From The Valley Courier (Ruth Heide):
Whitten, a Saguache rancher, has served as vice president of the water board and served as acting president during the Tuesday meeting. At the conclusion of the meeting the board unanimously voted Whitten as president. Greg Higel was voted vice president and Dwight Martin secretary/treasurer. Whitten said he and [Ray Wright, board president who died last month in a snow-slide accident near Creede] had talked about the water district’s role and the importance of educating the public, and he wanted to continue that legacy. “We have been mired down in court cases,” Whitten said. “I think the thing to do is to get back out in the public and air these things out.”
More Rio Grande Basin coverage here.