[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 110 (Thursday, June 24, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S4768]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                      TRIBUTE TO JEFF KIGHTLINGER

   Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the 
long career of public service provided to the people of Southern 
California by Jeffery Kightlinger, general manager of the Metropolitan 
Water District of Southern California, who is retiring after a 15-year 
tenure.
  I would like to take a few moments to reflect on what an 
extraordinary leader Jeff has been not just for Southern California but 
for the whole State, Like Jeff, I care deeply about our water future. 
For years I have turned to him for his always wise counsel on how to 
solve the next challenge. Over these many years, I have come to view 
Jeff as a friend and to value our friendship. I have also learned to 
value equally his leadership abilities.
  The treacherous politics of California water and the immense 
obstacles to getting anything done are legendary, but Jeff has always 
been up to the task. Jeff is not only one of the smartest people I 
know, but he has unparalleled ability to strategize how to approach a 
complex water negotiation. He has built deep and trusting relationships 
with many of the key players, not only in California but throughout the 
Colorado River Basin. Knowing the other parties as well as he does, 
Jeff is able to map out where there is the possibility of an agreement. 
He then is able to work steadily and patiently over months and years, 
gradually removing the obstacles until the parties can finally come 
together.
  Many of Jeff's greatest accomplishments have come in guiding major 
changes within the Colorado River Basin, helping to collaboratively 
negotiate landmark pacts among a truce among 7 States, two countries, 
and 10 Native American tribes. These include the Quantification 
Settlement Agreement, the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species 
Conservation Program, significant revisions to the U.S.-Mexico water 
treaty, innovative storage programs in Lake Mead, and the Colorado 
River Drought Contingency Plan. This has laid a solid foundation for 
longer term solutions to be negotiated over the next several years. 
Jeff has helped forge Metropolitan's partnerships with agricultural 
districts that have replaced litigation with cooperation.
  If you evaluate a leader by the results they accomplish, what Jeff 
has achieved in preparing Southern California for drought is 
extraordinary. In a time when much of the California and the West is 
desperate for water, Southern California stands out for how well it is 
prepared. Millions of acre feet of water in storage ensures that the 
region can weather this drought even if it lasts for several more 
years.
  It took a whole suite of actions for Jeff and Metropolitan to get to 
this place. Knowing that the climate is changing and droughts will 
worsen, Metropolitan has invested, planned, and prepared, resulting in 
record water storage, reduced water usage in the region, and 
unprecedented drought resiliency. This didn't happen by itself. 
Metropolitan's conservation programs, including $350 million in turf 
removal incentives, transformed the Southern California landscape as 
Southern Californians embraced conservation as a way of life and 
permanently lowered water demands. Metropolitan has also launched the 
Regional Recycled Water Program Advanced Purification Center, a 
500,000-gallon-per-day demonstration facility that could ultimately 
serve as one of the largest recycled water projects in the Nation.
  Under Jeff's leadership, Metropolitan weathered the great recession 
and stabilized its finances while investing billions in restoring its 
aging conveyance system and improving its water treatment methods, 
setting a national example for how an agency can meet its 
infrastructure challenges. His record of environmental stewardship 
includes installing solar power at Metropolitan's water treatment 
plants and leading the organization's first efforts to address climate 
change. Through apprenticeships, recruitment, and promotions, 
Metropolitan was able to transfer the specialized knowledge of graying 
workforce to a new, diverse generation of water leaders.
  No history of 21st century water in California and the West would be 
complete without acknowledging his contributions. Jeff has been an 
invaluable resource to myself, my staff, and those of numerous other 
Members with his expert analysis and advice that has informed our 
legislative work. His knowledge and counsel will be greatly missed. I 
ask our colleagues to join me in congratulating Jeff Kightlinger on his 
retirement and thanking him for his long career of public service to 
the people of Southern California.

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