Water Facility to become a reality. In 2007, well-known and respected within the District and the water community for his ability to get critical work done with a collaborative, team-oriented approach, he was appointed Director of Water and Natural Resources.
In that capacity, Coate led a multi-year effort to gauge and develop a plan to address service area water needs over the next 30 years in its Water Supply Management Program. Coate said he appreciates this new opportunity to continue in public service with EBMUD. “I know what I’m doing here is valuable, it’s a contribution and I think everybody else here feels that way about what they do, too.”
Both Diemer and Coate, whose tenure as General Manager begins on February 7, were praised by the EBMUD Board.
“We extend our thanks to retiring GM Dennis M. Diemer, who led us so ably through drought and economic recession to the completion of a project to deliver critical water supplies to EBMUD when they will be most needed,” said Board President John A. Coleman. “We look forward to working with Alex on issues the District faces, including continuing to become more energy efficient and maintaining our high level of service to customers in tough economic times.”