Long Beach Utilities general manager set to retire in October

Christopher Garner, the general manager of Long Beach Utilities, is set to retire from his role effective Friday, Oct. 4, according to a recent city news release.

Garner, who has worked for the city in various positions since 1984, was appointed general manager of Long Beach Utilities in 2022 — after the new department, which merged the formerly separate water, gas, and utilities departments, into one.

But Garner first joined the city in 1984 as an administrative analyst, the city said, where he oversaw various property leases including the Convention Center and Shoreline Village.

He later transferred to the Long Beach Gas Department and in 1998 became that department’s general manager. Just three years later, Garner was selected to head up the newly created Long Beach Energy Department.

Throughout his tenure, Garner also worked as acting director of both the Public Works Department — twice — and once as the acting director of Oil Properties, the city said.

“Garner) is a consummate public servant, who always prioritizes the needs of residents and ratepayers,” Mayor Rex Richardson said in the news release. “He deeply cares about his hometown and has been committed to integrity and fairness, while maintaining a great sense of humor.”

By 2015, Garner was selected as the general department for the Long Beach Water Department — years before it merged with gas and sewer to become Long Beach Utilities.

And once that merger was complete, the Utilities Commission chose Garner to oversee the newly created department with a $375 million annual budget and more than 500 employees.

“I extend my sincerest gratitude to Chris Garner and his 40 years of hard work and unwavering dedication to the Long Beach community,” Richardson continued.

But aside from his work with the city, Garner has also served in various leadership positions within the utilities industry. Most recently, from 2020 to 2022, Garner was the president of the California Municipal Utilities Association, where he held a board position since 1998.

Garner also sat on the American Public Gas Association’s Board of Directors from 1996 to 2015, the  city said, and the Southern California Water Coalition’s Board of Trustees from 2016 through this year.

“It has been an honor to work alongside thousands of fellow devoted public servants and humbled to serve in multiple leadership positions,” Garner said. “To my Long Beach community, it has been an absolute pleasure to serve this city for 40 years especially as a fourth generation Long Beach resident. Thank you for all the memories and support throughout the years.”

Garner’s retirement will go into effect Friday, Oct. 4, according to the city news release.

The city, meanwhile, has already found Garner’s replacement — who will be announced sometime during the week of Monday, Sept. 30, the city said.