Montecito Water District Swearing in New Director

Charles Newman will be sworn in tomorrow, July 7, as the director of the Montecito Water District.

A UCSB magna cum laude alumni with a political science degree, Newman earned his J.D. from the Washington University School of Law in 1973. Since 2009, he’s been a partner at a Missouri firm representing the St. Louis Metropolitan Sewer District.

According to letter filed with his application, Newman’s area of specialization is managing teams of lawyers to defend complex class actions. In other words, Newman’s a good guy to have in MWD’s corner if push ever comes to shove.

In light of the current water crisis, Newman wrote that “responsible desalination and waste water reclamation . . . along with continued conservation efforts, [are] the most important issues [facing the district].”