Meet the Modesto Irrigation District’s new — really new — manager

For the first time in 30 years, Modesto Irrigation District leaders picked an outsider to run the utility.

Scott Furgerson, from Sempra Energy in Southern California, will become MID’s general manager Nov. 27, with an annual salary of about $275,000. The MID board chose him over five other finalists, including unnamed candidates employed by MID.

“The board as a whole felt like it was time for somebody from the outside to have a look at how MID is run,” said Nick Blom, board chairman. The board was attracted to Furgerson’s extensive electrical experience spanning nearly four decades in both public and private utilities, Blom said.

“Not that MID is running badly. We just wanted a fresh set of eyes to take a peak at it,” Blom said.

Furgerson, 62, technically is a vice president of Southern California Gas Co. and San Diego Gas & Electric, which are Sempra’s regulated utilities. His career began as a power plant engineer, followed by 23 promotions over the years.

MID is one of only a handful of public utilities in California selling both water and electricity, and sought a leader with experience in power because most of MID’s operations, budget and employees work on that side of the house, Blom said. Furgerson will oversee the utility’s 450 employees and a $428 million budget.

MID faces threats to its water rights from state and federal levels, as well as a class-action lawsuit seeking an end to subsidies from electricity customers covering artificially low water prices for farm water.

“(Furgerson) is not afraid of a challenge,” Blom said. In interviews, Furgerson said he’s not satisfied with “That’s the way it’s always been done” as an answer to questions about procedure, Blom said.

Furgerson succeeds Greg Salyer, who will step down to one of several assistant general manager positions and continue receiving the same $236,188 pay despite the demotion. The board agreed to that arrangement at Salyer’s request after he had been general manager only eight months.

Preceding Salyer were Roger VanHoy and Allen Short. All were promoted from within; Short ascended in 1993 and managed the district 19 years. The last general manager brought in from outside was Short's predecessor, Joe Marcotte, who arrived in 1987 from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

MID provides electricity to 121,000 homes and businesses in Modesto, Salida, Waterford, Empire and Mountain House as well as parts of Oakdale, Riverbank, Escalon and Ripon. The district also brings water to about 600 farms on 60,000 acres, and turns Tuolumne River water into drinking water before it’s mixed with groundwater and delivered to Modesto taps.

Garth Stapley: 209-578-2390

This story was originally published November 16, 2017 at 4:12 PM with the headline "Meet the Modesto Irrigation District’s new — really new — manager."