Jamie Asbury, energy department manager for the Imperial Irrigation District, has been selected by the district’s board to head the agency.
The nation’s largest irrigation district is the third-largest public power provider in California.
The board began a search in January for a candidate to replace General Manager Harry Martinez when he announced his plan to retire.
Imperial Irrigation District
Asbury will be the first woman to lead the district in its 112-year history.
”We are proud to select Ms. Asbury to lead the district into a new day,” Board President Alex Cardenas said in a statement. “Her proven track record of continued successful leadership throughout her career at IID will carry forward in leading major forward-thinking initiatives at the regional, national, and binational levels and confronting critical upcoming water and power challenges successfully.”
The district was formed to deliver Colorado River water to the agricultural Imperial Valley, but it also operates a separate energy department that serves more than 158,000 electricity customers in three counties in California’s inland desert along the Mexican border.
The irrigation district has been at the forefront of tussles over water rights related to the Colorado River, because of its senior rights to river water.
The district had $604.9 million of revenue bonds outstanding at the end of 2022, and $42.1 of pension obligation bonds, according to its most recent audited financial statement.
As energy department manager, Asbury directed the essential functions of the department, overseeing administration, regulatory policy, customer programs, operations, energy maintenance and generation. She has worked for the district since 2007, holding a number of positions within its energy department, general counsel’s office, and general services department.
In her new role, Asbury will be responsible for leading IID’s daily and long-term operations, implementing the policies and strategic direction of the Board of Directors, and working with federal, state, regional and local officials to carry out IID’s mission to provide water and power to communities it serves across the Imperial and Coachella Valleys of Southern California.
Her previous assignments at the district have included working as contract administration specialist on the All-American Canal Lining Project; and as IID’s transactional team leader in the $80 million acquisition of the 20-megawatt SunPeak Solar facility.
She has also been involved in advocacy at the state and federal levels, and served as a key negotiator for all energy-related contracts and purchase/sale transactions.
Asbury has been a member of the California State Bar since 2020.
“IID is an established and driving force in both the energy and water sectors on regional and national levels and it has a tremendous responsibility to serve the public good,” Asbury said in a statement. “I am excited and humbled by the opportunity to lead this organization at such an important time in its history and sincerely appreciate the board’s confidence that we can achieve IID’s goals.”