Tacoma Water’s current deputy superintendent, Linda McCrea, will take over the helm as superintendent starting Feb. 1. McCrea replaces John Kirner, who has served as the Water superintendent since 2004, and has worked for Tacoma Public Utilities for 27 years.

McCrea began her career with Tacoma Water in 1980. She has served as deputy superintendent since 2006 and served as the distribution manager for 13 years before that. Some of McCrea’s responsibilities have included water system renewal and replacement strategies, long-term water system planning, labor relations, budget preparation and financial planning. She has played a key role in reducing costs for Tacoma Public Utilities’ ratepayers and City of Tacoma taxpayers by leading efforts to coordinate construction activities with other local utilities and public works departments.

Some of the upcoming projects that will fall under McCrea’s leadership include selecting and building a treatment facility to meet stricter federal water regulations, implementing the asset management program that has been in planning stages for several years, refining Tacoma Water’s strategic plan and further developing Tacoma Water’s role in the region with respect to water supply and environmental protection.

McCrea graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering. She is vice chair for the Washington Water Utility Council, vice president of the South Sound Subsection of the American Water Works Association Pacific Northwest Section, member of the Water Resource Inventory Area 9 Watershed Planning Forum and a board member for the Partnership for Water Conservation.