Water District 19’s longtime general manager has resigned and the department is searching for a qualified, experienced replacement.

Jeff Lakin headed the island’s largest water district for 12 and a half years, and left because he was “aiming at a career opportunity,” commissioner Richard Bard said. The departure comes after months of work to update the district’s comprehensive plan. Work that, at times, became difficult and even required a mediator.

“It’s been challenging,” Bard said. “Updating the plan has taken a lot of meetings and in the middle of that, the town plan update occurred and there was lots of back and forth with that as well.”

The district also lost its staffing lead and an operating technician, and has been operating shorthanded for months.

“The board has been trying to fill in where we can,” Bard said.

The district is seeking a replacement for Lakin, who is leaving at the end of the month, and would like someone with water district experience and a management degree who already has, or is willing to get, any necessary certifications.

“The Water District 19 Commission is appreciative of the dedicated service he has provided over the last 12 and a half years and the accomplishments he made over that time, which include bringing the organization to financial stability, and wishes him well,” Bard said in an email.

The job posting can be viewed online at water19.com.