Tish Berge and Kelley Gage Appointed to Key Leadership Positions
August 29, 2023
Berge is deputy general manager, Gage is assistant general manager
San Diego County Water Authority executives Tish Berge and Kelley Gage were promoted Monday by General Manager Dan Denham. Berge moves from assistant general manager to deputy general manager after two years in her prior post. Gage, who served as director of water resources the past five years, is now assistant general manager.
Berge oversees finance, government relations, public affairs, administrative services, and human resources at the Water Authority. Gage oversees the water resources, engineering, and operations & maintenance departments.
“Tish and Kelley are veteran leaders in the water industry who bring a depth of knowledge and experience that will continue to benefit the region and our retail member agencies,” said Denham. “We have an exceptional leadership team at the Water Authority, with Tish and Kelley at the forefront.”
Berge joined the Water Authority as assistant general manager in February 2021, and since joining she secured $18.5 million in state funding and negotiated project labor agreements and memorandums of understanding with labor. From 2017 to 2021 Berge served as general manager of the Sweetwater Authority, leading the agency to earn a “District of Distinction” award from the Special District Leadership Foundation.
Before that, Berge served as Rincon del Diablo Municipal Water District’s director of administration and finance and as assistant general manager for San Elijo Joint Powers Authority. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Harvey Mudd College, and a Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in finance from the Paul Merage School of Business at the University of California, Irvine. She is a Certified Special District Manager and Registered Professional Engineer.
Gage has been with the Water Authority for more than 19 years, working in the fields of water supply planning, environmental planning, and water and regulatory policy. She started with the agency in 2001, then rejoined the Water Authority as director of water resources in 2018. From 2015 to 2018, Gage served as the senior director of water resources at Eastern Municipal Water District. She has also worked for the Olivenhain Municipal Water District and the State of Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. She has a bachelor’s degree in geology and environmental science from Michigan State University.