Johnny Amaral, a veteran of California water politics, was named as Friant Water Authority’s new chief executive officer at its Jan. 22 meeting. His appointment is effective immediately. … Amaral said wrapping up litigation is one of many issues facing Friant. But he is also looking to maintain Friant’s “core team” of water operators, many of whom hold expert knowledge in their fields. … Amaral also said he is looking forward to leveraging his previous career experiences to Friant’s benefit. He worked as a deputy general manager at Westlands Water District for four years and as a chief of staff for former Rep. Devin Nunes for 13 years.