Grant Davis, General Manager

As General Manager of Sonoma Water, Grant Davis is responsible for Sonoma Water’s core functions of providing drinking water to 600,000 residents in portions of Sonoma and Marin counties and wastewater management for eight zones and districts throughout Sonoma County.  Mr. Davis and his team also maintain nearly 100 miles of streams and detention basins for flood protection and manage a nationally recognized Russian River Watershed Restoration Program for the benefit of three federally listed fish species.

Since 2015, Sonoma Water has implemented a renewable energy portfolio that resulted in a carbon free water supply and distribution system. Sonoma Water has also been a leader in the development of several successful federal and state initiatives, such as the North Coast Resource Partnership, San Francisco Bay Area Integrated Regional Water Management Program, North Bay Water Reuse Authority and Pacific Coastal Salmon Restoration Fund.

Prior to joining Sonoma Water in 2007, Mr. Davis was Executive Director of The Bay Institute, a science-based nonprofit, dedicated to protecting the San Francisco Bay-Delta Watershed and improving water management in California. His experience also includes working for three members of Congress, a State Senator and an Assemblywoman.  

Mr. Davis has served as Director of the California Department of Water Resources under Governor Brown. He is past President of WateReuse, California and is currently a member of the University of California’s President’s Advisory Commission, for the Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources.  Mr. Davis also serves as a member of the Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program Technical Advisory Committee for the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research. Mr. Davis received his Bachelor’s Degree in political science from the University of California at Berkeley.

Kent Gylfe, Director of Engineering 

Kent Gylfe is Director of Engineering responsible to manage Sonoma Water’s Engineering and Resource Planning Division. Mr. Gylfe joined Sonoma Water in the year 2000 as a design engineer, and since 2004 has progressively served in engineering management roles with a focus on capital project implementation for Sonoma Water’s water supply, wastewater management, and flood control infrastructure systems. Prior to joining Sonoma Water, Mr. Gylfe worked for 10 years as an engineering consultant. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from the University of California, Davis.  

David Manning, Environmental Resources Division Manager

As Environmental Resources Division Manager, Mr. Manning is responsible for leading Sonoma Water’s natural resources stewardship programs in the Russian River watershed and throughout the Agency’s service area. In his 25 years with Sonoma Water, Mr. Manning has progressed from Senior Environmental Specialist to Principal Environmental Specialist, Environmental Resources Manager and Division Manager. He leads teams of environmental professionals dedicated to minimizing the effects of water supply, flood control, and sanitation activities on terrestrial, riparian, and aquatic resources including threatened and endangered salmon and steelhead. Before joining Sonoma Water in 1999, he was a fishery biologist for the National Park Service at Point Reyes National Seashore, and he is a Past-President of the California-Nevada Chapter of the American Fisheries Society. Mr. Manning received his Bachelor of Science in Resource Management from the University of California, Berkeley and a Master of Science in Natural Resources from Humboldt State University.

David Royall, Assistant General Manager for Operations & Maintenance

David Royall serves as the Assistant General Manager for Operations & Maintenance (O&M) at Sonoma Water. He brings more than 12 years of experience at Sonoma Water, including nine years in senior-level administration across Water Supply, Sanitation and Flood Control. Mr. Royall began his career as an Engineering Technician III in Stream Maintenance and later became Environmental Services Coordinator, where he supervised staff and managed sanitation budgets, facilities, and emergency responses during events such as the Tubbs Fire (2017) and Russian River floods (2017, 2019). As Maintenance Division Manager, he led Sonoma Water’s response to challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and workforce transitions while maintaining seamless operations. Mr. Royall’s leadership and extensive management experience make him well-suited for his role as Assistant General Manager for Operations & Maintenance.

Brad Sherwood, Assistant General Manager for Business Services & External Affairs

Mr. Sherwood is an assistant general manager overseeing the functions of business services and external affairs, including administration, finance, government relations, community affairs, emergency management, security and project management.  Since joining Sonoma Water in 2006, he has worked with his colleagues to develop and implement strategic legislative, funding and community affairs programs that support the reliable delivery of drinking water to 600,000 residents in portions of Sonoma and Marin counties, wastewater collection and treatment services to 8 sanitation districts/zones, and support for flood protection projects.  Mr. Sherwood is a member of the Leadership Santa Rosa and Sonoma County Higher leadership institutes. He graduated with his masters in political management from the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. and received his undergraduate degree in government and journalism from California State University, Sacramento. He is an active member of the Association of California Water Agencies, serving nearly a decade on the Region 1 Board of Directors, and participates on a variety of leadership committees for the North Bay Watershed Association and California Special Districts Association. Mr. Sherwood is an active member of his community and enjoys volunteering for a variety of neighborhood improvement projects since the Tubbs 2017 fire destroyed his and thousands of homes in Sonoma County.