Two longtime employees are taking over operations at the Kern County Water Agency in an interim capacity. The agency named Nick Pavletich and Craig Wallace as co-managers while it conducts a search for a new general manager. … Board President Eric Averett said in a statement last week that the board believes that this is the right time to take the leadership of the agency in a new direction and did not provide any specifics as to why McCarthy was ousted. … Pavletich is the Administrative Operations Manager and has been with the agency for 24 years. Wallace is the State Water Project Manager and has been with the agency for a decade. Pavletich will oversee all local activities in his interim role, with Wallace taking over all statewide activities, including a special focus on the proposed Delta tunnel.