When I am speaking to groups of WEF members, I often say that water people are different. As an environmental scientist who hadn’t been “immersed” in the water field until I joined WEF, I feel I have a somewhat informed perspective on this. I guess there are likely fields out there that have as much passion as water professionals, but it’s hard to imagine one with more.

Water people are a humble bunch who seem to view working in water as much a cause as a career and, for them, being on the front line of public health is no slogan. So, it’s been an amazing privilege to work with the WEF staff team to support and partner with our members for more than 27 years. It’s brought the opportunity to work with really smart and dedicated people – staff and volunteers alike – and has given me life-long friends.

And now it’s time to get ready for a change for WEF and for me: I plan to step down as Executive Director in late Summer 2019.  While it won’t be easy to leave the amazing staff team, change is good for us all and I look forward with interest and optimism to what comes next for me and for WEF.

I have ideas for some writing projects and am certainly looking forward to having more time with my family.  As I look to the future, I am also thinking about the past and the leaders who built our water systems and the organizations that have supported them.  I hope to contribute to capturing and distilling some of the lessons learned – including about audacity and innovation – for the future.  Clearly, my interest in water and passion for the profession will remain strong.  Of course, I will keep up my WEF membership and won’t be a stranger. 

WEF has plans in place to guide an executive director transition and the WEF Board of Trustees will initiate a search process in due course.  Meanwhile the next 12 months will be busy for WEF and for me.  This is an exciting time to be in water and WEF has a robust array of initiatives planned – from supporting the development of the water workforce of the future, to tracking resource recovery, to raising awareness of the value of water.  And through the creativity and dedication of our staff, leaders, and members, WEF is well-positioned for continued success.

For now, it’s great to be a part of the WEF staff team helping support the water profession as it continues to push the boundaries and meet challenges with innovative solutions.  So, let’s get back to work and I do hope to see you at WEFTEC!