Jeffrey Kightlinger is General Manager and Chief Executive Officer for The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.  As General Manager, he is responsible for directing the activities of the District to fulfill Metropolitan’s mission of delivering high-quality water to 19 million residents in Southern California.  The General Manager reports directly to the Board of Directors and provides leadership and management of the District’s public policies and strategic initiatives, assets and resources, and all administrative, operational and financial activities for Metropolitan. 

Prior to his appointment in 2006 as General Manager, he was General Counsel for the District directing the legal affairs of Metropolitan.  Before joining Metropolitan in 1995, Mr. Kightlinger was in private legal practice representing a number of public agencies on environmental issues. 

He is a Governor’s appointee to California’s Bay Delta Vision Blue Ribbon Task Force – Stakeholders Committee, a board member on the California Climate Action Registry, and a board member on the UCLA Continuing Education Sustainability Advisory Board, among other activities.  Mr. Kightlinger earned a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of California, Berkeley and a law degree from Santa Clara University School of Law.