Who's Doing What

• Aug 16, 2010

Sterba Is New President CEO of American Water Works Company
Jeffry Sterba has been appointed president and chief executive officer and elected to the Board of Directors of American Water Works Company Inc., effective Aug. 16.

Sterba is succeeding Donald Correll, who is leaving the company.

George MacKenzie, non-executive chair of American Water, said, “His insights and collaboration with the board will help ensure a seamless management transition.”

"The entire board is pleased to name Jeffry Sterba as president and CEO of American Water,” said George MacKenzie, non-executive chair of the company. “Jeff is a seasoned utility industry executive who has the proven leadership ability and experience to uphold American Water’s position as the single largest enterprise protecting the nation’s public health standards and take the company to the next level of performance.”

Sterba said he will conduct a full review over the next few months that will include a listening tour of internal and external stakeholders, examining the business structure and identifying opportunities for growth, and assessing American Water’s role in the national conversation about responsible water use and sustainability.

Sterba is chair of PNM Resources, Inc., the parent company of PNM, Texas-New Mexico Power Company (TNMP), and First Choice Power. Most recently he was chair and chief executive officer of PNM Resources from 2000 until March 2010.

He has served as chair of Edison Electric Institute, the national association of shareholder owned utilities, and chair of the Electric Power Research Institute, a non-profit center for energy and environment research. He serves on the board of directors of the Meridian Institute and is a member of the Business Environmental Leadership Council for the Pew Center on Global Climate Change. He also previously served on the board of directors of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and is a recipient of the Keystone Leadership in Industry Award and numerous other national and local honors.

Veolia Water's Auguste Joins Clean Water America Alliance Board
Laurent Auguste, president and chief executive officer of Veolia Water Americas joined the Clean Water America Alliance (CWAA) as a newly elected member of its Board of Directors.

The CWAA, a nonprofit organization launched in 2008, focuses on water sustainability and improving public awareness of issues concerning water. The essential objectives of the Alliance are to analyze the nation’s ability to provide clean and safe water to its people, educate citizens and legislators on human and climate impact on water, and recognize organizations and individuals at the forefront of innovation and achievement in water quality.

New Chief for USGS National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center
Doug Beard has been selected as the chief of the USGS National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center.  He was selected from a list of qualified applicants by Matthew C. Larsen, associate director for Water and Climate Change Programs and Dr. Susan D. Haseltine, associate director for biology.

The center is helping understand people climate change impacts on fish and wildlife and develop tools that resource managers can use to protect these species and their habitats.

Beard had already been serving as the interim director of the center since September 2009. Previously, he was the U.S. Geological Survey program coordinator for fisheries and aquatic and endangered resources. He first joined the USGS in 2003, working as a program manager with the National Biological Information Infrastructure. Before coming to the USGS, he held fishery management positions in Wisconsin and Minnesota Departments of Natural Resources. He received a bachelor’s in biology from the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire, a master’s in fish and wildlife from Pennsylvania State University, and a doctorate in zoology from the University of Wisconsin - Madison.

Beard will also oversee the establishment and program direction of the Department of the Interior’s eight regional Climate Science Centers, which will will provide scientific information, tools and techniques needed to manage land, water, wildlife and cultural resources in the face of climate change. 

Congress established the center in 2008. Projects currently under way include studies of alterations in Florida’s ecosystems, potential impacts on Great Lakes’ fish, sea-level rise impacts on San Francisco Bay marshes, and the effects of melting glaciers on Alaska’s freshwater coastal systems.

Ben Grumbles to Deliver WateReuse Keynote Address
Benjamin H. Grumbles, director of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and former assistant administrator for Water at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, will deliver the keynote address for the 25th Annual WateReuse Symposium to be held Sept. 12-15, at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C.

Neundorfer Promotes Ostanek to President
Neundorfer, Inc. of Willoughby, Ohio, promoted Steve Ostanek to president and chief operating officer. Mike Neundorfer, company founder who previously served as president, is now chair and chief executive officer.

Privately-held Neundorfer, Inc. specializes in designing and optimizing air pollution control systems (ESP electrostatic precipitator and baghouse dust collection systems and controls) for coal-powered electrical plants and industrial applications.

Ostanek joined the company in 1982 and has contributed to the company's performance through customer relations, process and equipment analysis, training, consulting, strategic planning and personnel development. Most recently he served as vice president of sales and marketing.

Ostanek holds a bachelor's degree in international marketing from the University of Akron.

Jonathan Hsu Joins RecycleBank as CEO
Veteran media and Internet executive Jonathan Hsu has been named chief executive officer of Recyclebank, the green awards program that motivates people to take environmental actions.

Hsu was most recently chief executive officer of 24/7 Real Media, the leaders behind the science of digital marketing and part of WPP, the world leader in marketing communications.

“RecycleBank has accomplished a great deal in its relatively short history; they’ve built a large community of engaged members that are motivated to have a positive impact on the environment,” Hsu said. “Now is the perfect time to bring this momentum to a broader audience, as green initiatives are becoming a mandatory element of any successful brand’s marketing strategy. There is extraordinary opportunity for brands to join RecycleBank’s mission to motivate green actions and create incredible value for our members, partners, employees and shareholders. I certainly look forward to the journey ahead.”

Hsu will work with RecycleBank to introduce green rewards programs to the WPP client base and other eco-conscious brands and roll out new product offerings that will enable municipalities and partners to innovate from a sustainability point of view. He will officially take office on Oct. 4.

Jill Peterson Receives AWWA Fuller Award
Jill Peterson, a senior project manager and Project Delivery & Quality lead for water and wastewater projects in the Albuquerque, N.M. office of CH2M Hill, won a George Warren Fuller Award this year.

These awards are presented to selected members from each section of American Water Works Association (AWWA) for their distinguished service to the water supply field. The Rocky Mountain Section (New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming) members voted and presented the award to Peterson. The award commemorates the sound engineering skill, the brilliant diplomatic talent, and the constructive leadership that characterized the life of George Warren Fuller.

Peterson has volunteered with the Rocky Mountain Section for the past 10 years. She has served on the board, including section chair and two years as secretary/treasurer, and has twice managed the section’s annual conference. Peterson currently volunteers on multiple committees, providing her experience and leadership to AWWA.

The contest, now entering its 24th year, celebrates those who are building and leading successful, growing and dynamic businesses, recognizing them through regional, national and global awards programs.

Blocki was chosen based on a number of factors including his guiding the division to seven consecutive years of profits and the overseeing a direct sales effort that established 11 multi-year contracts encompassing 45 systems in 14 plants.

Along with managing a staff of more than 70 employees, Blocki established a nationwide sales representative organization that yielded over $300 million in sales. He has authored numerous technical articles for industry and trade publications and prepared and presented case studies to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.

Durr Systems, Inc. – Environmental and Energy Systems is the world’s largest supplier of volatile organic compound, hazardous air pollutants, odor control and energy recovery systems and is located in Plymouth, Mich.

Elve to Manage Industry and Regulatory Affairs at Sensus
Sensus has selected David Elve to support the company’s strategy development and industry affairs. As vice president of Industry Solutions, Elve will provide leadership for the regulatory and standards environment and support the company’s global smart grid initiatives.

Elve brings 20 years of utility and IT experience with leading international companies, including Enspiria Solutions, Landis+Gyr and Atos Origin. Most recently, he was vice president with Enspiria, a smart grid consulting and system integration firm recently acquired by Black & Veatch.

A published author and frequent speaker at industry events, Elve is a member of the advisory and program committees for DistribuTECH, Autovation, and Metering, Billing/CIS America. He is a graduate of Auburn University and the Stetson School of Business at Mercer University in Atlanta, Ga.

“Sensus has a unique value proposition in the market, delivering proven business and technology solutions that address real-life challenges of water, gas, and electric utilities around the world,” said Elve. “One of my goals is to increase our existing momentum and to advance our leadership in the smart grid.”