Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District Executive Director Announces Retirement

September 3, 2019

John Hoopingarner, Executive Director of the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD), has announced that he will retire on May 31, 2020 after more than 30 years of service to the MWCD.

A native of Tuscarawas County, Mr. Hoopingarner was appointed to his position with the MWCD on September 1, 1989, at the age of thirty-five.  Prior to his appointment as Executive Director, he served as legal counsel to the MWCD for ten years while in the private practice of law in New Philadelphia.

“It has truly been an honor to provide leadership to the MWCD.  We are a unique organization dedicated to providing the benefits of flood reduction, conservation and recreation in the Muskingum River Watershed.  Every day of my career has been both challenging and rewarding.  It has been a privilege to work along-side a staff of responsible stewards so dedicated to our mission,” said Mr. Hoopingarner.

When Mr. Hoopingarner succeeded Raymond E. Eichel in 1989, he became only the third person to lead the MWCD in its 86-year history.  Bryce C. Browning was its first chief executive officer from 1933 until his retirement in 1965.

The MWCD Board of Directors will now begin the process of finding Mr. Hoopingarner’s successor. “As Executive Director of the MWCD, John’s leadership and dedication to the organization made a tremendous impact over the last 30 years,” Board President Joanne Limbach said. “We are excited to celebrate with John as he approaches his upcoming retirement and are fortunate to have an exceptional staff and board which gives us stability in this time of transition.”

Mr. Hoopingarner is looking forward to retirement and has pledged to assist the Board of Directors through the change of leadership.

“I hope to stay connected to the MWCD through my involvement with the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy Foundation on which I serve as a member of the Board of Trustees.  The non-profit Foundation exists to support the mission of the MWCD, a mission to which I am firmly committed,” concluded Mr. Hoopingarner.

The MWCD, a political subdivision of the state, was organized in 1933 to develop and implement a plan to reduce flooding and conserve water for beneficial public uses in the Muskingum River Watershed, the largest wholly contained watershed in Ohio. Since their construction, the 16 reservoirs and dams in the MWCD region have been credited for saving over $13.1 billion worth of potential property damage from flooding, according to the federal government, as well as providing popular recreational opportunities that bolster the region’s economy. A significant portion of the reservoirs are managed by the MWCD and the dams are managed for flood-risk management by the federal U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).

For more information about the MWCD, visit www.mwcd.org and follow the MWCD on Facebook and Twitter.

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