The Marin Water board of directors has appointed Shaun Horne as the district’s next general manager.

According to an announcement from the board on Wednesday, Horne will begin Oct. 1, succeeding general manager Ben Horenstein, who plans to retire after nearly eight years in the position. Horenstein will transition to an advisory role through the end of his contract to assist with the leadership change.

General managers are responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations of the local water agency, but those duties require more than administrative skills. Managers can also be engaged in the conservation of natural water sources and the protection and safety of water reservoirs.

Horne, who has more than 18 years of experience in water and natural resource management, has worked at Marin Water for seven years. He currently serves as director of watershed resources and is part of the district’s senior leadership team.

Managed several district initiatives

During that time, Horne has helped lead implementation of the Biodiversity, Fire and Fuels Integrated Plan, a land management program for Mount Tamalpais and at the Nicasio and Soulajule reservoirs to reduce fire hazards and enhance ecosystems.

He has advanced the Lagunitas Creek Watershed Enhancement project, a multi-year effort to repair natural stream and floodplain habitat for native aquatic species. Horne also worked on a framework to maintain about 150 miles of trails and unpaved service roads along the Mount Tamalpais watershed.

Marin Water board president Jed Smith said in a statement that Horne distinguished himself throughout the national search for a new general manager.

“Shaun has demonstrated the judgment and ability to navigate complex initiatives, build strong partnerships and advance the district’s strategic priorities,” Smith said. “The board is confident he has the experience and perspective needed to guide Marin Water into its next chapter.”

Before joining Marin Water, Horne worked for Sonoma Water and the Napa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District.

Marin Water provides drinking water to more than 191,000 people in central and southern Marin County and manages more than 22,000 acres of watershed land.

Ruth Dusseault is an investigative reporter and multimedia journalist focused on environment and energy. Her position is supported by the California local news fellowship, a statewide initiative spearheaded by UC Berkeley aimed at supporting local news platforms. While a student at UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism (c’23), Ruth developed stories about the social and environmental circumstances of contaminated watersheds around the Great Lakes, Mississippi River and Florida’s Lake Okeechobee. Her thesis explored rights of nature laws in small rural communities. She is a former assistant professor and artist in residence at Georgia Tech’s School of Architecture, and uses photography, film and digital storytelling to report on the engineered systems that undergird modern life.