Board of Water Works Trustees Select Ted Corrigan as CEO and General Manager of Des Moines Water Works

The Board of Water Works Trustees of the City of Des Moines, Iowa, has selected Ted Corrigan, P.E. as Des Moines Water Works’ CEO and General Manager.

“Ted has proven himself to be a team-builder, a strategic leader, a strong communicator, and an environmentally focused problem-solver. Des Moines Water Works faces a number of challenges and opportunities in the years ahead, from water quality to regional cooperation, and in Ted’s capable hands I am confident the utility will rise to the occasion,” said Joel Aschbrenner, Board of Water Works Trustee.

Corrigan has been with Des Moines Water Works since 1990. He has served as Interim CEO and General Manager after Des Moines Water Works’ previous CEO and General Manager Bill Stowe passed away in April 2019. Previously, he has held the positions of Chief Operating Officer for five years, Director of Water Distribution for seven years, Director of Water Production for six years, Engineer and Senior Engineer for 10 years. Prior to joining Des Moines Water Works, Corrigan was an engineer at Alvord, Burdick and Howson Consulting Engineers in Chicago. Corrigan has a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Iowa State University.

“It is a tremendous honor to be selected as CEO and General Manager of Des Moines Water – a great organization with exceptional employees providing an essential service to 500,000 customers in Central Iowa.” said Corrigan. “I look forward to working with the Board of Trustees and staff to focus on utility priorities, including water quality solutions, regional cooperation and governance, and quality customer service.”

The Board selected Colin Baenziger & Associates, a national search firm, to assist the Board in filling the position for Des Moines Water Works, a regional utility serving approximately 500,000 people in Central Iowa. The Board began the search process in February; however, the COVID-19 public health emergency has adjusted the original timeline and process. The search firm received 122 applications for the position of CEO and General Manager, and forwarded 8 strong candidates to the Board of Trustees for consideration. The Board interviewed four candidates and chose two finalists for final interviews and panel interviews with staff, union leadership and Central Iowa community members.

“The Board would like to thank the other finalist, Mr. Aaron Kraft, for his interest in the position and extensive time committed to the process,” said Diane Munns, Board of Water Works Trustees Chair.

The Board conducted the recruitment of the next CEO and General Manager of Des Moines Water Works as open and inclusive that could be achieved at this time, using available resources and technology, including virtual panel discussions, recordings of the interviews available to the public, and soliciting feedback from the public. The Board of Trustees is grateful to employees and members of the community who participated in the process.