Dear Wastewater Professionals,
In October 2024, nearly a year from today, I accepted the
Presidential Gavel from Michael Sherrieb (President, 2024) —and symbolically,
from all those who came before. I’ve known and relied on many of our past
presidents, while others I never had the chance to meet. Still, each one left a
mark on this Association and, in their own way, helped influence my
Presidential term.
In 2012, I was a junior engineer-in-training in Pittsburgh,
only a year out of school and trying to find my footing in the world of civil
engineering. My first job involved landfill design and construction for the
application of coal combustion byproducts. Important work, no doubt, but the projects were drying up due to our region’s
transition to cleaner burning natural gas.
My guiding light was that I knew I wanted to work toward
the betterment of our environment. At
the time, my now wife (shout-out to Lydia!) was wrapping up her graduate degree
in Minneapolis, and we had agreed to search for jobs in each other’s cities. I
posted a résumé stating, “Looking for an environmental engineering job in the
Twin Cities metropolitan area.” Instead, I got a call from Daniel Slagle
(President, 1996) and Dave Nichols (Engineer’s Service Award, 1996) from
Nichols & Slagle Engineering. That call changed the course of my career.
They introduced me to municipal engineering, the wastewater profession—and
ultimately, to the WPWPCA. For that,
I’ll always remain grateful.
In late Summer 2017, I received a call from Joe Rost
(President, 2006), asking if I’d consider joining the Executive Board as a
Trustee. From there, each year brought new responsibility and new perspective—holding
roles as Trustee, Treasurer, Secretary, Vice President, and President. The
WPWPCA bylaws are organized so that by the time you’re President, you’ve experienced
firsthand how the Association runs, what makes it thrive, and the importance of
the people who keep it going.
As I prepare to pass on the gavel at our Plant Tour and
Awards Luncheon on Friday, October 17th, at the McCandless Township Sanitary
Authority, I do so with a deep sense of gratitude. The next President, Scott
Hinsch of DRV, Inc., has previously served as Chair of the Exhibitors and
Sponsors Committee and will lead this organization with insight, enthusiasm,
and care. We are in excellent hands, and I look forward to supporting him in my
final role on the Executive Board as Past President.
The Awards Luncheon is always one of our most well-attended
events, and this year is no exception—over 100 attendees are already
registered! If you’ve never been, I encourage you to join us. It’s a wonderful
opportunity to grow your network, learn about the WPWPCA’s history, and maybe
even win one of our many door prizes (trust me, there are lots of gift cards
and more). We accept registrations on
the day of the event, so if you missed the pre-registration deadline, don’t let
that stop you from attending!
To my colleagues on the Executive Board, our dedicated
Committee Chairs, and every active member who continues to advance our mission
through interaction with the Association—thank you. Your support has meant the
world to me. It’s been both the most difficult year of my life, but also the
most rewarding, and I can’t wait to see where the Association goes from here.
Warm Regards,
Robert Herring, PE, PMP
President (2024–2025), Western Pennsylvania Water Pollution
Control Association
Executive Director, Washington-East Washington Joint
Authority
