Announcing the 2017 PNCWA Award Winners

Each year, PNCWA’s membership honors and recognizes excellence in the clean water industry. The mission of the awards program is to facilitate and promote the recognition of professionals involved in supporting, operating, or managing wastewater collection systems, stormwater systems, or wastewater treatment/water resource recovery facilities in the Pacific Northwest. Here are the 2017 PNCWA Awardees as determined by the PNCWA Awards Committee:

The Arthur Sidney Bedell Award
The Bedell Award was established to acknowledge extraordinary personal service to a WEF Member Association. The award is named for Arthur Sidney Bedell, WEF's second president for his long devotion and service to the New York Sewage and Industrial Wastes Association, now the New York Water Environment Association. He was Chief of the Bureau of Sewage and Waste Disposal of the New York State Department of Health.

This year, the award goes to Dr. Erik Coats, University of Idaho.

The George W. Burke, Jr. Award

The award recognizes a municipal or industrial wastewater facility for establishing and maintaining an active and effective safety program.  This award was established in 1982 in honor of George W. Burke, Jr., for his many years of service to both the water environment field and WEF as staff manager of technical services. Mr. Burke was instrumental in developing WEF's annual safety survey and assisting in the production of several safety training aids and promotional packets. The purpose of this award is to encourage an active and effective safety program in municipal and industrial wastewater facilities.

This year, the award goes to the City of Walla Walla WWTP (CH2M).

The PNCWA Individual Distinguished Achievement
This award is presented to a PNCWA member who is most deserving of special recognition as a result of distinguished service rendered in the interest of pollution abatement, and who has contributed fundamentally and practically to the advancement of the industry.

This year, the award goes to Layne McWilliams, Cascade Energy. 

Woman of the Year Award
This new award recognizes women who have excelled in their career, have forwarded water issues and/or have made a significant achievement to the water industry. The essence of this award is to discover and reward exceptional women for their leadership, mentoring skills and/or ideas that stand out from their colleagues. 

The inaugural award goes to Nicki Pozos, HDR Engineering.

The Innovative Stormwater Project Award
This new award recognizes and encourages projects that showcase innovative stormwater elements. Projects completed by PNCWA members that feature any of the following components are eligible: stormwater design innovation; urban habitat enhancement; water quality enhancement; public education and outreach about stormwater; integration and enhancement of social, economic, and environmental factors. 

This inaugural award goes to Ballard Natural Drainage, City of Seattle.

The Laboratory Analyst Excellence Award 
This award recognizes individuals for outstanding performance, professionalism and contributions to the water quality analysis profession.

This year, the award goes to Steven Hall, City of Salem.

Operator of the Year
Sections in Idaho, Oregon and Washington nominate to their Region, which selects the winer, an outstanding Operator and Collections System Operator to be recognized by PNCWA. The award represents outstanding job performance of regular duties, and individual or collective accomplishments of an experimental, developmental or innovative nature. Operator of the Year and Collections Operator of the Year Awards are given in each Region.

This year, the awards go to

Oregon Treatment OYA
Blake Raines, Clackamas County WES

Oregon COYA
Dean Ronk, Roseburg Urban Sanitary Authority

Idaho Treatment OYA
Rodney Cook, City of Moscow

Idaho COYA
Glenn Shute, City of Coeur d’Alene

Western WA Treatment OYA
Gary Guttormson, LOTT Clean Water Alliance

Eastern WA OYA
Ezra Crooks, City of Spokane

Eastern WA COYA
Duane Harper, City of Ellensburg.

PNCWA Outstanding Young Water Environment Professional Award
This award recognizes the contributions of young water environment professionals for significant contributions to PNCWA and to the wastewater collection and treatment industry.

This year, the award goes to Chris Horgan, J-U-B Engineers.

The Sustainability Award
This award recognizes and encourages projects that showcase sustainable design elements. Projects completed by PNCWA members that feature any of the following components are eligible: Renewable energy generation, Greenhouse gas emission reductions, Transformation of waste to products, Energy efficiency improvements, Reduction of toxic materials, Habitat enhancement, Water quality enhancement, Public education and outreach about sustainability, LEED certification, Integration and enhancement of social, economic, and environmental factors.

This year, the award goes to Duwamish Infrastructure Training Program (Urban Systems Design and King County).

 

The William D. Hatfield Award
The Hatfield Award is presented to operators of wastewater treatment plants for outstanding performance and professionalism. The award was established in honor of Dr. William D. Hatfield, Superintendent of the Decatur, Illinois Sanitary District, who was President of the Central States Sewage Works Association in 1944-45 and served as President of the Federation in 1958-59.

This year, the award goes to Jack Bennion, CH2M (Twin Falls).

 

WEF Life Membership

 

Individuals who have been a member of WEF and one or more WEF Member Association for 35 or more consecutive years, and are at age 65 or older, are eligible to apply for WEF Life Membership. New Life members are:

John R. Harrison
Brian Hemphill
John C. Kissel
J. Michael Read

 


 The awards will be presented at our annual conference in Vancouver, Washington this October. 

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