Source: www.acwa.com

ACWA Mourns Arant

Fetched 2026-07-22 08:01 from www.acwa.com

Reading Summary (AI-generated)

Reading Summary: ACWA Mourns Gary Arant

Key Facts

Gary Arant, past ACWA Board member and General Manager of Valley Center Municipal Water District, passed away; his death was announced July 16 by SDCWA Board Chair Nick Serrano
Arant served Valley Center MWD as General Manager for nearly 37 years, retiring in January 2026 after 52 total years with the district
He represented Valley Center MWD on the San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA) Board, continuing even after his retirement
His ACWA involvement dated to 1973, including multiple terms on the Board of Directors spanning 20 years and chairing the Energy, Local Government, and Communications committees
He received ACWA’s Emissary Award in 2007 and was recognized again at the 2024 Fall Conference

Who Is Affected

Valley Center Municipal Water District (North San Diego County)
San Diego County Water Authority
ACWA and its Region 10 Board
Agricultural community (Serrano noted Arant “advocated for farmers”)

Policy/Legal Angle

No specific laws or regulations cited; article is an obituary/tribute piece

Blog Angles

Institutional memory loss: With 52-year veterans like Arant gone, how does California’s water community preserve hard-won policy knowledge, particularly around agricultural water rights in San Diego County?
Rural district leadership: What does Arant’s 37-year tenure at a small municipal district reveal about governance challenges facing rural water agencies in finding and retaining comparable leadership?
ACWA’s regional influence: Arant chaired Energy, Local Government, and Communications committees — what policy legacies did he leave in each area that still shape ACWA positions today?

Full Text

Past ACWA Board member and longtime California water leader, Gary Arant , has passed away. In a July 16 announcement, San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA) Board Chair Nick Serrano described Arant as a giant within the water community.

“Gary’s contributions were far-reaching – shaping policy, strengthening collaboration, advocating for farmers, and mentoring many who now carry forward the work he cared for so deeply,” Serrano stated in SDCWA news release. “He brought not only technical knowledge and thoughtful perspectives, but also genuine respect for those around him.”

Arant represented Valley Center Municipal Water District on the SDCWA Board, where he continued serving following his January 2026 retirement from the district after 52 years, having led the district as General Manager for nearly 37 years.

His involvement within ACWA stretched back to 1973, including multiple terms on the association’s Board of Directors over a span of 20 years, as well volunteering his time to chair ACWA’s Energy, Local Government and Communications committees while actively serving on ACWA’s Region 10 Board.

ACWA recognized Arant’s extensive contributions to the association during the 2024 Fall Conference for his invaluable contributions to the association’s Board of Directors, regions and committees. He also received ACWA’s Emissary Award in 2007, among many recognitions within the ACWA community.

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