Some people retire, and others “retire.” Two in the latter category are featured in our most recent issue of Water Efficiency (WE). One of those is Nick DeBenedictis, who just stepped down from being CEO of Aqua America. He had joined the company in 1992 when it was a single region water utility. Now Aqua America has a huge customer base in eight states, and DeBenedictis, if elected, will remain as company chairman. He will also continue to serve on at least three company boards: “I’ll be here enough to keep the company what I consider to be the best-of-breed in the industry.” Serving in this way, he says, “keeps you fresh because you’re hearing different problems all the time.”
When I was contacted about the opportunity for us to profile DeBenedictis in WE, I instantly thought of a writer who is new to writing for WE, but who is also a 20-something water resources engineer in Utah, right at the start of his career. I thought a professional who has recently entered the field would have the kind of engagement with the subject matter that would probe the mind of one (supposedly) exiting, and I was right. I encourage you to check out Rob Sowby’s “It Touches Every Life” to get an insightful overview of the water industry from the last quarter century.
Some people retire, and others “retire.” Two in the latter category are featured in our most recent issue of Water Efficiency (WE). One of those is Nick DeBenedictis, who just stepped down from being CEO of Aqua America. He had joined the company in 1992 when it was a single region water utility. Now Aqua America has a huge customer base in eight states, and DeBenedictis, if elected, will remain as company chairman. He will also continue to serve on at least three company boards: “I’ll be here enough to keep the company what I consider to be the best-of-breed in the industry.” Serving in this way, he says, “keeps you fresh because you’re hearing different problems all the time.” When I was contacted about the opportunity for us to profile DeBenedictis in WE, I instantly thought of a writer who is new to writing for WE, but who is also a 20-something water resources engineer in Utah, right at the start of his career. I thought a professional who has recently entered the field would have the kind of engagement with the subject matter that would probe the mind of one (supposedly) exiting, and I was right. I encourage you to check out Rob Sowby’s “It Touches Every Life” to get an insightful overview of the water industry from the last quarter century. [text_ad] Sowby also wrote “From the Ground Up” about using LiDAR technology to help manage water resources for our June issue of WE, and his personal website focuses primarily on his work in and thoughts on water. The other “retired” person we profile in the July/August issue of WE is Mike Mecke. For one thing, for someone who claims to be a little clunky on the computer, I get a lot of e-mails from him. But these aren’t e-mails to me specifically. They are sent out to his e-mail list, and are evidence that Mecke remains very active in and concerned about water resources in his region of Central Texas. Sometimes he is forwarding articles he’s written, or articles pertaining to work he’s been involved in; sometimes he is letting peers know of job openings in water resource management. He’ll share about drought, graywater systems, the impacts on water from oil and gas development, or riparian restoration education. He gets the word out when legislative action is on the table. Mecke has the “Reader Profile” space in this issue, provided by writer Lyn Corum, who quite enjoyed the conversation. His career path is roughly this: Beginning with the US Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in the ‘60s, he next became a Rangeland Manager and then a Soil and Water Conservation Manager with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, living and working on reservations in the ‘70s, ‘80s, and early ‘90s. Mecke then served as a Water Resources Planner for the San Antonio Water System in the ‘90s, and became a Water Specialist instructor at Texas A&M University, their Texas Water Resources Institute, in the 2000s. Having retired in 2008, he now lives in the hill country outside of Kerrville and serves on boards of nonprofit organizations he cofounded, including the Texas Riparian Association (TRA). Read Mecke’s profile here. His contact information is available on the TRA website.Sowby also wrote “From the Ground Up” about using LiDAR technology to help manage water resources for our June issue of WE, and his personal website focuses primarily on his work in and thoughts on water.
The other “retired” person we profile in the July/August issue of WE is Mike Mecke. For one thing, for someone who claims to be a little clunky on the computer, I get a lot of e-mails from him. But these aren’t e-mails to me specifically. They are sent out to his e-mail list, and are evidence that Mecke remains very active in and concerned about water resources in his region of Central Texas. Sometimes he is forwarding articles he’s written, or articles pertaining to work he’s been involved in; sometimes he is letting peers know of job openings in water resource management. He’ll share about drought, graywater systems, the impacts on water from oil and gas development, or riparian restoration education. He gets the word out when legislative action is on the table.
Mecke has the “Reader Profile” space in this issue, provided by writer Lyn Corum, who quite enjoyed the conversation. His career path is roughly this: Beginning with the US Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in the ‘60s, he next became a Rangeland Manager and then a Soil and Water Conservation Manager with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, living and working on reservations in the ‘70s, ‘80s, and early ‘90s. Mecke then served as a Water Resources Planner for the San Antonio Water System in the ‘90s, and became a Water Specialist instructor at Texas A&M University, their Texas Water Resources Institute, in the 2000s.
Having retired in 2008, he now lives in the hill country outside of Kerrville and serves on boards of nonprofit organizations he cofounded, including the Texas Riparian Association (TRA). Read Mecke’s profile here. His contact information is available on the TRA website.
