Imperial, California - The Imperial Irrigation District Board of Directors met Tuesday in closed session and gave direction to General Manager Kevin Kelley to accept the resignation of Ross Simmons as general counsel and appoint him as special counsel to the board. In addition, Kelley was directed by the board to retain El Centro attorney Frank Oswalt as interim general counsel and to initiate the recruitment of a permanent general counsel to succeed Simmons.

“On behalf of the board and the agency, I am grateful for Ross’ service and pleased that he will continue in this new capacity at IID,” Kelley said. “He was committed, worked diligently and has made significant contributions to the district.”

“It’s been an honor to serve as general counsel, and to do so longer than I expected,” said Simmons. “I am proud of the quality Legal Department that I leave behind, which will ensure a seamless transition, and I look forward, as special counsel, to providing continuity in key areas that are important to IID and the public that it serves.”