DENVER, CO, May 23, 2005 -- The Board of Trustees of the AWWA Research Foundation (AwwaRF) have announced the appointment of Rob Renner as its new Executive Director, to replace the retiring James Manwaring. The selection was made by a panel of current and former trustees of the Foundation after an intensive international search.
The AwwaRF Board of Trustees unanimously selected Renner to continue to provide the leadership established by Jim Manwaring over the past 25 years. The Foundation has made tremendous accomplishments for the water research industry and Mr. Renner is poised to lead the organization to continued success into the future.
"I am honored and excited to be given this opportunity and look forward to working with the subscribers and partners to continue building upon the Foundation's history of achievement," said Mr. Renner.
Currently, Mr. Renner is the Executive Director at the Instrumentation, Systems, and Automation Society (ISA). Previously, he was Deputy Executive Director at AWWA, and a partner in an environmental engineering consulting firm. His extensive experience in the industry makes Mr. Renner the ideal candidate to carry forward the tradition of quality subscriber service, innovative partnerships, and state-of-the-art research for which AwwaRF is known.
"We know how important leadership is to the stability and continuity of the research programs that have been so successful for the Foundation," said Walter J. Bishop, Chairman of the AwwaRF Board of Trustees. "The entire Board of Trustees was focused on selecting a leader who was knowledgeable about the water research community and our partners in the U.S. and abroad. Mr. Renner has a track record of creative approaches, a trademark of the Foundation, and he is looking forward to making significant contributions to one of the most successful public-private partnerships in the U.S. and internationally."
The Awwa Research Foundation is a member-supported, international, nonprofit organization that sponsors research to enable water utilities, public health agencies, and other professionals to provide safe and affordable drinking water to consumers. With close to 1,000 subscriber members in the U.S. and abroad, the Foundation has funded and managed more than 900 projects valued at $370 million. More information on the Awwa Research Foundation is available at www.awwarf.org.