After more than 18 years of service to Mission Springs Water District and 35 years as a public servant, General Manager Arden Wallum announced his plans to retire from the District in August 2023.
“Throughout his tenure, General Manager Wallum has exhibited unwavering dedication, exemplary leadership, and a commitment to Desert Hot Springs and our region,” said Board President Russ Martin. “His passion for our mission and his ability to inspire others have shaped the very fabric of our organization. I wish Arden and his wife Tina a joyful retirement filled with relaxation and happiness as they embark on the next chapter of their lives.”
Soon after Wallum took the helm, he was greeted by one of the nation’s worst economic recessions. MSWD’s production numbers and revenues decreased dramatically, forcing him to reduce staffing levels from just under 60 employees to 37. In the decade since, he has rebuilt the organization into a leader among state water and wastewater providers, garnering millions of dollars of federal and state grant funding for projects such as the District’s successful Groundwater Quality Protection Project and the almost complete Nancy Wright Regional Water Reclamation Facility.
Following Wallum’s official announcement, the MSWD Board of Directors voted 5-0 during its regularly scheduled June 19 meeting to direct staff and MSWD’s legal team to prepare a six-month interim contract with Assistant General Manager Brian Macy, which will be presented to the Board for action during its July meeting.
Macy, who joined the District in 2019, is a civil engineer with over 30 years of water industry/engineering experience. Most notably, he served as the general manager of Indio Water Authority from September 2013 through November 2018.
To view a copy of General Manager Wallum’s official retirement letter or to learn more about his accomplishments, please visit the mswd.org website.