WASHINGTON, DC, FEB 12, 2019 -- The National Association of Water Companies (NAWC) continues to build out its staff team to support the association's new strategic efforts on behalf of water companies across the United States. This week, NAWC announced a staff promotion as well as two new hires.
"As the association representing America's water companies, NAWC is stronger than ever. We expect 2019 to be an exceptional year for both the organization and industry," said NAWC President and Chief Executive Officer Robert Powelson. "We've reshaped the association, including restructuring NAWC's Committees, board of directors and bylaws. To this end, we've put in place an extremely talented and experienced team at NAWC to support our aggressive agenda to represent, promote and grow member companies."
Marybeth Leongini, who has been with NAWC since 2012, has been promoted to Vice President of Communications. In this role, she is responsible for the external positioning and overall communications strategy for NAWC. Prior to joining NAWC, she was vice president of communications and marketing for the Consumer Bankers Association where she oversaw all marketing and public relations initiatives. She also worked on the agency side of the business, developing and implementing strategic communication plans for B2B clients as well as new client acquisitions. Leongini holds a bachelor's degree from Belmont Abbey College and a master's degree in mass communications and public relations from the University of South Carolina.
Christine Costello has been hired to serve as Director of Events and Corporate Sponsorships. She will oversee NAWC's new portfolio of members-only events on a range of key industry issues such as cybersecurity, emerging contaminants and enhancing the customer experience, as well as NAWC's events that are open to non-members, such as the annual Water Summit. She will also help manage a new menu of sponsorship opportunities for individuals and organizations to participate in NAWC. Costello previously served as the executive director of the Chester County Republican Committee and as the finance director of the Republican Party of Pennsylvania. For eight years, she was the Finance Director for the Majority Leader of the Pennsylvania Senate, Dominic Pileggi. In 2014, Costello started CMC Consulting and has consulted for the Pennsylvania Speaker of the House as well as numerous candidates for all levels of public office. Costello is a graduate of West Chester University, where she earned her degree in political science and international relations.
Meghan Estenson has been hired in the role of Chief of Staff. In her six years at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) she served in many roles including Program Analyst and Confidential Assistant to Commissioner Clark, Legal Assistant to the General Counsel and Director of Operations to Powelson during his tenure as a FERC Commissioner. Estenson is also pursuing a law degree at George Washington University.
The National Association of Water Companies (NAWC) represents regulated water and wastewater companies, as well as ones engaging in partnerships with municipal utilities. NAWC members provide 73 million Americans with safe and reliable water service every day and have an exceptional record of compliance with federal and state health and environmental regulations. Ensuring this high standard of quality requires extraordinary amounts of capital investment. NAWC estimates that its six largest members alone are collectively investing $2.7 billion each year in their water and wastewater systems. For more information about NAWC, visit NAWC.org.
