Aimeé R. Killeen is the president-elect and a member of the WEF Board of Trustees and a member of the 2022-23 Board of Trustees for the Water Environment Federation (WEF), an international organization of water quality professionals headquartered in Alexandria, Va.

Aimeé is currently a company leader for Providence Engineering and Environmental Group LLC in Baton Rouge, La. At Providence, Aimeé leads the Air, Water, Waste, Ground Water, Environmental Engineering and Remediation teams as their company leader, and is responsible for an awesome team of employee owners. Aimeé and her team oversee all client efforts related to ambient monitoring and modeling, industrial treatment, client monitoring, remediation, permitting, reporting and regulatory compliance.

Aimeé is an active member of the Louisiana Water Environment Association, where she served as president from 2012–13 and currently serves as secretary of the board. She also chairs the MA Public Education Committee, is the MA Stockholm Junior Water Prize representative, and a member of the Select Society of Sanitary Sludge Shovelers.

Aimeé spent five years serving WEF in the House of Delegates as a representative of the Louisiana Water Environment Association. During that time, she served as Speaker of the House of Delegates, chaired the Outreach Committee and has been an active member of numerous WEF Committees.

Aimeé has been working in the water profession for over 23 years, including 10 years as a state regulator. She is a 1997 graduate of Louisiana State University.

Updated July 17, 2023

Howard Carter is the vice president and a member of the 2022-23 Board of Trustees for the Water Environment Federation (WEF), an international organization of water quality professionals headquartered in Alexandria, Va.

Howard is the director of the Water Resource Recovery Department for the City of Saco, Maine. He is responsible the daily operations and maintenance, funding, staffing, billing, licensing and construction and of the city’s Resource Recovery Facility and 32 pumping stations. He also oversees the implementation of Combined Sewer Overflow Master Plan and any separation or construction projects associated with that.

A WEF member since 1998, Howard spent five years in the House of Delegates as a representative of the New England Water Environment Association (NEWEA) and his last year as the speaker of the House. During that time, he has chaired the House Nominating Committee, served on the House Steering Committee, the CLC Steering Committee, along with the WEFMAX, Outreach and Budget committees, and has been a member of most work groups. Additionally he was a founding member of the New England Operations Challenge team "Pump Fiction" that went on to compete nationally in both Division 1 and 2 for a number of years.

Howard is also an active member of NEWEA, where he served as president in 2010. He is also a past president of the Maine Water Environment Association in 2002.

In addition to receiving numerous WEF Operations Challenge team awards over the years Howard is also a recipient of the William D. Hatfield Award, the Arthur Sidney Bedell Award, A WEF Fellow, a WEF Service Pin Recipient, and a member of the Select Society of Sanitary Shovelers.

Howard is a graduate of both the U.S. Naval Nuclear Piping/Mechanical Apprenticeship program and the Southern Maine Technical College Wastewater Treatment/ Environmental program.

Updated Oct. 12, 2022

Keith L. Hobson is the 2020-2023 Treasurer for the Water Environment Federation (WEF), an international organization of water quality professionals headquartered in Alexandria, VA.

Keith is the Past President/CEO of FOX Engineering Associates in Ames, Iowa and has over 40 years of experience as a consultant in the field of environmental engineering for both municipal and industrial clients. He also served with Black & Veatch for more than13 years and has been involved in design of water and wastewater treatment facilities ranging in capacity from 2 mgd to over 400 mgd.

A WEF member since college, he served as speaker of the House of Delegates (HOD) in 2018-2019 and served for two terms on the HOD as a representative of the Iowa Water Environment Association (IAWEA) and as a delegate at large. He has served as chair or vice chair of several workgroups and committees of the HOD, as well as chair of the WEF Audit and Finance committees. He also serves on the WEF Government Affairs Committee.

Keith has been an active member of IAWEA, serving on many committees, chairing the newsletter/publications committee and financial review committee and consulting with IDNR on regulatory issues. He also served as chair of the newsletter committee for the Kansas WEA prior to moving to Iowa. He has authored many reports and presented technical papers on various topics in environmental engineering.

Keith holds degrees in civil engineering from Iowa State University (B.S.) and University of Missouri-Columbia (M.S.). He is a Board Certified Environmental Engineer (BCEE) through the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and a member of the Select Society of Sanitary Sludge Shovelers. Keith is a registered professional engineer in Iowa and multiple other states. He is a recipient of the Arthur Sidney Bedell Award and the Kenneth J Miller Founders Award.

Updated October, 12, 2022

Jamie Eichenberger, P.E., is the immediate past president and a member of the Board of Trustees for the Water Environment Federation (WEF), an international organization of water quality professionals headquartered in Alexandria, Va.

Jamie is an associate vice president and senior project manager with HDR in Denver.

Jamie has been an active member of WEF since college, participating in student chapter events that ultimately led to his first job in the water sector. A member of the Rocky Mountain Water Environment Association, Jamie served as president in 2010, before joining the House of Delegates where he served as Speaker of the House in 2015-16. He has also served on several WEF committees including the Government Affairs, Public Communications and Outreach, Finance, and Audit committees.

Jamie is a professional engineer and earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees, both in environmental engineering, from the Colorado School of Mines.

Updated October 12, 2022

Pat Nichols is the interim executive director of the Water Environment Federation, an international organization of water quality professionals headquartered in Alexandria, Va. In this capacity, he oversees a staff of 100 and an annual budget of $27 million and serves as Secretary of the Federation’s Board of Trustees.

Mr. Nichols was appointed as WEF Interim Executive Director in June 2023. He brings nearly 30 years of experience as an interim CEO for nonprofits.

He led a behavioral health agency through a major turnaround in the midst of COVID and devised the financial rescue of a sick children’s camp. He led a national refugee agency in reuniting separated immigrant families while restoring financial health. He managed the start-up of a $500 million health funder and the turnaround of an 18-nation, 600-chapter subsidiary of a $1 billion hospital system.

Nichols is a specialist in guiding not-for-profit organizations through major transitions. He has served as interim director for more than 30 organizations, positioning them for success by focusing on mission and core values, strategic clarity, integrity, accountability, and customer service.

Updated May 31, 2023

Janet Hurley Cann, P.E.,  is a member of the 2022-23 Board of Trustees for the Water Environment Federation (WEF), an international organization of water quality professionals headquartered in Alexandria, Va.

Janet brings extensive experience to her role as the Asset Engineering Manager for the Collection and Distribution Department of Spartanburg Water, a combined commission of public works and special purpose district providing water and wastewater services in Upstate South Carolina. She began her career in the environmental field more than 35 years ago as a regulator at the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC), before beginning her employment with the Spartanburg Sanitary Sewer District in the late 1980’s.

After retiring from Spartanburg Water in 2015, Janet continued to work as a consultant for an Upstate engineering firm, until lured back to public service, returning to Spartanburg Water as Asset Engineering Manager for the collection and distribution systems rehabilitation program. Through the course of her career, she has managed a variety of projects, including collection system expansion, pump station and treatment plant construction and upgrades, the development of the District’s first collection hydraulic model, and now the rehabilitation of both the distribution and collection systems.

Janet is in fact a second generation WEF member – her father, Noel Hurley, represented the Water Environment Association of South Carolina (WEASC) as Director, a forerunner to the Delegate, in the late 1980s. She has been a member of the WEASC since 1985 and WEF since 1987.

Janet has held many leadership roles, including service on numerous WEASC committees such as the Association Secretary from 1987 to 2003, as President from 2009-2010, and WEF Delegate from 2010-2013. She has participated on several WEF Committees and served WEF as Speaker of the House of Delegates from 2013-2014, Treatment Community of Practice Director from 2015-2017, and Vice Chair and Chair of the Committee Leadership Council from 2017-2021.

Janet is a native of South Carolina, currently residing in Spartanburg, SC, with her husband and two children. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from Clemson University and Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of South Carolina. She is a licensed engineer and biological wastewater operator trainee in the state of South Carolina.

Updated October 12, 2021

Gustavo R. Gallo-Chacon is a member of the 2022-23 Board of Trustees for the Water Environment Federation (WEF), an international organization of water quality professionals headquartered in Alexandria, Va.

Gallo-Chacon is the president and founder of Galher Ambiental, S.A. de C.V. in Monterrey, NL, Mexico providing consulting, engineering and contractor services. He has a bachelor’s in chemical engineering from UANL and a master’s in environmental engineering from Civil Engineering institute UANL. He has 46 years of experience in industrial wastewater treatment, drinking water treatment and municipal wastewater treatment.

As Sociedad Mexicana de Aguas, A.C. (Mexico WEF MA) member since 1976, Gallo-Chacon served as the 1993-94 and 2015-2017 president, as a WEF HOD member and as WEF executive committee member 1998-1999 and WEF Health and safety committee member 1997-1998. In 1999 with the help of WEAT and Texas TNRCC he started operators school and voluntary operators certification program. Both programs continue offering courses and voluntary certification now days. He is SMAAC training committee member and trainer since 1999 and was I.P.A. Founder councilor (Nuevo Leon State Environmental Protection Institute) 1989 – 1990.

Updated Oct. 12, 2022

Shellie Chard is a member of the 2022-23 Board of Trustees for the Water Environment Federation (WEF), an international organization of water quality professionals headquartered in Alexandria, Va.

Chard is the Water Quality Division Director for the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) where she oversees a holistic water program which includes the regulatory aspects of the Clean Water Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, water reuse, infrastructure funding, operator certification, ground water protection and other state water programs.

Chard has 24 years of experience as a water professional and five years of administrative experience managing human resource, finance and information technology. This time in administrative management lead to her earning credentials as an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Investigator and as a Certified Personnel Professional.

Chard became a WEF and Oklahoma Water Environment Association member in 1997. Since that time, she has served as President of OWEA, chaired two committees and has been an active member of nine committees. Additionally, she served two terms as the OWEA Delegate in WEF’s House of Delegates. Also, Shellie has been a member of the WEF Collection Systems, Industrial Wastewater, and Government Affairs Committees. She has been actively involved in WEF’s water reuse efforts including serving on the Water Reuse Blue Ribbon Panel and she currently serves on WEF’s PFAS Taskforce.

In addition to Chard's involvement with WEF, she is recognized as a national leader in the water sector. Her current leadership positions outside of WEF include serving as a member of the National Drinking Water Advisory Council and as the Treasurer of the Ground Water Protection Council. Previous leadership positions outside of WEF include serving as President of both the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators and the Association of Clean Water Administrators.

Shellie holds a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering with an emphasis in biotechnology from the University of Oklahoma.

Updated Oct. 12, 2022

Diego Rosso is a member of the 2022-23 Board of Trustees for the Water Environment Federation (WEF), an international organization of water quality professionals headquartered in Alexandria, Va.

Diego is Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and of Chemical Engineering and Material Science at the University of California, Irvine, where he is also Director of the Water-Energy Nexus (WEX) Center. He is Principal Investigator of the Environmental Process Laboratory, which is a process engineering research unit focusing on water reclamation and reuse. Diego is also responsible for coordinating the research activities of the WEX Center, which is the converging point of multiple faculty and industrial partners, working together on fundamental and applied research that involved student research and training. He teaches courses on process design, physical-chemical treatment, carbon and energy footprint analysis of water, and a seminar on bubbles. He has published more than 200 between journal and conference, and has published the book on aeration, mixing, and energy (Bubbles & Sparks).

Since 2000, Diego has been investigating aeration systems and the water-energy-carbon nexus of water reclamation and reuse processes. His research work is centered on wastewater aeration and on the energy requirements for aerating efficiently. Both in research and professional practice, he is engaged in field work and has been testing treatment facilities in four continents. He is a Chemical Engineering Laureate (2002) from the University of Padua in Italy and holds Civil Engineering M.S. (2003) and Ph.D. (2005) from UCLA.

Diego has been an active member of WEF and of the California WEA and has been a member since he was a student. He has participated in various MA conferences and in WEFTEC as student, postdoctoral scholar, and professor. In addition, he has presented at international events supported by WEF, as WEF Ambassador, including several ACODAL conferences in Colombia and IWA WRRmod in France. After joining the WEFTEC Program Committee, he led the Municipal Symposium before taking the Chair of the WEFTEC Program Committee in 2018. During his tenure in the Program Committee, he helped transform the program of WEFTEC and WEFTEC Connect, and has been a champion for new modes of content delivery, such as the mobile sessions, knowledge development forums, or foreign language programming.

When WEF assembled the Academic Engagement Task Force, Diego joined and helped the Federation and its research journal (Water Environment Research) promote the engagement of students, faculty, and researchers from academia and industry. In addition, he participated in other WEF activities, including the Fracking Task Group and the Knowledge Development Forum on Intelligent Water Technology Solutions for Disinfection and Public Health Protection and Water Security.

Updated Oct. 12, 2022

Stephen Sanders is a 2022-23 member of the WEF Board of Trustees and the director and head trainer of the Environmental Training Center at SUNY-Morrisville College in New York.  The center provides precertification training for wastewater and drinking water operators, as well as for New York State Department of Conservation regulators. He has been training operators for more than 10 years and has grown the program to the largest of its kind in New York state.  He is a dedicated water professional, certified as a licensed wastewater and drinking water operator and certified instructor for New York state. He has more than 20 years of experience in the field from the private, public and not-for-profit sectors.

Stephen has served on the initial WEF diversity, equity and inclusion task force and subsequent committee, as well as the WEFTEC Advisory Board. He helped establish his member association’s (the New York Water Environment Association) DE&I committee and served as its first chairperson. He also serves on New York state’s Operator Certification Governance Council, New York Section AWWA Board of Governors, and as the chair for NYSAWWA Operators committee.

Updated Oct. 12, 2022

Corey Williams is a member of the 2022-23 Board of Trustees for the Water Environment Federation (WEF), an international organization of water quality professionals headquartered in Alexandria, Va. 

Corey currently serves as president and CEO of SmartCover Systems, the innovation leader for intelligent, real-time sewer monitoring systems. Prior to his role at SmartCover, Corey served as the CEO of a Suez subsidiary, Optimatics; as vice president and general manager of Inflection Point Solutions, a software development and management consulting firm also serving the water industry; and at Black and Veatch as the director of environmental information systems.  

A WEF member for his over 30-year career, Corey has guided multiple companies, engaged in advisory board positions for startups, and served as project manager or executive in charge of more than 125 projects for water and wastewater utilities throughout the United States, Australia and Europe.  Corey has authored more than 75 papers in IT, OT, IoT, and the smart water and innovation space for the water industry.   

Corey is active in many professional associations and has been the co-principal investigator in research initiatives related to the application of technology to drive business value in utilities.  He is the co-founder and moderator of both the Water and Wastewater CIO and CFO Forums. He founded these forums with the mission of bringing together innovative water and wastewater utility leaders from all over the country and creating a valuable space for knowledge transfer and networking.

Corey earned a B.S in civil engineering from Kansas State University.

Updated Oct. 12, 2022

A history of the leadership of the Water Environment Federation, from its inception in 1928 as the Federation of Sewage Works Association to the present day.

list of WEF Past Officers (pdf)