Movers & Shakers: IDA presents reuse & conservation awards, other news

Nov. 15, 2016

The International Desalination Association conferred the inaugural IDA Water Reuse and Conservation Awards at its International Conference on Water Reuse and Recycling, “Turning Vision into Reality,” which took place in Nice, France.

Above image: Dr. Masaru Kurihara (second from left) received IDA’s Award for Outstanding Professional in Water Reuse and Conservation at the Association’s Water Reuse Conference in Nice, France. Congratulating his achievement were (left to right) Leon Awerbuch, IDA Director and Conference Co-chair; Shannon McCarthy, IDA 1st Vice President; Emilio Gabbrielli, IDA President; and Nikolay Voutchkov, IDA Director and Conference Co-chair.

Awards & Recognitions

IDA awards presented in three water reuse & conservation categories

The International Desalination Association ( IDA ) conferred the inaugural IDA Water Reuse and Conservation Awards at the IDA International Conference on Water Reuse and Recycling, "Turning Vision into Reality," which took place in Nice, France.

IDA presented awards in three categories:

Outstanding Professional in Water Reuse and Conservation

  • Winner: Dr. Masaru Kurihara, Toray Industries Inc.
  • Distinction Award (tie): Professor Neal Chung, National University of Singapore
  • Distinction Award (tie): Dr. Roberto Mazzini, Veolia Water Technologies Italia

Exceptional Utility Leader in Water Reuse and Conservation 

  • Winner: Orange County Water District, USA
  • Distinction Award: Suez, France
  • Merit Award: Water Corporation, Australia

Industry Technology and Innovation Leader in Water Reuse and Conservation

  • Winner: Veolia Water Technologies, France
  • Distinction Award: Desalitech, USA
  • Merit Award: Dow Water & Process Solutions, USA

WEF announces 2016 MS4 Stormwater & Green Infrastructure Awards winners

The Water Environment Federation (WEF), a not-for-profit technical and educational organization, named the winners of the 2016 national municipal stormwater and green infrastructure awards. Developed through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the program recognizes high-performing regulated Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4s) and inspires them to exceed requirements through innovative and cost-effective approaches.

The winners were recognized during the Stormwater Congress at WEFTEC 2016, WEF’s 89th annual technical exhibition and conference in New Orleans. All participants received a certificate in gold, silver, or bronze levels with three winners from each category selected for program management, innovation, and overall winner with the highest score.

Overall Highest Scores

  • Phase I –  Santa Clara Valley Urban Runoff Pollution Prevention Program, California
  • Phase II –  Capitol Region Watershed District, Minnesota

Innovation 

  • Phase I –  Jefferson Parish Environmental Affairs, Louisiana
  • Phase II –  City of Auburn, Alabama

Program Management 

  • Phase I –  City of Austin, Texas Watershed Protection Department
  • Phase II –  Kitsap County Public Works, Washington

Launched last year, the program recognizes Phase II — includes small MS4s in urbanized areas, as well as small MS4s outside the urbanized areas that are designated by the local permitting authority and Phase I — includes medium and large cities or certain counties with populations of 100,000 or more to obtain NPDES permit coverage for their stormwater discharges.

Baldor Electric’s Malinowski receives MS’16 Award at 2016 Motor Summit

John Malinowski, Baldor Electric Company’s senior director of industry affairs, was recently recognized with the MS’16 Award at the 2016 Motor Summit in Zurich, Switzerland. The MS’16 award is for his personal engagement to make IE3 premium efficiency motors the global market standard. Malinowski has been instrumental to Baldor and has been a voice and advocate for motor manufacturers working with standards organizations and government agencies.

The award was presented at the 2016 Motor Summit, a bi-annual event held since 2007 in Zurich. The event brings selected international experts together from research; federal governments; utilities; motor, pump, and fan manufacturers; original equipment manufacturers (OEM); motor systems users and other interested parties to discuss motor and drive technology, new global efficiency programs and market transformations. The event is hosted by Impact Energy, a member of the Swiss Agency for Efficient Energy Use (S.A.F.E.), in collaboration with the Electric Motor Systems Annex (EMSA) of the IEA 4E (International Energy Agency Technology Collaboration Programme on Energy Efficient End-use Equipment) and the national program SwissEnergy.

Archuleta honored with Desalination Pioneer Award, UTEP fund named for him

(from left to right) Thomas A. Davis, PhD, Director of the Center for Inland Desalination Systems, UTEP, former US Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, Justin Sutherland, Carollo Engineers, and Malynda Cappelle, PhD candidate at UTEP | Image courtesy of UTEP

The Texas Desalination Association honored desalination Ed Archuleta with the Texas Desalination Pioneer Award at its fourth annual conference in Austin, Texas. Archuleta was bestowed with accolades for his early vision of desalinated water for El Paso and for bringing the Kay Bailey Hutchison Desalination Plant online in 2007. The KBH Desalination Plant is currently the largest inland desalination plant in the world.

With more than 48 years in the water and wastewater fields, Archuleta has served as the Deputy Director of Public Works for the City of Albuquerque and as President/CEO of El Paso Water Utilities. Mr. Archuleta also made his mark in El Paso by overseeing the development of one of the nation’s first successful water conservation programs.

As the current Director of Water Initiatives at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), Archuleta continues to lead the next generation of innovative water treatment engineers. For this reason, the Texas Desalination Association launched The Ed Archuleta Desalter Scholarship Fund and awarded its first recipient, Malynda Cappelle, who is completing her Ph.D. in Civil Engineering at UTEP.

Leroy Goodson receives NGWA Special Recognition Award

Leroy Goodson, former executive secretary of the Texas Ground Water Association and general manager of the Texas Water Conservation Association, both headquartered in Austin, is the 2016 recipient of the National Ground Water Association’s Special Recognition Award. This award is presented to an individual or organization demonstrating dedication, service, and commitment to the groundwater industry through involvement and achievement on a local or regional level.

Goodson was made an Honorary Life Member of the Texas Ground Water Association in 2008 and received NGWA’s Life Member Award in 2012. He was recognized by the Texas House of Representatives for his service and dedication to water resources of Texas and the nation in 2015.

WEF announces Student Design Competition winners

The Water Environment Federation (WEF) awarded the 2016 Student Design Competition to students from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities and Southern Methodist University. The 15th annual competition took place last month as part of WEFTEC 2016, WEF’s 89th annual technical exhibition and conference.

The University of Minnesota – Twin Cities team’s project, "A New Tool for the Retrieval of Harmful Algae Concentrations using Multi-Satellite Observations," won in the environmental design category and Southern Methodist University’s team project, “City of Fort Worth Village Creek Water Reclamation Facility Primary Treatment Upgrades," won in the wastewater design category. This was the first win for the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities (Central States Water Environment Association) and the third win for Southern Methodist University (Water Environment Association of Texas).

Members of the University of Minnesota—Twin Cities included Maria Garcia-Serrana, Zeinab Takbiri, Abby Tomasek, Anne Wilkinson, and their faculty adviser, Michele Guala. Members of the Southern Methodist University team included Elizabeth Boddicker, Katie Stowers, Rachel Turner, their faculty adviser, Dr. Patricia Taylor, and team sponsor Julie Ellis. Both teams received certificates and their respective member associations received a $2,500 award.

Daniel B. Stephens recognized for contributions to NGWA

Daniel B. Stephens, Ph.D., PG, PHg, founder and principal hydrologist of Daniel B. Stephens & Associates Inc., received the 2016 Keith E. Anderson Award for outstanding contributions to the National Ground Water Association.

Throughout the last 42 years, Stephens has served with energy and dedication, bringing forth his extensive hydrologic and geological experience, as well as his passion for protecting groundwater, to advance the goals of NGWA.

Stephens’ many contributions to NGWA include serving on the NGWA Board of Directors, Scientists and Engineers Board of Directors, Policy and Code of Regulations Standing Committee, and the Scientists and Engineers International Committee. In addition, he has led several NGWA short courses and given more than 20 presentations at NGWA events.

Milestones & Celebrations

Viega hosts training opportunity at facility-wide open house

Viega LLC hosted and trained more than 200 industry professionals at its 2016 Nashua Educational Facility Open House event in Nashua, New Hampshire. The annual open house provides attendees the opportunity to see Viega’s Nashua training facility where thousands of professionals in the plumbing, HVAC and pipe-joining industries receive training each year. Attendees participated in a Viega technical services team meet-and-greet, a training and services event offering an overview and discounts toward future training packages.

Walk for Water Charity Event Raises $40,000

Image courtesy of GF Piping

GF Piping Systems hosted a special "Walk for Water" charity event in Irvine, California on Oct. 22.  More than 200 participants, including GF employees, their families, friends, and sponsors, took part in the event to raise awareness and funds for the drinking water shortage worldwide. Participants symbolically carried buckets of water along a designated 3 ½ mile route – a daily routine for many women and children around the globe who live without the luxury of clean drinking water at home.

Sponsorships and donations for the event, including $10,000.00 from GF Corporation, raised more than $40,000.00 in support of Water Mission, a charity organization and GF customer.  Water Mission is building, installing and maintaining sustainable safe water and sanitation solutions for people and communities suffering under the global water crisis.

Appointments

The Coca-Cola Company names chief information officer

The Coca-Cola Company named Barry Simpson its new Chief Information Officer. He previously served as head of the company’s Global Business Unit IT Services. In his new role, Simpson will oversee all of the company’s global information technology strategy, services and operations.

A nearly 30-year IT industry veteran, Simpson joined the Coca-Cola system in 2008 as Group CIO of the Coca-Cola Amatil (CCA) Group, a major Coca-Cola bottler based in Sydney, Australia.  In this role he was responsible for the development and implementation of IT strategy for the CCA Group across multiple lines of business in six Asia-Pacific markets.  He joined The Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta in January 2016, where he has been responsible for overseeing IT services provided to all of the company’s business units worldwide. Simpson succeeds long-time Coca-Cola CIO Ed Steinike, who passed away earlier this year after a brief illness.  Simpson has served as the company’s interim CIO during this period.

Matthew Burns to lead WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff’s environment sector

WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff, a global engineering and professional services organization, recently announced the promotion of Matthew Burns, who has been named a technology and innovation leader for the firm’s U.S. Environment sector.

Burns, who has been with the firm since 2000, has more than 20 years of chemistry and engineering experience, bringing chemical and microbial process expertise to assist local teams with challenging investigation and remediation projects in the U.S. and around the globe. Burns frequently employs advanced molecular diagnostics and predictive microcosm technique, to efficiently assess site conditions and identify remedial amendment formulations to chemically or biologically degrade or transform groundwater contaminants. He has also published numerous articles on this topic.

Burns is currently working in conjunction with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and National Ground Water Association to promote the application of innovative combined-remedy approaches to remediation of contaminated groundwater. His work in this area focuses on combining convention bioremediation with engineered biogeochemical reduction, which has proven to be very successful in detoxifying groundwater in unconsolidated and bedrock aquifers.

Burns earned a master’s degree in civil/environmental engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park and a bachelor’s degree in environmental science from the University of Massachusetts. His professional affiliations include the Scientific Advisory Board, Association for Environmental Health and Sciences, Annual International Conference on Soils, Sediments and Water, and the Advisory Board for the Advanced Tools Website (advancedtools.us).

Jeremy Huckaby joins Sprayroq Inc. as director of business development 

Jeremy Huckaby | Image courtesy of Sprayroq

Sprayroq Inc. hired Jeremy Huckaby as its new director of business development to address the needs of a maturing trenchless technologies market, and to help supply an expanding list of applications for the company’s products. Sprayroq Inc., is the developer and manufacturer of fast-curing structural and chemical-resistant polyurethanes for the rehabilitation and protection of underground infrastructure.

Huckaby will focus on developing the Sprayroq Certified Partner (SCP) network to build the capacity needed to continue leading the way in pipeline and other asset rehabilitation. His goals include uncovering opportunities for Sprayroq to participate in P3 (Public Private Partnership) projects through Sprayroq’s parent company, Signet Capital, and working to grow relationships and increase awareness of Sprayroq among municipalities and engineering firms.

Huckaby has a background in coatings, including 12 years working with commercial and industrial coatings contractors, architects, engineers, owners and city decision-makers for Sherwin-Williams. He brings to the table expertise in surface preparation and commercial/industrial coatings recommendations for a variety of substrates.

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