Public Utilities

David H. Wright was named the General Manager of Riverside Public Utilities in February of 2005 and oversees all electric and water operations for the City of Riverside, which serves a population of more than 300,000.

Wright has been with the City of Riverside since 1988, and previously served as City Controller, as well as the Utilities' Chief Financial Officer and Deputy Director. Throughout this time Wright has:

• Negotiated multi-million dollar, individual cost-based customer contracts for electric services.
• Managed design, construction, and initial implementation of several innovative and award-winning photovoltaic projects, and Riverside's first ever design/build project – the John W. North Water Treatment Plant.
• Administered Joint Projects financial management and debt issuance through Power Agency of California, Financing Authority for Resource Efficiency in California, Southern California Public Power Authority and Intermountain Power Authority with over $8 billion in short and long-term debt.
• Assured continued delivery of municipal utility services individually, and through joint powers agencies with federal, state, and local governments.
• Presented issues to the City Manager, Board of Public Utilities, City Council and Mayor, industry groups and community groups related to multi-year water and electric strategies, business alternatives, joint projects, marketing and ongoing efforts.
• Overseen the development and managing of energy and water conservation rebate programs which offer incentives to customers for reducing their energy and water consumption.
• Guided the utility toward reaching and then surpassing self-imposed goals and state-mandated guidelines for renewable energy generation and sustainable living practices, including the creation of more than 1.7 megawatts of solar generation within the city, which lead to the California Department of Conservation's first “Emerald City” designation for Riverside's extraordinary efforts in sustainable activities in many environmental areas, including renewable energy.

As a long-time resident of the City of Riverside, Wright has also been an active member of a variety of area professional and community organizations including: the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce Board of Directors; the Orange Blossom Festival Board; Mayor's Multi-Cultural Task Force; Community Health Corporation Board; Leadership Riverside Steering Committee; California Society of Municipal Financial Officers Association; Political Action Coalition for Elections; and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

In 2010, Wright was appointed by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to the state’s Health Professions Education Foundation Board of Trustees.

Wright, who has also worked as a Certified Public Accountant, holds a BA and MBA from California State University, Fullerton.

Steve H. Badgett is the Deputy General Manager of Riverside Public Utilities. Badgett has been with Riverside Public Utilities for 20 years, serving in various management and executive roles. He has been working in the public utilities sector for more than 35 years.

As a member of the executive leadership team, he participates in the development and implementation of the corporate strategy and policy for RPU. He is also responsible for all energy delivery functions, as well as corporate safety, facility management, and inventory control.

The energy delivery division and related functions are made up of about 225 employees responsible for the engineering, construction, maintenance, and operation of the city's electric, streetlight, and telecommunication systems. At various times in his present position, Badgett has overseen RPU's legislative affairs, information technology, power generation, human resources, economic development, and business relations functions.

Badgett is a graduate of the Tennessee State Technical Institute and the University of Memphis with degrees in architectural and electrical engineering respectively. He also completed the Executive Management Program from the A. Gary Anderson Graduate School of Management at the University of California, Riverside, is a graduate of Leadership Riverside, and holds a California electric contractor's license.

Badgett is a member of the American Public Power Association's Reliable Public Power Panel that grades publicly owned utilities on their proficiency in reliability, safety, training, and system improvement, as well as a member of the California Independent System Operator's Transmission Maintenance Coordination Committee.

A true believer in community involvement, Badgett is a member of the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce Economic Development and Governmental Affairs Committees, as well as a member of the Chamber's Leadership Riverside Steering Committee. Additionally, he is a member of the executive board of directors for the Greater Riverside YWCA; a member of the Western Municipal Water District's Customer Advisory Committee; and is a member of the Board of Advisors to the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of California, Riverside.

Mike Bacich serves as the Assistant General Manager of Customer Relations and Marketing for Riverside Public Utilities (RPU) and is the Sustainability Officer for the City of Riverside.

His position oversees the management of business relations, public benefits, marketing, sustainability programs, customer service and field services related to metering.

Since 1999, Bacich has played an instrumental role in RPU’s marketing, media and public communications, public benefits, educational outreach, and sustainability efforts for the City. Bacich is in charge of directing and coordinating the implementation of the City’s progressive Green Action Plan, an 18-point plan that addresses the City’s sustainable goals for photovoltaic power, greenhouse gas reduction and efficiency.

Currently, he serves as the Region 6 Director of the American Public Power Association’s Demonstration of Energy-Efficient Developments (DEED) Board, representing California, Arizona, and Nevada. He is also a member of the Sustainable Communities Coalition, and serves on the board of ARC of Riverside County, a non-profit devoted to improving the welfare of those with developmental disabilities.

He is also a member of Public Relations Society of America, and the American Marketing Association and hosts a weekly radio show about sustainability issues.

In the community, he is a graduate of the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce Leadership Riverside class of 2005, and graduated with a degree in political science from the University of California, Riverside.

Reiko Kerr is the Assistant General Manager – Finance/Administration for Riverside Public Utilities and is a certified public accountant. Kerr started her public service career in 2000 when she joined RPU’s management team as the Utilities Principal Analyst.

Prior to joining RPU, Kerr worked as a Financial Analyst at the University of Redlands, and spent six years in public accounting (primarily with McGladrey & Pullen, LLP), and managed/owned a restaurant for approximately 14 years.

Kerr graduated from Cal State University, San Bernardino with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting.

Before serving as Assistant General Manager, Kerr served RPU in various other management functions including: Utilities Finance/Rates Manager; Utilities Energy Risk Manager/Assistant Chief Financial Officer; and Utilities Contracts/Projects Manager.

Her areas of responsibility have included all aspects of financial management for both the electric and water utilities including: financial planning, budgeting, financial reporting, debt issuance, rates administration and development, utility billing, customer service, field service, information technology, power resources (contract development and administration, joint generation, and transmission project administration, settlements, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and California Independent system Operator matters), and energy risk management .

Kerr serves on the Finance Committee of the Southern California Public Power Authority, and the audit committees of Intermountain Power Agency, San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, and Mead-Adelanto and Mead-Phoenix Transmission projects.

She is member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Institute of Management Accountants, American Public Power Association National Transmission Planning Group, and is a Charter Member of the Association of Women in Water, Energy and the Environment.

Kevin Milligan is the Assistant General Manager-Water for Riverside Public Utilities. He started his career with RPU in 1984 as an entry level engineering aide, advancing steadily to principal water engineer before joining the executive management staff in 2005.

He is a registered professional engineer and holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Redlands.

Milligan is a lifelong resident of Riverside. He attended local Riverside schools and graduated from Arlington High School.

He is active in local, regional, and national water industry groups, including the Water Management Committee of the Association of California Water Agencies and the Management and Regulatory Committees of the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies. He is a member of the American Water Works Association, the American Society of Civil Engineers, Engineers Without Borders – USA, and the Environmental and Water Resources Institute.

He currently serves on the board of directors for the Gage Canal Company and the Meeks and Daley Water Company. He is also a member of the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District Advisory Commission on Water Policy.

Milligan is married with four children and is involved in many of their sports activities, including acting as the treasurer of the “Tidal Waves”, a nonprofit Riverside swim team.