A resident of Newman, Mr. Bhakta brings more than 30 years of finance experience to MID.“We are extremely pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Bhakta as MID’s Chief Financial Officer,” said MID General Manager John Sweigard. “His experience and expertise will be a valuable asset to the District and the community we serve.”
As head of the Finance Department, he will be responsible for planning, organizing and directing all accounting and finance activities of the District under direction from the General Manager. MID is a diverse public agency with a current budget of $107.6 million for the 2018 Fiscal Year.
MID is comprised of irrigation and drainage operations, electric services, a hydroelectric project and parks and recreation. The district maintains 800 miles of canals providing irrigation supplies to 2,200 growers. More than 7,500 residential and business electric customers are served by the District. Additionally, MID operates recreation facilities at Lakes McClure and McSwain.
Mr. Bhakta will plan, organize and direct all accounting and finance activities of the District, including revenue collection; general accounting; treasury management; budgeting and payroll; and customer billing. As head of the MID Finance Department, he will provide supervision, through the Controller, to the District’s accounting and customer service staff.
Mr. Bhakta brings more than 30 years of finance and accounting experience to the District. Throughout his career he has successfully overseen financial operations totaling in the billions of dollars with hundreds of employees. Prior to joining the MID Management Team, he served as the Vice President of Finance for The Save Mart Companies based in Modesto, Ca. He was responsible for all finance functions, including accounting, internal audit, financial planning and analysis, and treasury.
“I am excited about joining the MID team and look forward to the new challenges and responsibilities of this position,” said Mr. Bhakta. “I am eager to begin my service to MID’s customers and the community served by the District.”
Mr. Bhakta holds a Master of Science degree in Finance from Georgia State University – J. Mack Robinson College of Business. He also holds a Bachelor of Science degree with a double major in Business and Accounting from Berry College – Campbell School of Business, and he is a CPA.
Mr. Bhakta lives in Newman with his wife of 27 years and their two children. When he is not working, he enjoys spending time with his family, coaching his son’s soccer team and playing golf.
Source: MID