Santa Clara Valley Water District to Pay Three Chief Executives at Once in 2027, With About $840,000 in Overlapping Pay
According to appointment and pay records released by the Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water) in California, the district will be paying three chief-executive-level officials at the same time in early 2027. Incoming CEO Aaron Baker is set to start on January 4, 2027, at an annual salary of $506,789.03. Current interim CEO Melanie Richardson will stay on as a 'transition CEO' through June 2027. And former CEO Rick Callender, who has already resigned, will remain as a paid special adviser through February 2027. Their overlapping pay totals about $840,000, excluding benefits.
The district's board approved Baker's appointment by a 5-2 vote. Richardson took over as interim CEO after Callender's resignation and will earn about $512,000 a year in the transition role.
Callender resigned effective March 1, 2026. Before his resignation, an external investigation found that he had sexually harassed two female employees over a period of years; one of the women has sued him. Callender denies the allegations and says the investigation was biased. He reportedly received about $500,000 in separation pay when he resigned, before moving into the special adviser role.
The Santa Clara Valley Water District is Santa Clara County's public water agency, responsible for water supply, flood protection and stream stewardship for about two million residents, funded by water charges, property taxes and other public money. Its board members are elected by district voters, and the board appoints the chief executive.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 圣克拉拉县水务局管理的安德森水库（摄于2017年满库时，资料图）。CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Anderson Reservoir, managed by the Santa Clara Valley Water District, at capacity in 2017 (file photo). CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
