Massachusetts Water Resources Authority Names New Director
The appointment of Jonathan Gulliver signals a shift toward accelerated utility infrastructure expansion for state businesses.
Updated on Oct. 21, 2026 in People
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The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority board has appointed Jonathan Gulliver as its new executive director. Gulliver, formerly of MassDOT, will assume leadership of an agency overseeing 1,100 employees and over 650 miles of pipe infrastructure.
Why it matters
The leadership change arrives as the utility faces operational pressure to expand its water services to the South Shore. Gulliver was selected specifically for his background in managing large-scale construction projects and navigating the states complex political environment.
The authority's board finalized an annual salary of $365,000 for the new executive director, marking a significant increase over the $280,000 salary paid to former director Fred Laskey. This position oversees 1,100 workers maintaining a pipe network spanning 650 miles.
The players
Jonathan Gulliver
Incoming executive director of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority with 16 years of prior experience at MassDOT.
Massachusetts Water Resources Authority
State utility provider responsible for water and sewer systems that employs 1,100 people across 650 miles of pipe.
Fred Laskey
Former executive director of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority who retired in 2026.
Isaacson, Miller
Executive search firm retained by the agency board to identify candidates for the director position.
The details
The board engaged headhunting firm Isaacson, Miller to conduct the search, which concluded with a final evaluation between Gulliver and Matt Brown. As executive director, Gulliver will manage a critical utility infrastructure that frequently intersects with environmental mandates regarding the Charles River and management disputes at the Quabbin Reservoir. His transition from MassDOT to the utility comes with a substantial compensation bump from his previous $210,000 annual salary.
Timeline
Fred Laskey retired from the agency earlier in 2026.
The board voted to appoint Jonathan Gulliver on October 14, 2026.
Market Landscape
This appointment signals an institutional shift to align leadership with the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority infrastructure expansion mandates. The move contrasts with the previous decade of management, prioritizing project experience over traditional utility administration.
Business owners in the South Shore region should monitor board meeting agendas for progress on water service expansion timelines. Operators in heavy construction and civil engineering should track how the new director manages upcoming procurement contracts under the new $365,000 salary-bracket leadership.
The takeaway
The appointment of a career infrastructure manager signals that the agency is prioritizing operational scaling over pure maintenance in the near term. Operators should monitor the board's upcoming capital expenditure plans to see how this transition affects the speed of regional service delivery.
Further reading
For more on industry leadership changes, visit People.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Boston Globe.
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