Tarrant Regional Water District selects new general manager despite call for public input

The Tarrant Regional Water District board selected a new general manager Tuesday, Dan Buhman, the second-in-command for several years.

The vote came after residents asked the board to hold off on picking someone to succeed Jim Oliver, who announced earlier this year he would retire after 35 years. Buhman has been the deputy general manager since 2013 and oversees a number of district operations, including the integrate pipeline, a massive undertaking in partnership with Dallas to pipe water from the east to Dallas-Fort Worth.

Leah King, a board member who served on a small search committee, said Buhman rose to the top of finalists because of his “deep knowledge of the district’s operation.”

“He has deep familiarity with all of the district’s partners, customers and stakeholders, but acknowledges that taking on the general manager role will require him to tip to develop next-step relationships,” King said.

Buhman has an undergraduate degree in civil engineering from Brigham Young University and a master’s degree from Colorado State University, according to a water district spokesperson. He spent 15 years as a consultant to water suppliers nationally. In that capacity he worked on planning for future needs on “some of the largest infrastructure projects in the nation.” In 2008, Buhman launched a consulting firm and worked closely with agencies, including TRWD.

He will be paid $350,000.

Former board president Jack Stevens, who finished in last in the May 1 election, told the Star-Telegram editorial board he planned to vote on a replacement for Oliver before any potential new board members could be seated. Mary Kelleher, who previously served on the board from 2013 to 2017, was sworn in Tuesday before the vote on Buhman.

The board in March selected Austin-based Lehman Associates to conduct a search for a new general manager. A list of candidates was never made public, though King said the firm received more than 100 applications. The pool was whittled to about a dozen and five were invited for in-person interviews with King, fellow board member Marty Leonard and staff.

King would not name the other finalists, but said they included a former No. 2 at a Texas water district larger than Tarrant Regional Water as well as out-of-state applicants with comparable experience.

Three people spoke ahead of the vote, arguing the board should make the list of finalists public and take community input before the selection.

Last week the board met for more than an hour in executive session. Though it wasn’t listed in on the agenda, King said she brought board members up to speed on the selection process. The board met behind closed doors again Tuesday for than an hour.

Jackee Cox, a retired attorney who specialized in ethics law, said the board needed to commit to public discussions.

“So I’m asking as you go forward that you establish a new practice which is to do more of you’re talking about why you’re doing things, what you’re doing and why you’re doing, it in a public meeting,” she said.

The water district’s primary responsibility is supplying roughly 120 billion gallons of raw water to more than 2 million people. It also oversees the $1.17 billion Panther Island project.