Water Authority Hires General Manager

The Cumberland Plateau Water Authority has hired Crossville native Jeff Dyer to be its first ever general manager.

Board Chair Greg Hanson said Dyer selected out of a pool of over seventy applicants from across the nation. Hanson said Dyer was hired due to his extensive background in management and marketing over his knowledge of water utilities.

“There are qualified staff in the utility operations who can run the day-to-day,” Hanson said. “It was really somebody who can work at the management level. And then more importantly, because of the situation the water authority finds itself in, we needed somebody who could communicate well.”

Hanson said Dyer is already developing an overall business plan, a marketing plan, and a step-by-step plan to handle mergers with local utility districts. Hanson said each of these items will be vital for the success of the authority moving forward.

Dyer officially began working for the authority Tuesday.

“I’m going to take a deep breath and relax for a little while,” Hanson said. “This has been a focal point.”

Hanson said they made a conscious effort to focus on local candidates once they got to the interview stage of the process.

“Number one, we wanted somebody who had history and background with the Crossville and Cumberland area and knew something about the water system and could relate to the customers,” Hanson said. “And number two, we didn’t think it necessary, given the qualified candidates, that we spend the money to relocate somebody to come here.”

Hanson said the next step for the board is to prepare for the negotiations and discussions involved in new acquisitions.

“Likewise we have to build a lot of the organizational infrastructure,” Hanson said. “Policies and procedures, open up a better line of communication with TDEC and with the Comptroller’s Office and the Tennessee Association of Utility Districts.”