General Manager Chris Garner

Chris Garner

CHRIS GARNER

The Long Beach Board of Public Utilities Commissioners confirmed Christopher Garner as General Manager of Long Beach Utilities on January 5, 2023. Garner had served as the General Manager of the Long Beach Water Department for the prior 7 years and as Director of the Long Beach Gas and Oil Department for the previous 17 years.  As the General Manager of Long Beach Utilities, he reports directly to the Long Beach Board of Public Utilities Commissioners. 

Mr. Garner oversees the day-to-day operations and business activities of one of the most reliable and advanced municipal utility organizations in the country and leads a team of nearly 500 water, natural gas, and sewer professionals. 

Mr. Garner is now in his 40th year of employment with the City of Long Beach organization. Through the years, Mr. Garner has held the management positions of Gas Acquisition and Transportation Officer, Superintendent of Gas Supply and Regulatory Affairs, Manager of Business Operations and Gas Supply, before becoming the Gas Department’s Director in 1998.  Over the years, he has variously had lead oversight over many enterprise City operations including the gas, water and sewer utilities, the oil operations, the SERRF waste-to-energy power plant, fleet operations, refuse operations, recycling operations, street sweeping operations, the Department of Public Works as Acting Director (twice) and the Airport operations.  Mr. Garner has been a leader in the utility industry for nearly 30 years, including as the past President of the California Municipal Utilities Association and Board member for the American Public Gas Association. 

With great grandparents moving to Long Beach over a hundred years ago, Chris Garner was born, raised, and educated in Long Beach. 

Mr. Garner received a B.S. and M.S. in Business Administration from Loyola Marymount University.