LATHAM, N.Y. — Jim Birkett has spent more than 40 years as a consultant on desalination technologies for government agencies and industry leaders.
When the International Desalination Association (IDA) formed in 1985 from two previous organizations, Birkett was its first elected president, with the task of bringing the two organizations together.
In 2013, Birkett was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the International Desalination Association World Congress in Tianjin, in recognition of his lifetime of dedication to the field.
"I was very pleased to receive that,” said Birkett. “Working with the IDA has been great, and working with the entire desal community has been great. I've developed really long-lasting, firm friendships with people here, not just in the IDA but in the desal field in general. And I feel very fortunate to have had to spend my career with this particular gang of individuals.”
“I accept it…just as acknowledgement of the fact that you can find a career in desal very, very satisfying."
To hear more from our conversation with Birkett, on the award, the history of desalination and its future, listen to the podcast here: https://www.watertechonline.com/podcasts.
