Mike Leonard Assumes AWWA Presidency
Mike Leonard, water operations manager for the city of Roswell, Ga., assumed the presidency of the American Water Works Association during the annual conference in Atlanta.
"As water professionals and citizens of the planet, we have an obligation to be the very best stewards we can be of our water resources, our systems, and our public health," said Leonard, who has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Georgia Section of AWWA, and has been an AWWA member since 1974. "I thank you all so much for having the opportunity to serve as your president as we take on these challenges together."
Leonard has devoted his career to safe water and has been honored with multiple awards, including the AWWA George Warren Fuller Award (2001) and Diamond Pin (2002), as well as three bronze medals and several special achievement awards from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. He has served with distinction as general manager and chief administrative officer for the Atlanta-Fulton County Water Resources Commission, chief of the drinking water section at EPA, and client technical services manager at Brown and Caldwell.
Leonard succeeds Nilaksh Kothari, general manager of public utilities for Manitowoc, Wis.
The new president-elect is Craig Woolard, treatment division director of the Anchorage (Alaska) Water and Wastewater Utility.
Leonard's top priorities for the year include promoting the value of water professionals and their work, recruiting new water professionals to replace an expected wave of industry retirements, increasing member participation in AWWA, and strengthening section-association cooperation.