Christopher Hakes is the Chief Operating Officer of Watersheds. He oversees the Offices of Stewardship & Planning, Operations & Maintenance, and Design & Construction.
Christopher started his career at a private engineering firm before joining Valley Water in 2004. From there, he worked his way up through the agency and across the Watersheds and Water Utility business areas as an Associate then Senior Civil Engineer, before becoming an Engineering Unit Manager in Watersheds Design and Construction and then Assistant Officer in the Water Utility Capital Division. In 2018, Christopher served as the Deputy Operating Officer of Valley Water’s Dam Safety and Capital Delivery Division before being appointed Chief Operating Officer of Watersheds in 2023.
Christopher has provided exceptional leadership, strategic oversight, and multi-stakeholder coordination for the Anderson Dam Seismic Retrofit Project, Valley Water’s highest priority project, and for much of his career, he has played an instrumental role in the planning process and development of Valley Water’s Five-Year Capital Improvement Program (CIP). Chris has also worked on many flood protection projects across the county including the Upper and Lower Berryessa Creek Projects, Upper Guadalupe and Lower Guadalupe River Projects, the Upper Adobe Creek Project, and the Pond A8 Applied Study Project.
Christopher holds a Master of Science degree in Structural Engineering, a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering and is a Registered Professional Engineer in the State of California.