Interim Director Named for Coastal Agency

Jeffrey Cross, who has served as interim director of the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project since June, 1991, has been named to head the agency, which is a key source of information on contamination of Santa Monica Bay and other coastal waters.

The agency, based in Long Beach, had been without a permanent director for a year and a half, leading to what officials said was poor morale and the resignations of nearly half of the scientific staff.

Experts applauded the appointment of Cross to the $70,000-a-year post. With a director in place, they said, the organization can begin to rebuild its ranks and tackle other key problems--such as attracting more research money to shore up its beleaguered budget and moving from its crime-plagued headquarters.

Jack Anderson, the former director, was ousted in June, 1990, after less than five years on the job. Some officials on the organization’s governing board attribute Anderson’s forced resignation, which formally took effect the following August, to overspending by the agency during his tenure.