Kevin Kelley, former IID GM and Valley native, dies
BRAWLEY — Former Imperial Irrigation District general manager Kevin E. Kelley passed away on Tuesday morning, the district confirmed.
“No specific reasons given, or consequences, other than the fact that he did pass away,” IID general manager Henry Martinez said. “I’m sure there will be more information forthcoming on his situation from his family.”
An outbreak of tears occurred among those in attendance once news of Kelley’s passing broke during the closed session of IID’s board of directors Tuesday morning.
During the open session portion of the meeting, the board and staff members took a minute of silence in Kelley’s honor, per Martinez’s request.
“I just want to acknowledge the loss to his family,” Martinez said. “My deepest, deepest condolences for the loss — not only for his family, but I think for the whole community here in Imperial County.”
Kelley was a native of Brawley and a lifelong resident of the Imperial Valley, an IID-issued biography stated. He resided in El Centro with his wife, Mary Beth, a kindergarten teacher, the bio stated.
Kelley is the brother of Imperial County District 4 Supervisor Ryan E. Kelley.
“Kevin is a treasure to his family and this Valley,” Supervisor Kelley said of his brother. “We are still grappling with the loss and thankful for every moment we shared.”
Prior to his passing, Kevin was serving as a consultant to the IID.
He previously served seven years as IID’s general manager, guiding one of the largest irrigation districts in the country and the third largest public power provider in the state. He retired as GM from the district in 2018.
Based on the time they shared together, Martinez described the former GM as “a very personal individual,” and “very opinioned on his ways of how he thought.”
“He was just a fun person to be around,” Martinez said. “He had some talents that — I think many of you witnessed — you typically don’t associate with an executive, which was his love for music and his talent for just playing and being a whole different new world for normal business.”
IID’s general counsel Frank A. Oswalt, who announced he will be retiring in the summer, said Kelley was the one who hired him in 2016.
He said Kelley was an extremely intelligent man with “a wit so dry” one had to make sure if he was serious or just kidding around.
“He will be regarded as a real loss to the IID (for what he brought),” Oswalt said. “I, for one, will miss Kevin Kelley.”
He also said Kelley’s passing got him thinking about the next stage of his life in retirement.
“There is certainly no guarantee of how long you are going to be here,” he said.
IID director Norma Sierra Galindo knew Kelley for more than a decade.
“My heart is broken,” an emotional Galindo said. “I talked to him every day. He was the longest running general manager we have ever had. He was in love with Imperial County and a historian. He knew everything about IID’s history. He was a statesman. It’s like a library was burned down.”
She said he saw things fruition, whether that be the Mike Abatti lawsuit or anything else.
“He was very knowledgeable about everything with the IID,” Galindo said. “He was not emotional.”
A 1984 graduate of the University of Southern California, where he majored in communications arts and sciences, Kelley’s background in media consulting, marketing communications and public affairs was wide-ranging and extensive.
He was the former editor and publisher of Valley Grower magazine, an agricultural trade publication that was acquired by the Imperial Valley Press in 2003.
As a freelance writer, his work appeared in most major metropolitan newspapers in the West. From 2005 to 2006, he served as editorial page editor of the Imperial Valley Press.
Recruited to the IID in June 2006 to lead IID’s public affairs and communications efforts, Kelley was named general manager in May 2011.
Immediately following his appointment, he oversaw the district’s centennial celebration that took place in July 2011.
A certificate of recognition to Kelley from the IID upon his retirement listed some critical roles that he played throughout his career:
• Repowering of the El Centro Generating Station’s Unit 3 in October 2012.
• Execution of a memorandum of understanding with Imperial County in October 2013 that prioritized Salton Sea restoration efforts.
• Signing of a significant agreement with Metropolitan Water District for joint participation in a binational conservation project.
• The filing of a petition in November 2014 urging the State Water Resources Control Board to honor the state’s commitment to restore the Salton Sea as memorialized in the ensuing 10year plan.
• Authored the Envision 2020 report to capture strategic objectives for the district, which was later used as a foundation for the Strategic Plan adopted in 2016.
• Completion of a 30-megawatt battery energy storage system project in October 2016.
• Negotiated a first of its kind 30-megawatt community solar project with Citizens Energy, whose entire energy output was dedicated to serving the needs of all of the district’s low-income ratepayers.
• Dedication of a state-of-the-art fleet shop at district headquarters in December 2017.
• Settlement of antitrust lawsuit against the California Independent System Operator to promote local renewable energy development and protect the district’s balancing authority in 2018.
• Transitioned from land fallowing to convert to a suite of efficiency water management policies that allowed the district to live within its apportionment, resulting in 250,000 acre-feet of storage water.
• Developed management partnerships along the Lower Colorado River Basin States to address on-going water supply issues.
“Mr. Kelley guided district operations with extreme dedication and thoughtful leadership,” the certificate stated. “The IID board, management and employees are grateful to Mr. Kelley for his distinguished service.”