Deven Upadhyay Appointed New General Manager of Metropolitan Water District

Deven Upadhyay(Photo – MWD)

On January 29, the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Water District (MWD) made a leadership change, exercising its contractual right to terminate the employment of General Manager Adel Hagekhalil, effective immediately.

By News Desk

Following a closed-session meeting, the board voted unanimously to appoint Deven Upadhyay as the new General Manager. His employment contract will be reviewed and discussed in February.

Board Chair Adán Ortega, Jr. expressed gratitude for Hagekhalil’s contributions to the organization but emphasized the board’s need to take decisive action to stabilize the workforce and address ongoing challenges. “With more than 80% of the vote, the board took decisive steps to stabilize our organization and workforce while reinforcing our commitment to climate action and long-term water supply sustainability,” Ortega said. “We must focus on fulfilling our core mission and addressing the immediate challenges ahead.”

Hagekhalil was placed on leave in June after Katano Kasaine, the agency’s CFO, accused him of sexism, alleging that he had harassed, belittled, and sidelined her, creating a toxic work environment. Hagekhalil denied the claims, asserting that he had acted appropriately.

The board also reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining a fair and respectful workplace. “Metropolitan takes all allegations of discrimination, harassment, and unfair treatment seriously,” Ortega stated, emphasizing the organization’s dedication to upholding values of fairness, respect, and due process.

Deven Upadhyay previously served as Executive Officer and Assistant General Manager, where he was responsible for managing the district’s operational functions, including system operations, engineering, planning, and water resources management. He began his career with Metropolitan in 1995 as a resource specialist in the Planning and Resources Division. After leaving in 2005 to work for the Municipal Water District of Orange County on water policy issues, he returned to Metropolitan in 2008 as Budget and Financial Planning Section Manager. He later became Group Manager for Water Resources Management in 2010.