By Vernon Robison

Moapa Valley Progress

The Moapa Valley Water District (MVWD) Board of Directors appointed Water Distribution Superintendent Joe Davis to the position of Interim General Manager in a meeting held Thursday, October 13. Board members at the meeting expressed confidence in Davis to fill the position well.

“We know this has been a long time coming,” said board member Scott Carson. “But we recognize the work that you have done. We want you to know that we have all the confidence in the world in you.”

Davis steps into the new role after a seven month vacancy in the MVWD General Manager position. In April, the MVWD board called for the resignation of former General Manager Brad Huza. Since that time the district has operated without a General Manager.

Board chairman Ken Staton said that, though the long vacancy had seemed awkward for some in the community, it was needed.

“I know that this has been painful for some to watch us and wonder if we knew what we were doing,” Staton said. “But I think that it has been time well spent. Everybody has had the opportunity to grow in different positions; even here on the board. I know that people out there have been nervous wondering why we didn’t move to make a choice. But the time just wasn’t right. Now I feel that the time is right.”

Davis has worked for the district for 27 years. He was hired in 1984, just out of high school, as a three month temporary employee to help with a stand-pipe installation project.

“Grant Bowler helped me immensely in getting the work back then,” Davis recalls.

Davis said that Bowler sent him over to the district to apply with a recommendation.

“He said I should just keep my mouth shut and do what I was told,” Davis said.

That three month period became six months; then eight months. At one point, then-General Manager Jay Whipple asked the board to hire Davis on permanently, Davis said.

During his years at the district, Davis has witnessed the system grow substantially. When he started, the District’s only source of water were the natural flows at Baldwin and Jones Springs in the Warm Springs area. But Davis was there when the district added the MX-7 well to its portfolio in 1988. And he was there when the district did exploratory drilling at Arrow Canyon and came up with the windfall of water production there which more than doubled the system’s resources.

Davis currently holds a D-4 Water Operator Certification in the state of Nevada.

“It is the highest that you can go and it is extremely difficult to get,” Davis said. “Not a lot of small districts have people with such a high certification because they are limited in training resources. But three years ago Brad Huza urged me to go out and get it and I worked pretty hard to do it.”

Davis said he looks forward to filling his new role with the best efforts that he can offer.