Seymour named general manager of Rainbow MWD

Dave Seymour has been named as the new general manager of the Rainbow Municipal Water District.

Seymour, who has worked for the Santa Margarita Water District in Orange County for the past 22 years, was hired as the district’s general manager on August 10. He will begin his position at Rainbow on September 17.

“It just gives me an opportunity to put all the skills and abilities I’ve learned over the last 30 years to use in my own community,” said Seymour, who moved from Orange County to Fallbrook three years ago.

Seymour is a lifelong Southern California resident who grew up in Orange County. He has been involved with public works for more than 30 years and is currently the director of operations for the Santa Margarita Water District, which has approximately 130 employees and 60,000 connections.

Seymour has been with the Santa Margarita Water District for 22 years. During that time the Rainbow Municipal Water District has seen numerous general managers, but some of the existing needs of the Rainbow Municipal Water District helped entice him to leave his 22-year employer for a traditionally less stable position. “I like to be challenged in my work, and there’s a lot of interesting and fun projects,” he said.

Seymour noted that improving the Rainbow district’s infrastructure was one of the major projects he desires to undertake. Similar work was what he considers one of the highlights of his work with the Santa Margarita Water District, which had 7,000 connections when he began his employment there. “Just building the infrastructure for three whole new cities was the biggest challenge and the biggest accomplishment,” he said.

“We’ve built a lot of infrastructure and had to basically create a whole new organization, so it’s been a lot of different challenges,” Seymour said of his current district. “Helping build the community over 22 years is probably the greatest accomplishment.”

One challenge Rainbow faces is the possibility of taking on development along the Interstate 15 and State Route 76 corridors, and if that happens Seymour’s experience with growth will likely be of benefit. “I think it will help more in the rehabilitation of the existing infrastructure,” Seymour said of his experience. “We’ve done a lot of repair and rehabilitation and modification to the existing system.”

Seymour holds numerous certifications including Water Distribution Operator Grade V, Water Treatment Plant Operator Grade III, and Mechanical Technologist Grade III. He also has a Masters of Business Administration.

The current Rainbow Municipal Water District general manager is Gene Buckley, who is serving as interim general manager. Buckley will remain as the district’s finance director after Seymour begins work at the Rainbow district.

Seymour sees a water conservation program as his biggest short-term challenge with the Rainbow district and implementing the capital improvement program as the greatest long-term challenge.

“I think it’s a great opportunity to use the 30-plus years of experience I’ve got to help Rainbow be the best district I can,” he said of the invitation to become the Rainbow district’s general manager.

Seymour also noted that the opportunity to serve as Rainbow’s general manager was an opportunity to work in his own community. Seymour’s home is in the Live Oak area of Fallbrook, which is actually within the boundaries of the Fallbrook Public Utility District. Seymour has fruit trees on his property but does not have a commercial grove.

Seymour has been involved with some volunteer work with Rainbow Valley Grange and his new position will likely increase his community involvement. “I’ll probably get move involved in that now that I can spend more time locally,” he said.

Seymour also noted that he would be interacting more with potential community opportunities.

“I’m looking forward to working with the district and the community,” Seymour said.