Marina Coast Water District names new general manager.

Marina Coast Water District has hired a permanent general manager: Keith Van Der Maaten.

According to the July 6 MCWD agenda packet, the district board approved a contract with Van Der Maaten on June 15 and extended its six-month contract with current Interim General Manager Bill Kocher to Van Der Maaten's Aug. 3 start date.

"By extending Mr. Kocher’s contract until Mr. Van Der Maaten reports to work, the board is ensuring the district is adequately represented and staffed," the staff report states.

Van Der Maaten was previously public works and utilities director for the city of San Juan Capistrano. In a July 15 article, The Capistrano Dispatch reports that Van Der Maaten left his post on the heels of the city manager's departure for another job. 

According to that newspaper, Van Der Maaten began work in San Juan in 2011, and in 2013 was earning a salary of almost $143,000. He had previous experience in the city of Santa Cruz and with California Water Service Company.

District Executive Assistant Paula Riso says Van Der Maaten's starting salary at Marina Coast is $188,500. 

"I know him personally and am excited for the district to have hired someone as capable as Keith," Kocher writes by email.

"I have found my tenure here enormously interesting and stimulating and I hope that I have an opportunity to stay engaged in some way as life without any of this will almost surely seem somewhat boring."