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Kevin Murray appointed to California American Water board
California American Water announced that Kevin Murray, former state senator, has been appointed to its board of directors. "Kevin Murray is known throughout Los Angeles County and the State of California for his expertise on community and government issues. During his 12 years in the state government, including the Assembly and Senate, and his service on the Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee, Kevin demonstrated his expertise in water and utility issues," said Rob Maclean, President of California American Water. Los Angeles Times_10/30/09
James V. LaFrankie, 82, water utility chief
James V. LaFrankie, 82, retired head of American Water died Thursday of melanoma at home in Cary, N.C. In 1984, Mr. LaFrankie became president of American Water, which operated water utilities in 20 states. He had begun working for the company in 1948 as a part-time shipping clerk while in college. When Mr. LaFrankie retired in 1991, American Water issued a statement remarking on the "indelible mark" he'd left on the company, which "experienced tremendous growth under his leadership." Mr. LaFrankie continued to serve on American Water's board and was chairman of a subsidiary, American Water Works Service Co., until 1992. Philadelphia Inquirer_ 10/14/09
After nearly two years of fending off criticism from ratepayers and his own employees, H. David Nahai stepped down Friday as head of the nation's largest municipally owned utility, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Nahai, 56, said in a letter to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa that he would leave immediately to take a position as an advisor to former President Clinton's climate initiative to battle global warming. But well before he announced his new job, the Iranian-born environmentalist and attorney found himself under fire on several fronts. Support within Villaraigosa's office had eroded dramatically, and Brian D'Arcy, the head of the DWP's powerful employees union, had stopped speaking to him, sources familiar with the situation said. Los Angeles Times_ 10/3/09
World Water Week: Sanitation expert honored
Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak, founder of the Sulabh Sanitation Movement in India, received the US $150,000 Stockholm Water Prize from H.R.H. Prince Carl Philip of Sweden at the award ceremony and royal banquet. Dr. Pathak is known for his work to improve public health, advance social progress, and improve human rights in India and elsewhere. He has taught sanitation technology, social enterprise, and healthcare to millions of people. His work serves as a model for NGO agencies and public health initiatives around the world. Environment News Service_8/21/09
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to keynote Rotary International's 100th Annual Meeting
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will be the keynote speaker at the Rotary International Convention in Birmingham, England, to recognize the humanitarian service organization for its leadership role in polio eradication and for its work in support of the UN Millennium Development Goals. About 20,000 Rotary club members from more than 150 countries are convening 21-24 June. He also will receive the Polio Eradication Champion Award, the highest recognition Rotary bestows to heads of state, health agency directors and ministers, and other leaders who have made significant contributions to polio eradication. Ban's appearance at Rotary's largest annual meeting further demonstrates the close ties maintained by Rotary and the UN dating back to 1945, when Rotary members helped to draft the UN Charter. In 1988, Rotary and the United Nations Children's Fund became spearheading partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, along with the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Scores of Rotary club-supported projects worldwide aim to provide safe water and sanitation, reduce illiteracy, promote maternal health, prevent diseases, protect the environment, and foster grassroots economic development -- all issues covered under the Millennium Development Goals. News Release_ 6/21/09
WSSC picks J. Johnson for top post
When money talks.....
Jerry N. Johnson, who oversaw the D.C. Water and Sewer Authority when high levels of lead were found in the city's tap water, was chosen yesterday for the top post at the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, the troubled Maryland utility whose underground water pipes have been breaking in record numbers. The six-member board of the WSSC, which supplies water and sewer service to 1.8 million people in Montgomery and Prince George's counties, voted unanimously to offer Johnson the job of general manager. Jack Johnson and Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) issued a joint statement saying Jerry Johnson "is nationally known as a turnaround specialist." As the first WASA general manager, they said, he guided the agency "from an unrated agency, with a projected $8 million deficit, to one with an A-plus credit rating and $170 million reserve in just two years." Jerry Johnson came to personify WASA's failure to alert customers to the lead risk in tap water from 2001 to 2004. Most D.C residents learned that levels of the substance were dangerously high from a front-page Washington Post article in January 2004. An investigation found that Johnson was personally involved in decisions to avoid sounding the alarm, even after federal law required the utility to issue specific warnings about health risks from rising lead levels. Washington Post_6/19/09
Bill Fritzsche, water treatment industry leader
William B. “Bill” Fritzsche, a l leader of the water treatment industry for almost half a century, died April 6 at his home. He was 78. Mr. Fritzsche was president of the Water Quality Association (WQA) in 1985 and of the Pacific Water Quality Association (PWQA) in 1965-66. Under his ownership, Rayne Water Conditioning grew to serve an area that included Malibu, West Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Long Beach and Palos Verdes. Mr. Fritzsche became a director of the Rayne Corp., based in Santa Barbara, CA. He served as president of the Water Quality Research Foundation, which funds scientific research into water treatment issues and was the recipient of several industry awards, including the WQA Hall of Fame award. Palisadian-Post_4/10/09
Indian health crusader wins Stockholm water prize
Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak, who has fought for almost four decades to improve sanitation in India's slums and villages, was awarded the 2009 Stockholm Water Prize on Wednesday. The Institute said Dr. Pathak's work, which has improved the health of millions of people, had served as a model for NGO agencies and public health initiatives around the world. Reuters_3/26/09
Pioneering ecologist Jane Lubchenco of Oregon State University to lead NOAA
The Senate gave its blessing late Thursday to key members of President Obama’s science team, including an Oregon State University ecologist who will be the first woman and first marine scientist to lead the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The Senate voted unanimously to confirm Harvard physicist John Holdren as Obama’s top science advisor and Oregon State ecologist Jane Lubchenco as administrator of NOAA, an agency that conducts much of the nation’s climate-change research, forecasts the weather and regulates commercial fishing. Lubchenco, 61, will take a leave from her 40-member laboratory at Oregon State to lead the $4.3-billion agency with 12,800 employees. Her immediate agenda includes pushing for a National Climate Service to coordinate federal research into greenhouse gas emissions, global warming and shifting climatic patterns. Her awards include a MacArthur Foundation fellowship, a Pew Marine Fellowship and the Heinz Award for the Environment. She is also past president of the American Assn. for the Advancement of Science, the International Council for Science and the Ecological Society of America. Los Angeles Times_ 3/20/09
GE appoints VP for global water, power segment
General Electric Co. said Thursday it has appointed John Lavelle, 48, a veteran at the industrial and financial conglomerate as vice president of its global power and water business. Lavelle has served as general manager of GE Gasification and GE Energy's region executive for the southern United States, the Fairfield, Conn.-based company said. Boston.com_2/20/09
San Diego County Water Authority elects officers to lead it through drought
The San Diego County Water Authority’s Board of Directors has elected Claude A. “Bud” Lewis, mayor of Carlsbad, to chair the board for the next two years. Mark W. Watton, general manager of the Otay Water District, will serve as vice chair. Thomas V. Wornham, executive vice president and regional manager for the San Diego commercial banking group of Wells Fargo Bank and a representative of the city of San Diego, will serve as secretary. The Board elected the officers at its December meeting, and their two-year terms began January 1, 2009. Lewis said California's ongoing drought and court-ordered restrictions on transfers of water from Northern California to Southern California are the major challenges facing the district. Poseidon Resources also is seeking financing for the biggest sea water desalination plant in the U.S., which it plans to build in Carlsbad. News Release_ 1/12/09
U.N. appoints Maude Barlow of Canada 'Water Czar'
Outspoken advocate of public water rights
The United Nations named Maude Barlow, 61, of Nova Scotia its "water czar" this week to advise the world body on water policy. U.N. General Assembly President Miguel D'Escoto introduced Barlow as his pick for the new position on Tuesday, a step in confronting the pollution and scarcity of water that Barlow calls "the most important human rights and ecological crisis of our time." Barlow reiterated that message on the 60th anniversary of the U.N.'s Universal Declaration of Human Rights on Thursday. Supporters say Maude Barlow of Canada is the perfect choice. "We are just thrilled. We think there's no one better to fill this spot," said Wenonah Hauter, "She has been probably the most outspoken and well-known advocate in making water a human right and making sure that water is in public control, not corporate control," said Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch, of which Barlow is a board member. But critics say Barlow has no place advising the United Nations on hydrological issues. Fox News_12/11/08
WaterWebster.org Staff Report
Nov. 12, 2008
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The National Association of Water Companies has named American Water CEO Don Correll as presdent of the trade association's board. His one-year term began Oct. 21.
"I look forward to furthering NAWC's mission of promoting the value of the private sector as the provider of quality, sustainable, water services and innovative solutions," said Correll in a news release. "Partnerships between municipalities and the private sector are an increasingly important strategy for dealing with the nation's water infrastructure challenges and the NAWC maintains an aggressive set of programs to support the private water service industry and their customers."
The National Association of Water Companies promotes private industry's role in providing water services. American Water is the largest investor-owned U.S. water and wastewater utility company. Founded in 1886, and headquartered in Voorhees, N.J., it employs more than 7,000 workers and provides drinking water, wastewater and other related services to approximately 15 million people in 32 states and Ontario, Canada.
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American States Water names Eva G. Tang as CFO
American States Water Co. late Monday named Eva G. Tang as chief financial officer. She will succeed Robert J. Sprowls, who will become chief executive and president in January. Tang previously served as vice president of finance, treasurer and assistant secretary of subsidiary Golden State Water Co. In addition to serving as CFO, Tang also becomes senior vice president of finance, corporate secretary and treasurer for the company, as well as senior vice president of finance, CFO and secretary of Golden State. The appointments became effective Saturday, the company said. AP/CNN_ 11/4/08
Stall, a longtime staff member of the Los Angeles Times who was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing in 2004, died Sunday at his home in Sacramento. He was 71. In his nearly 50-year journalism career, Stall focused on reporting government and politics, natural resources and the environment. The Pulitzer board said his editorials on California's troubled state government "prescribed remedies and served as a model for addressing complex state issues." The editorials were written in October, November and December 2003. The unpretentious Stall, who used the name Bill in his byline, would tell friends that in addition to his Pulitzer entries, he was extremely proud of a series of editorials he wrote in 2001 on Senate Bill 221, a measure put forth by Sen. Sheila Kuehl (D-Santa Monica) that required developers of large projects -- 500 units or more -- to show that the homes would have a long-term water supply. No other state in the West had such a law on the books. Randele Kanouse, the lobbyist for the East Bay Municipal Utility District, said that although the concept seemed simple, the utility had tried unsuccessfully for more than a decade to get such a measure approved despite firm opposition from the building industry. Kanouse said Stall was extremely helpful in making a strong case for the legislation. "Bill understood this issue intuitively. Other reporters and editorial writers didn't grasp it as quickly as Bill did. They could not express it with the force, power and eloquence that Stall brought to it," Kanouse said. The measure passed both houses and was signed into law by Davis. Los Angeles Times_ 11/3/08
Canada's Maude Barlow named 1st UN water adviser
Canadian activist Maude Barlow has been appointed as the United Nation's first senior adviser on water issues, a role she hopes to use to establish water as a human right and to convince Canada to "change its shameful position" on the issue. Barlow, chair of the citizens' advocacy group Council of Canadians, will work with the current president of the UN General Assembly, Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann. Barlow holds six honorary doctorates and has written or co-written 16 books. She is also co-founder of the Blue Planet Project, a group that works to protect fresh water from trade and privatization around the world. The United Nations estimates 42,000 people die every week from diseases related to bad water and poor sanitation. CBC_ 10/21/08
Robert G. Leggett new COO of Mueller Water Products
Robert G. Leggett has been placed by Slayton Search Partners as Chief Operating Officer for Mueller Water Products, Inc. a leading North American manufacturer and marketer of infrastructure and flow control products for use in water distribution networks and treatment facilities. Prior to joining Mueller Water Products, Mr. Leggett served as Senior Vice President Americas & Europe at Armstrong Building Products. As Mueller Water Products' Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Leggett will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Company's three divisions: Mueller Co., U.S. Pipe and Anvil, Int'l., with the division presidents reporting directly to him. News Release/Market Watch_ 9/30/08
Ron Rivera, potter devoted to clean water, dies at 60
Ron Rivera liked to call his ceramic water filters “weapons of biological mass destruction.” For 25 years he traveled to poor villages throughout Latin America, Africa and Asia teaching local potters to make what appears to be a big terra-cotta flower pot but is in fact an ingenious device for purifying water. A recent study in Cambodia found that the filters cut in half the incidence of diarrhea, a leading cause of death in the third world, especially among children. Mr. Rivera died on Sept. 3 in Managua, Nicaragua, after contracting falciparum malaria, the most dangerous form, while setting up a water-filter factory in Nigeria, said Kathy McBride, his wife. He was 60. New York Times_ 9/14/08 (logon required)
Water for peace? Arizona engineer helps Israel, Palestine work on water accord
Scarcity of water in arid lands can be a cause of friction anywhere, but make that location the borderlands of Israel and Palestine and the potential for conflict increases dramatically. Pima County Public Works Director John Bernal recently returned from participation in an international gathering of experts in Annapolis, Md., to work toward easing tensions over the distribution of groundwater among Palestinian and Israeli settlements. "If they can resolve the water issue, maybe there can be movement on other issues, as well," Bernal said Friday. Israeli and Palestinian settlements sit atop a single groundwater source. There are occasions when overuse by one creates shortages for the other, Bernal said. The conference was sponsored by the Geneva Initiative, a Palestinian-Israeli organization of non-government representatives seeking common ground between the two states, and the Quaker-affiliated Annapolis Friends for Peace and Justice Center. Group members will now work to finalize a draft of an agreement that will eventually be presented to the leaders of both governments for consideration, and, hopefully, adoption, McDonald said. Tucson Citizen_ 9/5/08
New leadership announced for Baker's Texas Water Resources group
Michael Baker Jr., Inc., an engineering unit of Michael Baker Corporation, has announced the appointment of three senior water resources leaders in the Texas region: Chris Johnson, P.E., CFM, is a highly respected water resources expert in Texas and nationwide and is Baker's Water Resources services lead for Texas. In his role, Johnson provides operational leadership for Texas water resources services with direct oversight of the Denton and Houston staff. Ramesh Chintala, P.E., CFM, will be working out of the Denton office and will report to Johnson. He is responsible for leading Baker's project efforts in support of FEMA's Map Modernization program in the FEMA Region 6 states. Zachary Toups, P.E., CFM, will be working out of the Houston office and will also report to Johnson. Toups will be the lead for the Houston Water Resources team. In this role, he will lead production efforts in support of FEMA, Harris County, and numerous local agencies. News Release/PRNewswire-FirstCall_ 7/28/08
California researcher receives water award
Dr. Andrew Benedek has received the inaugural Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize, an international award bestowed upon an individual or organization for outstanding contributions to the world for water management. Benedek, a resident of Rancho Santa Fe, is a researcher who pioneered the development of low-pressure membranes that enable drinking water to be produced from highly polluted water. In 1980, he founded and became the CEO of ZENON Environmental Inc. Under his leadership, ZENON invented many of the key membrane technologies used for water and wastewater treatment and became the global leader in this field. Today the U.S., Europe, China, India, the Middle East, South America, Japan, Australia and Singapore have incorporated Benedek’s membranes into their water treatment processes. “Dr. Andrew Benedek is held in high esteem by the global water industry community for his pioneering work … for his outstanding contribution, he deserves to be the recipient of the inaugural Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize,” Professor Anthony Gordan Fane, from the UNESCO Centre for Membrane Science and Technology, said. The Coast News_7/4/08
Veolia Water picks Takuichi Murachi to head Japanese subsidiary
France's VEOLIA WATER plans to name Takuichi Murachi, a former TOYO Engineering Corp. director, the new president of its Japanese subsidiary. By having a local executive lead its Japanese arm for the first time ever, one of the world's top water service providers aims to better reach out to future customers in Japan's public and private sectors.Trading Markets.com_6/26/08
Philip E. LaMoreaux, Tuscaloosa, Alabama geologist who found water in Egyptian desert, dead at 88
It's not easy to find water in an Egyptian desert. But Philip E. LaMoreaux did, just one of his many notable achievements in a career as a scientist and businessman that spanned more than four decades. LaMoreaux, a former geologist for the state of Alabama and founder of Tuscaloosa-based P.E. LaMoreaux & Associates, died at his home Monday after a long battle with heart complications. He was 88. Specializing in hydrogeology, LaMoreaux built his company into an international environmental and engineering consulting firm. LaMoreaux's career led him to regional and national stints with the U.S. Geological Survey and, eventually, the appointment as state geologist for Alabama and director of the Alabama Geological Survey and the Oil and Gas Board. During his 40-plus-year career, he also published countless articles and books. Tuscaloosa News_ 6/25/08
Colorado newspaper publisher Robert H. Rawlings is a one-man campaign to save water
Eighty-three-year-old Robert H. Rawlings, Bob Rawlings to most, publisher/editor of The Pueblo Chieftain, Colorado's second-oldest newspaper is a big obstacle to he cities of Colorado Springs and Aurora in their efforts to divert Arkansas River water. He has poured his own money into the community to support numerous programs and entities, including the preservation and protection of Arkansas Valley water. Rawlings has argued for years and is continuing to argue that Aurora has no business in the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project. Pueblo Chieftan_ 6/15/08
UK scientist John Anthony Allan, inventor of "virtual water," wins 2008 Stockholm Water Prize
A scientist who developed a way to calculate how much water is used in the production of anything from a cup of coffee to a hamburger was awarded the 2008 Stockholm Water Prize on Wednesday. Professor John Anthony Allan of the University of London in Britain won the award for introducing the concept of "virtual water," a calculation method that has changed the nature of trade policy and research. The Stockholm International Water Institute said this idea is now imbedded in the production of foods and industrial products. "People do not only consume water when the drink it or take a shower," the institute said. "Behind that morning cup of coffee, there are 140 liters of water that was consumed to grow, produce, package and ship the beans." That is about as much water as a person in England uses on average for all daily drinking and household needs. "For a single hamburger, an estimated 2,400 liters of water are needed. In the USA, the average person consumes nearly 7,000 liters of virtual water every day." It said that was more than three times the average consumption of a Chinese person. Allan, from King's College of the University of London and the School of Oriental and African Studies, has authored or edited seven books and published more than 100 papers. Reuters_ 3/19/08
Australian water leader Professor Peter Cullen dead at 65
The 65-year-old founding member of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists died overnight at his home near Canberra. Professor Cullen was active in advising governments on how to address dwindling water supplies. He retired in 2002 but continued his scientific work, focusing on the plight of Australia's rivers. Professor Mike Young of the Wentworth group says Professor Cullen was a wonderful communicator who could translate complex science to ordinary, young Australians and politicians. "He believed if we got water management right, then Australia would have a sustainable future," he said. ABC News_ 3/14/08
Lydia Thomas joins Mueller Water Products board of directors
Mueller Water Products, Inc. announced today that Dr. Lydia W. Thomas, 63, was elected to its board of directors. Thomas is the retired president and chief executive officer of Noblis, Inc., a nonprofit science, technology and strategy organization. Thomas sits on the board of directors of the United States Energy Association, the Northern Virginia Technology Council and the Conference Board. She has also been a member of the board of directors of the Cabot Corporation since 1994. She currently serves on the President's Homeland Security Advisory Council, and previously served on the Scientific Advisory Board of the U.S. Department of Defense's Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program and the Environmental Advisory Board to the Army Corp of Engineers. She also serves as vice chair of the Board of Trustees of George Washington University. Dr. Thomas holds a Ph.D. from Howard University, a Master of Science degree from American University, and a Bachelor of Science degree from Howard University. Mueller Water Products is a leading North American manufacturer and marketer of infrastructure and flow control products for use in water distribution networks and treatment facilities. Atlanta Journal Constitution_1/30/08
AWWA names Gary J. Zimmerman new executive director
The AWWA Board of Directors today announced the selection of Gary J. Zimmerman as the association’s new Executive Director. Zimmerman, 48, replaces Jack W. Hoffbuhr, who is retiring after leading AWWA for 12 years. The decision follows a seven-month search process. Zimmerman joins AWWA following nearly two years as Executive Vice President of the Arabian Horse Association and a distinguished career in business management and development. The first 16 years of Zimmerman's career were in the paper and packaging industry. Following 12 years of progressive growth with Unisource Worldwide, Division of Georgia-Pacific, Zimmerman was recruited to International Paper's xpedx Division as Group Vice President - South Central US. His technical savvy led to an entrepreneurial, e-commerce venture as COO of Dallas-based WebTransport in 2000, followed by executive positions with All Covered (IT Consulting) and 180 Connect (technical installation and service). Born in Chicago in 1960, Zimmerman graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder in 1982. During the academic year 1981, Zimmerman was selected as a United States Congressional Intern where he worked in the Washington, DC office of Senator William Armstrong. Later he attended the University of Denver, graduating in 1984 with a Master's in Business Administration. News Release_ 1/28/08
Ed Oberg is new CEO of Washington cities water alliance
Ed Oberg, a former Bellevue deputy city manager, is the new leader of the Cascade Water Alliance, the utility group announced Thursday. Oberg takes on the title of CEO and replaces Michael Gagliardo, who had been general manager since the alliance was formed in 1999. Gagliardo is now the alliance's planning director, supervising the construction of long-range infrastructure. The water alliance is a consortium of Seattle's Eastside cities that wants more control of the local water supply. This year, the group plans to finalize a deal to buy Lake Tapps in Pierce County and to start building a pipeline that will connect the Eastside to Tacoma's water supply. Seattle Times_1/25/08
David N. Kennedy, 71; led state Department of Water Resources for 15 years
David N. Kennedy, who faced the challenges of a five-year drought and three major floods during his record 15 years as director of the California Department of Water Resources in the 1980s and '90s, has died. He was 71. Kennedy died Sunday in a Sacramento nursing facility, said department spokesman Ted Thomas, who did not know the cause of death. Kennedy was appointed director of the Department of Water Resources, California's leading water management agency, by then-Gov. George Deukmejian in 1983. In 1991, then-Gov. Pete Wilson reappointed him to the job of managing the agency's $900-million annual budget and overseeing roughly 2,500 employees. When he retired in 1998, Kennedy had the longest tenure of any director in the agency's history. The department operates the State Water Project, the largest state-run water and power system in the nation. Los Angeles Times_12/27/07
Kansas City Water Services director to retire
Frank Pogge has done a lot, seen a lot in 41 years at department. He has served under six mayors and eight city managers during his more than 41 years in Kansas City’s Water Services Department. Pogge will call its quits on Monday, Dec. 31, when he retires from his job as director of the city’s water department. Unlike so many employees in the public sector, Pogge has stayed with the department ever since he first began working for the city in September 1966 in the department’s laboratory services division. He worked his way up to assistant chief of water supply, manager of water supply, deputy director of the department, and then in March 2003 was named department director. Kansas City Community News_12/27/07
Evan L. Hart named VP/Controller of Mueller Water Products Inc.
Atlanta-based Mueller said Hart will report to Michael T. Vollkommer, executive
vice president and chief financial officer. Hart joined Mueller Water Products in September 2006 as vice president of financial planning and analysis. In addition to being responsible for
operational analysis and strategic financial support, he has coordinated the
overall annual budget plan. Prior to joining Mueller, Hart had been vice president, controller and treasurer for Unisource Worldwide, Inc. for four years. Mueller Water Products is a leading North American manufacturer and marketer of infrastructure and flow control products for use in water distribution networks and treatment facilities. News Release/PRNewswire/FirstCall/Reuters_ 12/7/07
The annual list featured in November issue of the magazine recognizes visionaries who stand out among their peers by making a national or international impact on the public works sector with fresh and innovative ideas and who set new trends and standards within the industry. Voutchkov was honored for creating a collocated desalination system that uses existing infrastructure and cooling water from nearby power plant to dramatically reduce costs and environmental impacts associated with producing fresh drinking water from seawater. He also led the development of a novel method to determine salinity tolerance of marine organisms to desalinated plant discharges which allows plant design and discharge configuration to be tailored to the site specific conditions of the marine ecosystem in the area of the discharge. News Release_ 11/19/07
AWWA search underway for new executive director
WaterWebster staff report
The American Water Works Association (AWWA) is seeking an executive director to replace Jack W. Hoffbuhr, who announced his retirement in July. The 60,000-member organization hopes to have the position filled by the beginning of 2008, according to a job description posted on the AWWA web site. "We're the oldest and largest water association in the world," said Greg Kail, senior public affairs manager. "It's an important position for leadership in the water industry." The AWWA executive director leads a staff of 155 and has an annual budget of $34 million. No salary information was provided. WaterWebster.org_ 10/9/07
Dr. Duncan W. Clark, voice for fluoridated water, dies at 96
Clark, a public-health expert who became a persuasive advocate for adding fluoride to New York City’s water supply in the early 1960s, when opponents claimed the health risks far outweighed the rewards, died on Aug. 5 at his home in Brooklyn. He was 96. A specialist in preventive medicine, Dr. Clark raised a learned voice for the benefits to teeth and general health obtained by adding a minute amount of fluoride to the public water. In New York State, there had been experiments with fluoridation as early as the 1940s, most notably in Newburgh. Long-term studies of Newburgh’s children showed a decline in cavities of 60 percent to 70 percent, without indications of increased rates of cancer, heart disease or other harmful effects. Even so, opponents delayed fluoridation of New York City’s water until 1965. He studied other threats to public health and did surveys on hand-washing, which he considered an important public health measure, finding doctors no more scrupulous than other workers. New York Times_ 8/21/07 (logon required)
Ed Garana, city Water Director for 29 years, resigned Wednesday night. His replacement as acting water director is Danny Ybarra. Ybarra told KRIS-TV the department dropped the ball after E-coli was detected in water samples.The water department should have informed residents about the contamination within 24 hours after finding out about the problem, but instead of sending out the boil water warnings Sunday, it waited until Tuesday. Officials said they misunderstood the public notification time requirements. Garana said he voluntarily resigned because of health and stress related issues that were compounded by the latest boil advisory. KRISTV_ 8/16/07
Stream of conscience: The man who's leading the river cleanups
You don't converse with Chad Pregracke so much as chase him down. Asked if he is burning out after 10 years of picking up trash, mostly on Midwest rivers, he just keeps picking up trash. He's the famous Mississippi River cleanup guy, the man who has inspired dozens of local river cleanups, including several in Iowa. The head of a growing nonprofit organization called Living Lands and Waters with a $600,000 annual budget. The captain of a floating classroom and four-barge trash heap who is now known worldwide, largely because he is nonstop real. Des Moines Register_ 8/5/07
Broddrick's resignation as director of the Department of Fish and Game is effective Aug. 31. Broddrick, 56, the DFG's director for 3½ years, submitted a letter of resignation to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on July 17. In the letter, Broddrick said Schwarzenegger's election and his appointment of Mike Chrisman as resource secretary inspired Broddrick to return to public service after retiring from the DFG in 2001. Schwarzenneger appointed Broddrick to the post in February 2004. At his new post with the Northern California Water Association, Broddrick will work on building more water surface storage, protect fish and habitat along the waterways and integrate management of both surface and ground water, according to a story in yesterday's Chico Enterprise-Record. Broddrick replaces David Guy, who left in June to head the Yosemite Association. Union-Tribune_ 7/28/07
Louisville Water Co. President John Huber to retire July 31
Huber, 63, has led the Louisville, Kentucky water agency since 1991. During his 16 years, the water company has extended service countywide, rebuilt much of an aging underground network of pipes and mains, promoted water conservation and updated treatment equipment to keep abreast of frequently changing federal water-quality standards. At the same time, under Huber’s leadership, the company has consistently shown a profit, turning back to the city, which owns 100 percent of the stock, a dividend that lately has been around $13 million a year. The company has kept user rates relatively low, with annual rate increases usually averaging less than 5 percent, and has paid the city around $150 million in dividends during Huber’s tenure as president. After a nationwide search, the water company board in May selected Greg Heitzman to replace Huber. Heitzman has been the company’s senior vice president of operations. Courier-Journal_ 7/22/07
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power chief Ronald F. Deaton hospitalized on Costa Rica trip
Ronald F. Deaton, chief of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, was hospitalized in Costa Rica over the weekend with an irregular heartbeat, officials announced Monday. In a statement released Monday, the DWP said that "Deaton suffered what doctors have described as a serious cardiac arrhythmia" on Friday night while on vacation with his family. Deaton, 64, was appointed to head the nation's largest municipal utility in late 2004 by then-Mayor James K. Hahn. Deaton, a 42-year employee with the city, previously served as the top advisor to the City Council in his role as the city's chief legislative analyst. Robert Rozanski, the DWP's chief administrative officer, is filling in for Deaton. It is a busy time for the agency, which is expected to raise water and power rates this fall and is also trying to greatly increase its supply of clean power. "From what I hear, it's going to be quite some time before Ron will be well enough to return to his duties, and that is as it should be," DWP commission President H. David Nahai said. Los Angeles Times_ 7/10/07 (logon required)
Rod Kuharich named chief of Colorado's South Metro Water
The South Metro Water Supply Authority has chosen Rod Kuharich as its executive director. The authority is made up of 13 water providers in Douglas and Arapahoe counties working together to long-term water supplies for a growing a population now dependant on aquifers. Kuharich is the former director of the Colorado Water Conservation Board, the state agency charged with long-term planning and management for water supplies. Denver Post_ 7/3/07
Scottish Water's chief executive, Dr. Jon Hargreaves, to quit at the end of the year
Dr. Hargreaves is taking early retirement after five years in the top job and will leave in November. Dr Hargreaves said he had been considering the move for some time and told Scottish Water of his intentions last year. The announcement comes days after the annual report of the Water Industry Commissioner for Scotland said customer service had improved "considerably". Scotsman.com_ 6/10/07
North Carolina names Coleen H. Sullins chief of state Division of Water Quality
Coleen H. Sullins of Raleigh will succeed Alan Klimek, who’s retiring from the director’s position effective May 31. The agency is responsible for all aspects of water quality protection including rules development, standards setting, monitoring, planning, permitting and compliance activities. Sullins will move into her new position June 1. Sullins has worked 17 years at the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources and has been deputy director of the Division of Water Quality since 2003. News & Observer_ 5/18/07
February, 2007
Enfield, Connecticut Public Works Director John J. Kazmarski to retire July 2
Kazmarski, 65, has directed the Public Works Department since 1995. Kazmarski, whose annual salary is $96,780, served as public works director in Bloomfield for more than 17 years and in Orange for two years before coming to Enfield. He replaced Walter Markett, who was forced to resign in April 1995 following a series of mishaps, including a hazardous waste leak and the revelation that the town's solid waste division had overspent its budget by up to $150,000. Journal Inquirer_ 2/9/07
January, 2007
Paul Ginther named leader of Black & Veatch's water GIS department
In his new role, Ginther will expand the new GIS Department, which uses computer hardware, software and geographic data to capture, manage, analyze and display many forms of geographically referenced information for water-related planning and strategy. The department also will focus on promoting a better understanding of the uses for GIS-related solutions and strengthen the working relations within the regional and global offices of Black & Veatch's water business. "GIS is all around us. People use it every day and many don't realize it," Ginther said. "Eighty to 90 percent of a utility's data is somehow tied to a geographic location." News Release_ 1/23/07
December, 2006
Linda Griego elected to Southwest Water Company board of directors
Griego previously served as a board member from 2001 until earlier this year when she resigned for personal reasons. She fills the vacancy created by the resignation of Peter Moerbeek in May 2006. Griego, 58, is a prominent Los Angeles businesswoman with extensive experience in the public sector. She serves as President and CEO of Griego Enterprises, which includes Zapgo Entertainment Group, LLC, a television programming production company, and Engine Company No. 28, a restaurant that she founded in 1988. In the early 1990’s, Griego was deputy mayor of Los Angeles, with responsibilities that included oversight of the departments of Public Works, Building and Safety, Planning, and the Community Redevelopment Agency. Approximately two million people depend on Southwest for water services. News Release/Business Wire_ 12/15/06
Phil Baddour, Jr. is appointed chair of North Carolina's clean water board
NC Gov. Mike Easley named former state Rep. Phil Baddour Jr. chairman of the North Carolina Clean Water Management Trust Fund's board of trustees. Baddour served a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives from 1993 to 1994 and from 1997 to 2002. He was majority leader of the House from 1999 to 2002. He currently serves as president of the Institute of Government Foundation's board of directors and is a member of the UNC General Alumni board. The Clean Water Management Trust Fund provides funds to clean up pollution in the state's surface waters and to protect and conserve waters that have yet to be polluted. The board has 21 members, each serving a four-year term.
Triangle Business Journal_12/6/06
American States Water elects Gary F. King new director
American States Water Co. has elected Gary F. King as a class II director of the company until its 2008 annual meeting or a successor is elected, the company said Wednesday. King, 59, was also elected director of two of the company's subsidiaries, Golden State Water Co. and Chaparral City Water Co. He retired in 2005 as a senior audit partner of Deloitte & Touche LLP in 2005 after working there for 27 years. He has both bachelor's and master's degrees in business administration from the University of Michigan.
Los Angeles Business Journal_11/8/06
Basin Water, Inc. announces appointment of Michael Stark as President and Chief Operating Officer
Stark previously served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Veolia Water North America, a subsidiary of Veolia Environment SA of France, a leading worldwide integrated water services and environmental company. As President and Chief Operating Officer, Stark will be responsible for overseeing the overall operations of the company and will report to Peter Jensen, Basin Water's Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer. Basin Water, Inc. designs, builds and implements systems for the treatment of contaminated groundwater, providing reliable sources of drinking water for many communities. Press Release/Business Wire/Stockhouse_ 10/30/06
Black & Veatch names Bart Schubert vice president of Corporate Development
In the newly-created position, Schubert will further the strategic business and geographic growth of the company. Overland Park, Kansas-based Black & Veatch is a leading global engineering, consulting and construction company specializing in infrastructure development in energy, water, information and government markets. Press Release_ 7/26/06
May, 2006
State Engineer Hugh Ricci, who has overseen water allocations in the nation's most arid state since 2000, is retiring, Nevada Gov. Kenny Guinn said Wednesday. Ricci, 62, who has been with the state for 36 years, is being replaced by Tracy Taylor, a 22-year employee of the state Division of Water Resources who has been serving as deputy state engineer. Guinn praised Ricci for a "steady and thoughtful approach" and fair application of state water law as state engineer and administrator of the division. He added that Taylor, with his long experience in the division, will ensure a "seamless" leadership transition. Las Vegas Sun_5/24/06
American Water appoints George MacKenzie to chairman of the board
American Water, the largest and most geographically diverse provider of water services in North America, today announced the appointment of George MacKenzie as non-executive chairman of the Company's Board of Directors effective May 17, 2006.
George MacKenzie most recently served as Interim President and CEO of American Water until the appointment of Donald L. Correll, which took effect April 17, 2006. Mr. MacKenzie has been a member of the American Water Board of Directors since August 2003 and also served as the Chair of the Audit Committee of the Board from February 2004, until his appointment as Interim CEO. Harry Roels, CEO of RWE AG, stated, "I am pleased that George has accepted this appointment and will continue to serve in an important role in preparing American Water for its return to being an independent, publicly traded company." Press Release_5/18/06
Colorado water war veteran to leave board post
After spending 50 years trying to protect water rights in the Arkansas Valley, Denzel Goodwin is ready to hand off the job. Goodwin, after 16 years on the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District board, is the only one of five directors up for reappointment who will not seek another term. Like water rights themselves, the makeup of members on the Southeastern board has shifted from largely agricultural to other interests in recent years. While there have always been municipal interests at the table, just last year a representative of the recreational community was appointed, signalling the new direction of water debate. Goodwin was appointed to the Arkansas Basin roundtable last year and has a storied history of involvement on water issues throughout the state. He’s still a board member of the Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District, which he help to found in 1979 and served as chairman for 25 years. Goodwin, 82, is a World War II Navy veteran - he was at Iwo Jima with fellow board member Robert Schrader - who formed the Fremont County Water Users Association in 1956. The group brought one of the earliest groundwater cases to trial - a rancher pumping illegally from a pit by the river. Pueblo Chieftan_ 3/20/06
American Water names Donald L. Correll president and CEO
Correll will replace George MacKenzie effective April 17. MacKenzie has served as the Voorhees, N.J., company's interim president and CEO since Jan. 1. He will remain on American Water's board of directors. Correll is president and CEO of Pennichuck Corp., a Merrimack, N.H., water utility. American Water is the largest water utility in North America. It serves 18 million people in 29 states and three Canadian provinces and employs 7,000. It is a subsidiary of RWE AG of Essen, Germany, which intends to sell it by the end of next year. bizjournals.com_ 3/20/06
Veolia Water North America names Joseph Burgess President and CEO;
Veolia Water America President Mike Stark Retires
Veolia Water North America, the leading provider of water and wastewater services for municipalities and industries in the country, has named Joseph Burgess president and CEO. Burgess will report directly to Patrice Fonlladosa, executive chairman and president, Veolia Water America, and executive vice president and member of the executive committee for Veolia Water. In addition, Veolia Water America President Mike Stark, who oversaw all activities for Veolia Water North America as president of the holding company, has officially announced his retirement. Stark leaves as one of the original founders of the U.S. water and wastewater services industry. Houston Chronicle_3/16/06
Corbett Oregon water manager wins honor
Frank Sterzinar Jr. acknowledges he didn't know what he was getting into when he took the job as manager of the Corbett Water District in May 2004. He soon found out. One board member was facing a recall election, and another had resigned rather than face recall. The community was divided into bitterly opposed factions. Sterzinar, 37, a machinist by training, tried to remain neutral and just get the job done. His diligence has paid off. This weekend he was named a "Manager of the Year" during the annual convention of the Special Districts Association of Oregon. The group includes water, sewer, irrigation, library, parks and even vector control districts from across the state. The Oregonian_2/14/06 logon required
Brant submitted his resignation less than 24 hours after County Manager George Burgess met with state water managers. Burgess said he was caught off guard by the urgency of the state's appeal to the county to revamp its water plan -- an urgency Burgess said Brant failed to convey. A phalanx of state water managers -- backed by the head of Florida's Department of Environmental Protection -- warned this week that Miami-Dade's 20-year water plan threatens the Everglades and ignores state conservation requirements. At issue is Miami-Dade's application for a state permit that would allow the county to increase water consumption by roughly 100 million gallons a day to meet its population's needs in the next 20 years. Miami-Dade does a poor job of using the 350 million gallons of water it currently pulls each day from the Biscayne Aquifer. Only 5 percent is actually treated and reused. Some counties, such as Collier, reuse 100 percent of their water. The county's plan for the next 20 years consisted of little more than tapping deeper into the Biscayne Aquifer, which siphons precious water from the Everglades. Brant, 57, earns $219,000 and another $18,000 in benefits annually. He'll leave his job with a $78,000 payout for unused leave time. Replacing Brant is the head of the county's Department of Environmental Resource Management, John Renfrow. Miami Herald_ 1/28/06
North Dakota's "Mr. Water" will certainly be missed
With the passing of Russell Dushinske, North Dakota has lost a true pioneer in the management of its water resources. Throughout the state, Russ was referred to as "Mr. Water" or "Mr. Garrison Diversion." He was editor of the Devils Lake Daily Journal for 30 years and a water management advocate for most of his 92 years. Bismark Tribune_ 1/21/06
Connecticut Water Service, Inc. appoints Eric W. Thornburg as new President/CEO
Mr. Thornburg, 45, was selected for the post after an extensive national search to find the successor to Marshall T. Chiaraluce, 63, who has been President/CEO and Chairman of the Board since 1992. Mr. Chiaraluce will remain full time Chairman of Connecticut Water until his retirement from the Company and the Board of Directors in the spring of 2007. Mr. Thornburg was most-recently President of Missouri-American Water, a subsidiary of American Water Works Corporation. He currently leads all Government and Regulatory Affairs for American Water's central region, spanning 15 states in the Midwest. At Missouri-American Water, the utility provides service to 1.3 million people, and Mr. Thornburg led a workforce of 650 employees. American Water has operations in 29 states and generates over $2 billion a year in water revenue. In 2003, American Water was acquired by the German-based conglomerate RWE, a Global 100 company with $57 billion in revenue. Connecticut Water Service, Inc. is the largest, domestic-based, investor-owned water utility in New England. It provides water to over 80,000 customers in 41 towns in Connecticut, as well as providing water-related services under contract in municipalities and companies. Press Release_ 1/12/06
December, 2005
American Water names George MacKenzie interim CEO
American Water, the largest and most geographically diversified provider of water services in North America, today announced the appointment of George MacKenzie as Interim President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of American Water, effective January 1, 2006. He will report directly to Harry Roels, Chief Executive Officer of RWE AG, American Water's corporate parent. Jeremy Pelczer, the current President and CEO of American Water, will continue to serve as a non-executive Chairman of American Water and head of RWE Thames Water. Press Release_ 12/15/05
Clifford P. Lum named new Honolulu water chief
Lum, who is president and principal-in-charge of The Limtiaco Consulting Group Inc., an engineering firm, will start his new job Jan. 3 as manager and chief engineer for the city's Board of Water Supply. Pacific Business News_ 12/20/05
Butte County, California to hire Toccoy Dudley as director of water and resource conservation
Dudley has more than 30 years experience in groundwater management, basin management, and water resources, a county press release said. He has been a key participant in the study of the Tuscan Aquifer and how the aquifer can be effectively managed. He is currently the administrative chief of the groundwater division for the California Department of Water Resources. Oroville Mercury-Register_ 12/9/05
November, 2005
The board's job is to preserve the quality of the Central Valley's water for drinking, irrigation and wildlife. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed Stockton environmentalist Dan Odenweller, 60, a board member of the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance and a former fishery biologist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Service and the California Department of Fish and Game. Odenweller, a Republican, has been outspoken on the handling of the Delta's ecosystem, whose quality has declined this year for reasons that are still controversial. A preliminary report on the fish crash is slated for release Monday. Odenweller says water exporters in the Delta have hindered research into why the estuary's ecosystem has declined in quality while continuing to export millions of gallons every day. Stockton Record_ 11/12/05
Underwood, chief executive officer and general manager of the MWD, died of liver cancer Wednesday at his home in the San Bernardino County community of Alta Loma, a spokesman for the agency said. A 35-year veteran of the water industry, Underwood was a former commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and had been a vice president of the Metropolitan Water District for six years before being named in April to head the Los Angeles-based water wholesaler and importer. He was diagnosed with cancer shortly after his appointment to the top MWD post. He carried out his duties until last week, when he went on medical leave. Underwood was known for his leadership on Colorado River water issues and for his skill as a negotiator in an arena with a long history of acrimonious battles over water rights. "The water world has lost one of its most accomplished and humble leaders," MWD board Chairman Wes Bannister said in a statement Thursday. "The underlying theme of Dennis' entire career was to balance needs with grace." The MWD is a consortium of 26 agencies that provides more than 50% of the water used by 18 million people in Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties. Los Angeles Times_ 11/4/05 (logon required)
October, 2005
Poseidon Resources engineer honored
Poseidon Resources' lead engineer, Nikolay Voutchkov, was recently recognized by the desalination industry for his work overseeing the desalination pilot plant studies that Poseidon has been conducting in Carlsbad for the last three years. Voutchkov was awarded "Best Overall Paper" at the International Desalination Association's World Congress in Singapore. (10th item) North County Times_ 10/29/05
Head of West Virginia American Water leaves for another post
The head of West Virginia's largest water company is leaving to take another job. West Virginia American Water President Chris Jarrett says he will leave his post at the end of the year. He became president of West Virginia American Water in 1993 and has worked at the company for 36 years. Jarrett will not identify his new employer, but says the company is based in Florida and has interests in West Virginia. AP/WOWKTV_ 10/24/05
September, 2005
Nichols, director of the UCLA Institute of the Environment, was elected during a special meeting of the new Board on Friday, September 23. The Board also elected Commissioner H. David Nahai as vice president. The first meeting of the new Board followed confirmation of three of its members by the City Council that same morning. They included Nahai, Nick Patsaouras and Edith Ramirez. The council had previous confirmed Nichols, while William A. Burke withdrew his nomination. A long-time environmental lawyer and policymaker, Nichols has held numerous environmental leadership positions in local, state, and federal government. Press Release/Business Wire_ 9/26/05
Engineer Colin McLaren has been appointed as Scotland's new drinking water quality regulator. The Scottish Executive said Mr McLaren, who drafted the current drinking water qualifications, has been chosen to succeed Tim Hooton, who has retired. Mr McLaren's job involves protecting consumers' interests and making sure drinking water supplies are clean. BBC News_ 9/26/05
Southwest Water names James E. Mann controller
Southwest Water Company (NASDAQ:SWWC) announced that James E. Mann has joined the company as vice president, controller. Mann, 52, brings to the position more than 20 years of experience in financial management of rapidly growing mid-size and large companies in the service and manufacturing sectors. His specialties include SEC regulatory compliance, and he has experience with Sarbanes-Oxley documentation and reporting.
Press Release_9/15/05
The man carrying out $200 million worth of projects aimed at solving Pajaro Valley’s water shortage has resigned his position as general manager of the water agency here. Charles McNiesh, who has worked for the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency since 1991, said Tuesday he has accepted a job as general manager of the Scotts Valley Water District. Since 1998, the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency board has hiked water rates more than 100 percent to pay for projects, which some farmers say are unnecessary. McNiesh and several board members have defended themselves along the way, saying something had to be done to reduce Pajaro Valley’s water woes. Overpumping has led to the intrusion of seawater from the Pacific Ocean. Santa Cruz Sentinel_ 8/31/05
Stockholm Water Prize for Sunita Narain, director of the Centre of Science and Environment
King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden presented the 2005 Stockholm Water Prize to Sunita Narain, the Director of the Centre of Science and Environment (CSE), at a gala ceremony at the Stockholm City Hall on Thursday. The award, instituted by the Stockholm International Water Institute, comprised a crystal sculpture and $ 150,000. The ceremony was part of the ongoing World Water Week in Stockholm. Describing Ms. Narain as a dynamic advocate — nationally and internationally — for water and the environment, human rights, democracy and health, the Institute said the prize had been awarded for efforts made by her and the CSE that included fighting powerful, top-down bureaucratic resource control, empowering women in water and rejuvenating traditional rainwater harvesting. In her acceptance speech, Ms. Narain said, "I accept this award on behalf of thousands of water engineers and water managers all over the world, especially in Asia, Africa and Latin America. These people are discounted in the formal knowledge system of the world."The Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) is a policy institute that contributes to international efforts to find solutions to the world's escalating water crisis. The Hindu_ 8/27/05
Ronald B. Linsky, executive director of the acclaimed National Water Research Institute, has passed away
Ronald B. Linsky, Executive Director of the National Water Research Institute (NWRI) located in Fountain Valley, CA. passed away Sunday, August 14, 2005 at the University of Southern California (USC) Norris Cancer Center.
As the Executive Director of the institute for 15 years, Mr. Linsky was responsible for creating a research institute based on the concept of a public-private partnership that has grown into the third largest institute in the United States. Forbes_8/15/05
New AWWA president committed to preserve water legacy
Taking the helm of AWWA as its new president, Andrew W. Richardson reminded attendees at AWWA's annual conference of the legacy created by AWWA and water professionals in the past 100-plus years. As part of the "privilege and obligation" of stewardship, "we need to exercise our leadership ability beyond the water community and enlist the general public and decision makers in our common goal to protect public health and preserve and invest in the assets of our water and wastewater utilities," he said. Richardson's father, William H. Richardson, was president of AWWA in 1984-1985. Press Release_ 6/15/05
Harold Melton named Georgia Supreme Court justice
Gov. Sonny Perdue named Melton to succeed Chief Justice Norman Fletcher, who is retiring June 30. Melton, 38, serves as Perdue's executive counsel and was a former senior lawyer in the state attorney general's office. As Perdue's top lawyer, Melton has been Georgia's primary contact in the tri-state water negotiations with Alabama and Florida, served as the governor's ethics officer and has overseen criminal justice legislation. Atlanta Journal-Constitution_ 6/8/05
April, 2005
At the MWD, the nation’s largest water wholesaler, Mr. Gastelum led the diversification of regional water supply resources with the development of new programs for large water transfer, groundwater banking, reclaimed water, and conservation, said the Falcon announcement. Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Falcon is the world’s leading water-free urinal systems manufacturer. Press Release_ 4/15/05
Southwest Water Company promotes Cheryl Clary to Chief Financial Officer
Clary, 49, has been the company's vice president of finance since October 2004. She succeeds Richard J. Shields in the planned transition. Los Angeles-based Southwest Water serves more than two million people from coast to coast. Press Release_ 4/11/05
Dennis B. Underwood named new director of Southern California's massive Metropolitan Water District
Underwood was chosen as chief executive officer and general manager of the agency, a consortium of 26 cities and water districts that provides drinking water to nearly 18 million people in parts of Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties. Underwood is a former commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. He has been MWD's vice president of Colorado River resources. The MWD board of directors chose him to replace Ronald R. Gastelum, who resigned as director in December. Underwood said he would look to diversify the region's water supply. There are "real opportunities" to reclaim water, both through desalting seawater and brackish water and by cleaning and reusing urban supplies. AP/San Francisco Chronicle_ 4/1/05
March, 2005
Pentair names Charles M. Brown president and chief operating officer of pump and pool operations
Pentair announced that Charles M. Brown will rejoin the company as president and chief operating officer of Pentair Water Group's Pump and Pool operations, effective April 4. This newly created position will report to the Office of the Chairman, which consists of Pentair Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Randall J. Hogan and Vice Chairman Richard J. Cathcart. Brown had served as president and chief operating officer of Pentair's Tools Group from 2003 until it was acquired by Black & Decker Corporation in October 2004. Pentair Pump is a leader in the global water and wastewater pump industry. Press Release_ 3/30/05
Kevin McCarty to chair board of South Florida Water Management District
Irela Bagué of Miami will serve as vice chairwoman. McCarty, of Delray Beach, is the husband of County Commissioner Mary McCarty and he is the Palm Beach County representative on the nine-member board. He was appointed by Gov. Jeb Bush in March 2003 to serve a four-year term. He is managing director of the public finance department for Bear Sterns and Company – an investment banking, securities trading and brokerage firm. Boca Raton News_ 3/13/05
Managing director of UK's Southern Water, Stuart Derwent, stands down
A spokeswoman would not reveal the reasons for Mr Derwent leaving after 32 years with the water and sewerage firm and four years as managing director. Southern Water, based in Worthing, West Sussex, supplies water to about two million households in Kent, Sussex, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. The organisation employs about 2,000 staff and was bought in 2003 by French group Veolia, the Royal Bank of Scotland and other investors. BBC News_ 3/4/05
Bush's pick of Stephen Johnson to head EPA widely praised
President Bush's appointment of the career agency insider as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency took environmental groups by surprise and earned the White House rare praise from advocates who long have been bitter foes. Johnson, 53, whom a former colleague praised as "the ultimate technocrat," is the first career EPA employee to head the agency. He has been the agency's acting administrator since Michael Leavitt left to become health and human services secretary in January. For most of his 24 years at EPA, Johnson held nonpolitical jobs in the part of the agency that regulates pesticides. Washington Post & Knight Ridder/Seattle Times_ 3/5/05
February, 2005
Idaho's Norm Semanko named president of the National Water Resources Assn.
Semanko is executive director for the Idaho Water User's Association. The NWRA represents the interest of irrigators and other water users throughout the west and brings those interests to the attention of national lawmakers. The NWRA concerns itself with water resources policy and development. AP/Idaho State Journal_ 2/6/05
January, 2005
Auer, a prominent player in California's water battles over the past three decades, died Saturday at 68 of a suspected pulmonary embolism. From 1972 to 1977, Mrs. Auer served as a public member of the State Water Resources Control Board, where she voted on regulations controlling pollution and establishing water rights. She first learned about water issues with the League of Women Voters and also served on the HillsboroughTown Council and as mayor. For the past decade, she ran a fellowship program for young professionals at the nonprofit Water Education Foundation. San Francisco Chronicle_ 1/11/05
December, 2004
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger names two replacements to state Public Utilities Commission
Lawyer Dian Grueneich and teacher Steve Poizner will replace former CPUC President Loretta Lynch and Carl Wood on the commission, which regulates the state's gas, electricity, telephone and water providers. Grueneich, a Democrat, runs an an energy and environmental law consulting company. Poizner, a Republican, has significant experience in telecommunications, founding a cell-phone technology company in the mid-1990s. He currently teaches government and economics at a California high school. The appointments must be confirmed by the state Senate. Reuters_ 12/16/04
Raley oversaw federal policy during a particularly challenging time, when the demands of a fast-growing region collided with drought. Yet he insisted there was plenty of water in the West — it was just a matter of shifting its uses through water marketing, an approach that many think represents the future of Western water management. He forced California to stop using more than its share of the Colorado River, freeing up water for other Western states. His efforts at compromise gave short shrift to the environment, say conservationists who argue that he helped weaken fish and wildlife protections. Los Angeles Times_ 12/2/04 (logon required)
November, 2004
The appointment by the DWP governing board requires confirmation by the City Council, which is expected to come swiftly. Deaton currently is the council's chief analyst. He would be the fourth person to head the troubled agency this year, after federal and county grand juries subpoenaed records on DWP contracting practices, a citizens group sued to overturn an 11% rate increase, and the city controller launched an audit of a public relations contract amid allegations that the agency was overcharged. He would take over an agency, with 8,100 employees and a budget of $3 billion, that provides water and power to 3.8 million Los Angeles residents. Los Angeles Times_ 11/3/04 (logon required)
October, 2004
Gastelum, 58, said he will quit effective Dec. 31 after 5 1/2 years as leader of the powerful agency that supplies drinking water to more than 18 million Southern California residents in six counties. He earned a salary of $297,000 a year and was the 11th chief executive officer of the MWD, created by the California Legislature in 1928 to build and operate the Colorado River Aqueduct to bring water to population-rich and water-starved Southern California. Longtime local water officials praised Gastelum for moving Metropolitan into finding more water through nontraditional supplies, including buying water from Northern California farmers in water "transfers" and storing water underground that could be used in droughts. North County Times_ 10/26/04
Ralph Edward Fuhrman, water pollution expert, dies at 95
Fuhrman was an environmental engineer and one of the first people to speak out about the sangers of pollution in the Potomac River, warning at a Senate hearing in 1950 that the river posed a "serious threat to the health and welfare of our people" and that without immediate attention, it could "become a cesspool." From 1973 to 1978, he managed the Washington regional office of Black & Veatch, an international engineering company. He continued to serve as a consultant on water pollution worldwide until he was in his late seventies. He died Sept. 30 of a stroke at his daughter's home in France. Washington Post_ 10/18/04 (logon required)
August, 2004
Doyle
Boen, the visionary who guided southern California's Eastern Municipal
Water District through its formative years, dies. He was 90.
Mr. Boen's six-decade career is intertwined with the history of water
development projects in California. In 1951, he was named general manager
and chief engineer for the fledgling Eastern Municipal Water District.
Following his retirement from EMWD in 1981, Mr. Boen served 12 years on
the Metropolitan Water District board, including five years as chairman
of the engineering and operations committee. He was named Engineer of
the Year by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1980. Press-Enterprise_
8/31/04 (logon required)
Paul
Garrity, the former Massachusetts judge whose historic rulings forced
a cleanup of the once-filthy Boston Harbor, dead at 66
In 1983, Garrity issued a 10-page finding that the Metropolitan District
Commission and the Boston Water and Sewer Commission were responsible
for polluting Boston Harbor. He appointed a "special master"
to design a plan to clean up the harbor and put the court's influence
behind a timetable for the project. The harbor is now the cleanest it
has been in decades. (2nd item) AP/San Francisco Chronicle_
8/23/04
George Nickel, California water baron and developer, dies at 86
Nickel, whose life was so intimately tied to the history of California water politics that he once said "water was his blood," died of a heart attack. "He was the kind of man who never bothered with a feasibility study," said his wife of 50 years, Adele "Dodo" Nickel, who was by his side at Memorial hospital when he died. "If he had an idea, he felt he could do it." The Central Valley farmer's vision of what irrigation could do for farmers and the state shaped water policies and even the lay of the land -- for the good of the community, said his friends, or just to help himself, said his adversaries. AP/San Francisco Chronicle_ 8/5/04
He was 70. In the bruising arena of Western water politics, Maynes outlasted opponents, from tiny gadflies to national heavyweights such as the Sierra Club. Ultimately, he won his decades-long fight for the "last of the big federal dams," the Animas-La Plata Project. Maynes lived long enough to see bulldozers scrape away at the earth where the new pumping plant will rise on the outskirts of Durango. And Maynes did not conceal then, and he never could, the relish he took in winning. Denver Post_ 7/26/04
June, 2004
Disgraced
ex-Vivendi CEO Jean-Marie Messier, no longer Master of the World
The man who once dubbed himself J6M -- "Jean Marie-Messier, me myself
master of the world" -- and transformed a dowdy water utility into
a media empire at a cost of $50 billion, turned himself over to police
as they carry out an insider trading probe. The humiliation of Messier,
48, a profligate dealmaker who created the media giant that had at its
heart Hollywood's Universal Studios and also presided over the then-biggest
loss in French corporate history, reads like a morality tale of the consequences
of overarching ambition. Reuters_ 6/22/04
Washington,
D.C. Water and Sewer Authority's chief engineer resigns to head public
works in Houston
Michael S. Marcotte, 53, has been the top engineer at WASA since 1997
and led the agency's technical response to findings of excessive lead
in much of the city's drinking water. His resignation, effective July
9, follows a period of intense pressure on the agency from city and federal
officials, who have complained that WASA failed to respond quickly to
the lead problem and did not fully inform the public of health risks.
Agency sources said Marcotte was not fired and was considering leaving
WASA before the lead problem created a public outcry four months ago.
Washington Post_ 6/19/04
Bennett
Raley profile: Bush administration's cowboy-turned-lawyer water czar surprises
environmentalists
He helped wrangle rival water agencies into signing a landmark Colorado
River accord last year. And environmentalists cheered when ideas they
had been urging for years turned up in a program aimed at helping cities
face looming water shortages. The 47-year-old Coloradan has shown an ability
to get along with people on all sides of an issue. It's a trait he'll
need as Western states race to cope with one of the most severe droughts
in modern times. "It's not easy playing God," Raley says about
his job. AP/Arizona Daily Sun_ 6/ 20/04
McCain, a Dallas-based principal and management consultant for the engineering and construction firm CDM, succeeds Marlay Price, under whose leadership AWWA membership reached an all-time high of 57,647. AWWA's 4,700 utility members serve 80 percent of America's population. Press Release_ 6/17/04
Deni
Elliott appointed ethics officer for Metropolitan Water District of Southern
California
She has served as the interim officer since Sept. 2003. Elliott will report
directly to the board of directors and continue to serve in the position
part time. She is responsible for fostering and supporting a model of
ethical culture at Metropolitan that is applicable to directors, managers
and staff. Press Release/Business Wire_ 6/8/04
Marin
County, California Municipal Water District names Paul Helliker as new
leader
Helliker arrives in Marin as the district wrestles with how to meet future
water demands. One plan has a voter-approved pipeline going to the Russian
River, but more recently officials have focused on desalination of bay
water as a solution. Marin Independent Journal_ 5/29/04
Kansas
governor names natural resources policy director, water chief
Gov. Kathleen Sebelius announced that Joe Harkins will join her staff
after serving as Water Office director for the past 13 months, a job he
also held from 1982 to 1991. Harkins will serve as a liaison among agencies
that handle natural resource issues. As Harkins' replacement at the Water
Office, Sebelius named Tracy Streeter, who has served as executive director
of the State Conservation Commission since 1995. AP/Kansas City Star_
5/25/04 (logon required)
VanNorman retired at the city's director of public utilities after more than 25 years of making sure that things were done right. Muskegon Chronicle_ 5/23/04 (logon required)
Randy
Hogan transformed Pentair Inc. from power tools to water technology
Since becoming Pentair's president in 1999 and CEO in 2001, Hogan has led the company's push to become a significant player in the industry. Star News_ 5/17/04 (logon required)
AWWA names Paula MacIlwaine new deputy
executive director
MacIlwaine currently is the American Water Works Association's director
of
Convention, Education and Section Services. With more than 19 years experience
in leading staff and volunteers, MacIlwaine is known for promoting extraordinary
customer service, communication and teamwork. She has hands-on experience
managing programs that provide current technical, regulatory and management
information. Press Release_ 5/10/04
April, 2004
Thomas
Skinner named EPA assistant administrator for enforcement
The White House has appointed Environmental Protection Agency Regional
Administrator Thomas V. Skinner acting assistant administrator for the
agency´s Office of Enforcement and Compliance. Phyllis Harris, the
current acting administrator, will remain as the deputy assistant administrator.
Skinner heads the EPA´s Region 5 Office in Chicago, and Bharat Mathur,
the current deputy regional administrator, will take over for Skinner
on an acting basis while Skinner is working with the agency´s headquarters.
Waste News 4/5/04
March, 2004
William
Craig named Alabama 2004 Wastewater ‘Operator of the Year’
He began working for the city of Rainsville in 1985 and oversees a plant
that serves more than 800 customers. The Weekly Post 3/26/04
An
American and a Danish ecologist share this year's $150,000 Stockholm Water
Prize for their outstanding contributions to global lake and wetland sustainability.
William J. Mitsch, 56, a professor of natural resources and environmental
science and director of the Olentangy River Wetland Research Park at Ohio
State University, and Sven Erik Joergensen, 69, a professor of environmental
chemistry at the Danish University of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Copenhagen,
will receive the award from King Carl XVI Gustaf on Aug. 19 in the Swedish
capital. AP/Yahoo 3/22/04
Bush
appoints Grumbles to EPA water post
President George W. Bush today announced his intention to nominate one
individual to serve in his administration: The President intends to nominate
Benjamin Grumbles, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Administrator of the
Environmental Protection Agency (Water Programs). Press Release 3/3/04
February, 2004
UC
Davis wastewater expert elected to National Academy of Engineering
UC Davis professor emeritus George Tchobanoglous has been elected to the
National Academy of Engineering, which is one of the highest professional
distinctions accorded to engineers. UCDavis Press Release 2/27/04
Southwest Water Company names Peter J. Moerbeek president and COO. Los Angeles-based company serves two million people in 35 states. Press Release/Business Wire 2/25/04
Lester Snow, former general manager of the San Diego County Water Authority, has been tapped as California's new water czar. Copley News Service 2/24/04
Dallas Cowboys running back Adrian Murrell is now a partner in an Arizona water treatment business. Phoenix Business Journal 2/23/04
Bernie Rhinerson, the chair of the San Diego County Water Authority, elected chair of the United States Desalination Coalition. Water agencies and utilities from Southern California, Florida and Texas formed the coalition to press for increased federal support. North County Times 2/13/04
California governor selects Arthur Baggett Jr. as chairman of the State Water Resources Control Board. Peter S. Silva named to another term. Imperial Valley Press 2/6/04
January, 2004
George Beardsley named to Denver Water Board. He's a long-term developer of commercial real estate properties. Denver Business Journal 1/29/04
Colorado River District Board elects officers. Stephen Mathis named president. Press Release 1/22/04
American Water Works Association names Arizona's Andy Richardson its next president-elect. Other officers also selected. Press Release 1/21/04
Texas governor reappoints Jack Hunt to state Water Development Board. James Herring named to first term. Board oversees statewide water planning and administers financial programs for water supply. Houston Business Journal 1/21/04
Profile: U.S. Rep. David Hobson (R-Ohio) chair of the Appropriations subcommittee on Energy and Water and one of the most powerful members of Congress. “Everybody in the world has got a water project,” he says. Cox News Service/Springfield News Sun 1/11/04
U.S. Rep. David Hobson's campaign contributions. Cox News Service/Springfield News Sun 1/11/04
T. David (Tim) Chinn, civil engineer and former AWWA Washington lobbyist, joins Canada's ZENON Environmental. He'll be vice president of Global Municipal Business Development. Press Release 1/7/04
The EPA's chief of enforcement resigns for Sam's Club job. John Suarez will be legal counsel for the Wal-Mart subsidiary. Reuters/Forbes 1/5/04
Former in-your-face environmentalist now earns his living helping Southern California water polluters comply with laws. L.A. Times 1/04/04
December, 2003
Joseph
Lee III named president and CEO of Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division.
The $195,000-a-year post "is going to be a real interesting tightrope
to walk," he says. Commercial Appeal 12/30/03
One
man sewage treatment plant wins Maine Rural Water Assn. wastewater 'outstanding
operation' award. Kennebec Journal 12/23/03
Nicholas DeBenedictis, the chairman and CEO of Philadelphia Suburban Corp., appointed to Pennsylvania water committee. Philadelphia Business Journal 12/17/03
Pennsylvania governor names 12 of 18 members to statewide Water Resources Committee. The committee will oversee development of a state water plan. PR News 12/10/03
Gladbach, Fiorini elected to top two posts at the Association of California Water Agencies annual fall conference. Business Wire 12/4/03
Assn. of California Water Agencies holds fall conference in San Diego Dec. 3-5. Speakers address key water issues and water rights. Business Wire 12/3/03
November, 2003
Appreciations: Death of a Sewer Worker. New York Times 11/13/03
Ometrias Deon Long is elected chair of Florida's St. Johns River Water Management District Governing Board. St. Augustine Record 11/13/03
Helena, Montana names Don Clark superintendent of water/wastewater treatment. Queen City News 11/12/03
Retired Corps of Engineers brigadier general joins CH2M HILL's Atlanta office. Peter T. Madsen will focus on business development and provide oversight to major ecosystem and water projects. Photo Press Release 11/10/02
National Small Flows Clearinghouse Fall 2003 newsletter, Pipeline available on the web. It's free and written for a general audience. Press Release 11/10/03
