Thomas Gibson, Director

Thomas Gibson was appointed Director of the California Department of Water Resources by Governor Gavin Newsom on June 29, 2026. He was sworn in on July 6, 2026. 

Gibson oversees the Department and its nearly 4,000 employees with the mission to manage and protect California’s water resources and support the reliability of California’s electrical grid. In cooperation with other agencies, DWR manages California’s water resources to benefit the state’s people and to protect, restore, and enhance the natural and human environments. 

Prior to his appointment as Director, Gibson served as Lead Deputy Director since being appointed by Governor Newsom in March 2024. Prior to that appointment, he served as DWR General Counsel, having been appointed to that position in June 2021.

Gibson was previously Undersecretary, Deputy Secretary and Special Counsel for Water, and General Counsel for the California Natural Resources Agency from 2014-2020 as well as General Counsel for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife from 2009-2014.

Prior to joining the State, he was a Partner at the law firm of Best, Best & Krieger LLP and an Associate at the law firms of Hyman, Phelps & McNamara P.C. and Kronick, Moskovitz, Tiedemann & Girard.

Gibson earned a Juris Doctor degree cum laude from the Northwestern School of Law of Lewis & Clark College.