A Clear Commitment to America’s Waters
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ANACWA, and its predecessor the Association of
Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies (AMSA), lost not only
a friend and colleague when Lee C. White passed away
on October 31, but also an important contributor to the
Association’s first quarter century. White served as the Association’s
General Counsel for its first 25 years of existence. An engineer and a
lawyer, he came to work with AMSA after a distinguished career with
the Tennessee Valley Authority, as an advisor to presidents, and chair
of the Federal Power Commission.
Described by
as ”… a low-profile presidential ad-
viser who in the 1960s helped the Kennedy and Johnson adminis-
trations coordinate their strategies on civil rights during moments
of crisis and triumph”, White spent his early career as “a trusted
troubleshooter” for both President Kennedy and President Johnson.
His White House portfolio involved a spectrum of legal issues — civil
rights but also veterans affairs, natural resources, small business,
pardons and military construction bills.
After leaving the Johnson White House in 1966, White served as
chair of the Federal Power Commission (now the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission), and was campaign manager for R. Sargent
Shriver Jr., the vice presidential candidate on the losing ticket headed
by Sen. George McGovern (D-SD) in 1972. White spent the rest of
his career in private practice, specializing in laws affecting utilities.
It was in this timeframe that he provided invaluable counsel to the
Association in its formative years. Lee C. White was inducted into
the
NACWA Hall of Fame
in 2010, and will be remembered for his stra-
tegic insights –always peppered with a joke and a wink. He will be
missed.
Lee White (right) speaks with NACWA Executive Director, Ken Kirk at NACWA’s National
Environmental Policy Forum in 2011.
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With Lee White’s Passing,
NACWA Celebrates a Life Well-Spent
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ACWA is increasingly focused on bringing the clean wa-
ter community’s message on advocacy issues to key audi-
ences across the country. The Association and a number
of its utility members have been featured on panels, par-
ticipated in productive dialogues, and presented NACWA’s priority is-
sues at a number of these key meetings in October and November.
NACWA was highlighted prominently at WEFTEC’13 in Chicago this
October. NACWA staff briefed public agency leaders on priority clean
water issues at the annual Hot Topics Breakfast and Utility Executives
Forum. Additionally, Cynthia Finley, NACWA’s Director or Regulatory
Affairs, was featured in an afternoon session,
Wipe Out: Reducing the
Burden of Wipes in the Pipes
, discussing the problems created by wipes
and other products that are inappropriately flushed into the sewer sys-
tem and the Association’s efforts to address these challenges. Nathan
Gardner-Andrews, NACWA’s General Counsel also participated on a
Legal Hot Topics
panel that focused on recent decisions in the blending
and nutrient arenas.
AdamKrantz, NACWA’s Managing Director, Government & Public
Affairs carried NACWA’s advocacy message on the Utility of the Future,
integrated planning and affordability issues to the 3
Rivers Wet Weather
Sewer Conference
, in mid-October, with over 300 people in attendance
from utilities and collection systems across Pennsylvania.
A number of NACWAMember Agencies were featured prominently
at the 2
013 AmericanWater Summit
inWashington, D.C. on November
5-6. Focused on uniting private and public water sector leaders, sev-
eral NACWAmembers discussed key public sector advantages and
challenges, including Association President, Julius Ciaccia, Executive
Director, Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District; Karen Pallansch,
NACWA Vice President and CEO, Alexandria Renew Enterprises; Carter
Strickland, Association Board Member and Commissioner, New York
City Department of Environmental Protection; Dax Blake, NACWA
Facilities & Collection SystemCo-Chair and Administrator, Division of
Sewerage and Drainage, Columbus, Ohio; and Tom Sigmund, Chair of
NACWA’s Utility & Resource Management Committee and Executive
Director, NewWater in Green Bay, Wisc.
The Association hosted a
New York State Integrated Planning (IP) Workshop
in Albany on November 13 in partnership with the New York Water
Environment Association (NYWEA). Utilities voiced their experiences
with IP and participated in a spirited discussion with state regulators
from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation,
as well as EPA Region 2 and Headquarters staff.
NACWA Executive Director, Ken Kirk, presented at the Water &
Wastewater Equipment Manufacturers Association’s (WWEMA)
105th
Annual Meeting
November 14-16. Kirk’s remarks focused on the Water
Resources Utility of the Future initiative and the need for continued
and increased collaboration with municipal groups, states, NGOs, in-
dustry and manufacturers to achieve shared advocacy goals.
NACWA Takes Clean Water Message to Key Audiences
