Carolyn Sufit named new South Central Region manager for Oregon Water Resources Department
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – The Oregon Water Resources Department is pleased to announce the hiring of Carolyn Sufit as the new South Central Region Manager, out of the Bend Field Services Office.
The South Central Region covers Watermaster Districts in Jefferson, Crook, Deschutes, Klamath, and Lake counties. Sufit will begin June 1st and replaces long-time Region Manager Kyle Gorman, who served in the role for 23 years before retiring at the end of March 2023.
Sufit will join the Field Services Division and manage 14 staff including Watermasters for the Deschutes, Klamath, Crooked River systems, and Lake County. The Department’s Field Division measures streamflows, inspects wells, distributes water according to water rights on record with the Department, and provides the public with technical assistance on water rights and water laws.
As Region Manager, she’ll be working closely with local irrigation district managers, elected officials, law enforcement, conservation groups, and other government agencies on water management issues.
Carolyn spent most of her career as a Quality Control and Lab Manager with large scale food manufacturers in the Willamette Valley.
She says, “The delicate relationship between people, water, land, and farming made a huge impact on me as I grew up in the San Joaquin Valley in California. I’ve spent most of my career managing teams within the scope of food systems, policies, and regulation, and translating those experiences into the world of water management is a truly fulfilling opportunity. I am proud to support the people, communities, and organizations that dedicate themselves to the responsible use and allocation of these critically important watersheds”.
Sufit will work out of the South Central Region Office, located at 231 SW Scalehouse Loop, Suite 103 in Bend. She can be reached via email at Carolyn.W.Sufit@water.oregon.gov or by phone at (541) 306-6885.
The Oregon Water Resources Department is the state agency charged with studying, allocating, and distributing water in Oregon. Visit www.oregon.gov/owrd for more information.
