35 Years, Hanging Up the Blue Mantle

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Thank you!

It’s a privilege to finish a career in water and have the opportunity to move on to the next chapter. As I do, I want to thank the people and organizations that came to me with challenges that we’ve solved together. Michigan Technological University opened a new world for me. There Dr., John C. Crittenden and Dr. David W. Hand saw my potential and, with funding from EPA, invited me to join in the challenge to take all the pollutants out of the environment that my chemical engineering peers had put into it. 35 years later, I am astounded how they set me on a path that would take me across the globe, across the periodic table, and through the list of most every synthetic organic contaminating our environment.

Minnesota Communities – Thank You!

I’d like to thank the Minnesota Cities of St. Louis ParkHutchinsonMankato, as well as the communities of Minneapolis, Brooklyn Center, Eden Prairie, Grand Rapids, Hibbing, Le Sueur, Northfield, New Ulm, Stillwater, St. Cloud and St. Peter and the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe (ML Wastewater Management) for purchasing technology through me or hiring me to improve the quality of life or improving the sustainability and resilience of your communities.

Minnesota, National and UK Agencies – Thank You!

I would like to thank the Minnesota agencies of the Metropolitan Council Environmental Services, Department of Transportation and Department of Military Affairs for their patronage, and thank the Department of Health, and Pollution Control Agency for decades of collaboration.

Nationally, the experience from serving the United States Departments of Air ForceArmy, Navy, Energy, and EPA has been stellar, and I’ve valued the opportunity to serve the Department of Justice and to bring new technology to the United Kingdom with permission of Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Pollution.

Communities in Wisconsin, Florida, Connecticut,
across the United States, and overseas – Thank You!

My thanks goes out to other communities where I have had the opportunity to help deliver technology to solve their environmental problems or make them more efficient and resilient:

Aiken South Carolina, American Bottoms Treatment Plant Illinois, Ames Iowa, Augusta County Virginia, Bedford Heights OhioBoynton Beach FloridaBurlington North Carolina, Cape Fear North Carolina, Cedar Rapids Iowa, Chicago MWRD Illinois, Chocowinity North Carolina, Cincinnati Ohio, Clearwater Florida, Collier County Florida, Columbus Ohio, Council Bluffs IowaCreston IowaCross City FloridaEl Paso Texas, Davie Florida, Estes Park Colorado, Fayette County Georgia, Fountain Hills ArizonaGautier MississippiGreat Lakes Water Authority and it predecessors, Greenville North Carolina, Highland Park Illinois, Holland Michigan, Hollywood Florida, Indianapolis Indiana, Jessup Maryland, Kalamazoo Michigan, Lake Zurich Illinois, Lantana Florida, Lathrop California, Los Angeles County California, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Medina Ohio, Miami-Dade County Florida, Mobile County Alabama, Morehead City North Carolina, Mount Holly New Jersey, North Olmsted Ohio, Oakland County Michigan, Palm Beach County Florida, Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission, Pembroke Pines Florida, Purcellville Virginia, Sarasota County Florida, Seminole County Florida, Sioux Falls South Dakota, Toho County Florida, Vernon Connecticut, Wayne Water Districts North Carolina, West Salem Ohio, White Pine Tennessee, Yorkshire Water UK.

Companies and Industries Served – Thank You!

I would also like to thank the companies and industries that came to me to improve their water management, sustainability and resilience: 3M, ABB Lummus Crest, Air Liquide, Alcan Canada, Alpha Cellulose, Amoco, Arco, Bharat Petroleum Corporation LTD India, Blandin Paper, BNSF, BOC Gasses, Boise Cascade, Bostik, BP America, C.S. McCrossan, Canadian Pacific, Cargill Foods, Champion, Chiquita, Computing Devices International, Dairyland Power, Dakota Barge, Darling Ingredients, Dead Sea Bromine, Deere, Doe Run Company, DOFASCO, Dupont, Eastman Kodak, Edward Kramer Sons, Esso Canada, Exxon, Fabricom Belgium, Flint Hills Resources and Koch Industries, Fort Howard Paper, Frigidaire, Froedtert Malt, GlaxoSmithKline, Graco, H B Fuller, Hach Company, Hawkins, Hennepin Paper, Hickson Welch UK, Honeywell, Hurd Millwork, ICI Americas, International Dioxide, Johnson Controls, Kennecott, Lake Superior Paper Industries, Larsen Toubro India, Lignotech, Lombardia Italy, Madison Gas Electric, Marathon Ashland, Merck, Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative, Minnesota Explosives, Minnesota Malting, Allete – Minnesota Power, Minntech, Monsanto, Mosaic, Nalco Div of EcolabNature Energy, Niigata Japan, NKT Denmark, North Star Steel, Northshore Mining, Novartis, NRG Energy, Xcel EnergyNucor Iron Carbide Trinidad, Outokumpu Ecoenergy Finland, Pall Gelman Sciences, Phillips 66, Rahr Malting, Rhône-Poulenc, Rockwell Automation, Rockwell Avionics, Rohm Haas Company, Sheldahl, Sterling Organics UK, Superior Recycled Fiber Industries, Taiwan Union Chemical Laboratories, Tampa Electric, Tenant Company, Tennessee Eastman, UOP, Upjohn Div. or Pfizer, Veolia, Virchow Krause, Vulcan Chemicals, Waste Management, Westinghouse Hanford, Westinghouse NSP Cottage Grove, WestRock, Wisconsin Electric.

Good Governance – Essential for Effective Communities

Good governance is essential to organizational stability and sustainability. Governance refers to the processes by which organizations are operated, guided and held to account. Good governance applies authority, leadership, direction and control in an organization and holds itself accountable. Good governance keeps our community, our associations, our local, state and national governments functioning soundly, inclusively, equitably, and sustainably.

There are two main components of governance, (1) measurement of the organization’s benefits to its members, advisors, customers and suppliers (stakeholders), and (2) planning improvements to the effectiveness and relevance to stakeholders. Measurement requires oversight of the conformance to the corporations Declarations and Bylaws, the performance of contractors, value of insurance, and the effectiveness of the investment of resources. Planning is a cyclical process that uses measurement, benchmarking, innovation and culminates in plan adjustments.

Governance itself adds no value. The governance has to be ‘GOOD’ in order for it to be beneficial to its stakeholders. Good governance requires both efficiency and effectiveness. Effective means doing the right things. Efficiency means doing things the right way. The complexity of governance procedures and practices varies according to the size and function of the organisation. However the principles of good governance are essential for the long term viability of the organization.

Good governance requires, (1) having defined goals, (2) transparency in decision making, (3) sound framework of procedures and policies, (4) defining roles and responsibilities, (5) strategic planning, (6) risk management, (7) legal and statutory responsibilities, (8) review and monitoring of performance, and (9) ethical standards and codes of conduct.

Good governance is very important as any organization functions in a society and good governance means giving back to society in whatever means possible (value added performance, including the intangibles). We need good governance to act well within the requirements of law, act and demonstrate that we’ve acted for the benefit of members and stakeholders. The major benefit of good governance is the organization remains viable and sustainable and does not enter the decline stage in the PLC-curve. Good governance offers security to all stakeholders.