The San Lorenzo Valley Water District (SLVWD) Board of Directors has approved a contract for John Kunkel to be Interim General Manager.

Kunkel has extensive experience in local government. A former chief of police, he has served as city manager in several communities. Most recently, he was the interim City Manager for the City of Huron, in Fresno County. The Board of Directors approved his contract at its Thursday, Oct. 17, meeting. He will start work on Oct. 28. While Kunkel serves as Interim General Manager, the District will continue to search for a permanent General Manager.

The District is undertaking more than $13 million in water system upgrade work through its Safeguarding San Lorenzo Valley program that will fix aging infrastructure by replacing undersized pipelines, hardening against wildfires, ensuring more reliable water infrastructure and adding fire hydrants to improve water supply resiliency and increase firefighting capabilities.

ABOUT THE SAN LORENZO VALLEY WATER DISTRICT

The San Lorenzo Valley Water District is located in the mountains of northern Santa Cruz County. The District serves more than 7,900 metered connections. Established in 1941, the District supplies water to the communities of Boulder Creek, Brookdale, Ben Lomond, Zayante, Quail Hollow, Scotts Valley, Whispering Pines, Manana Woods, and Felton. For more information, visit www.slvwd.com or follow the District on Facebook, Instagram, X and Nextdoor.