The Water Environment Federation (WEF) announced the members of its 2015 to 2016 board of trustees. The members were confirmed by WEF’s House of Delegates during WEFTEC 2015—WEF’s 88th annual technical exhibition and conference—last week in Chicago, Ill.
During a ceremony on Tuesday, Sept. 29, the WEF “gavel of leadership” was passed from president Ed McCormick (Oakland, Calif.) to incoming president Paul Bowen (Atlanta). Bowen is currently the director of Sustainable Operations for the Coca-Cola Co., where he is responsible for delivering on company commitments in the water and energy/climate spaces and for embedding environmental sustainability across all business operations.
During his year-long term as WEF president, Bowen will continue to help fulfill the federation’s strategic direction and critical objectives—to connect water professionals; enrich the expertise of water professionals; increase the awareness of the impact and value of water; and provide a platform for water sector innovation —by calling on WEF members to work together as a community of empowered professionals to create a healthy global water environment.
“Because I have a passion for water, I work for the Coca-Cola Co. and I volunteer for WEF,” said Bowen in his acceptance remarks. “That [shared] passion drives each and every one of us in our daily endeavors in the water environment. As we work together to create our future, it’s not about me or about WEF … it’s about water. Because if we fail at this [providing clean water] … we fail [protecting future generations].”
Bowen also emphasized the importance of supporting young professionals, harnessing the power of a fully engaged membership, recognizing the value of recovered resources toward financial stability of water resource recovery facilities and sound water infrastructure, and establishing conditions that promote accelerated development and implementation of innovative technologies.
In addition to Bowen and McCormick, the complete 2015 to 2016 board of trustees includes: president-elect Rick Warner (Reno, Nev.), vice president Jenny Hartfelder (Denver), treasurer Ralph Exton (Trevose, Pa.), and secretary and WEF executive director Eileen O’Neill (Alexandria, Va.). Trustees are Lynn Broaddus (Wauwatosa, Wis.), Joan Hawley (Muskego, Wis.), Claus Homann (Aarhus, Denmark), Jackie Jarrell (Charlotte, N.C.), Karen Kubick (San Francisco), and Tom Kunetz (Chicago).
Source: Water Environment Federation
