The American Water Works Association (AWWA) Board of Directors selected Heather Collins from Los Angeles as the Association’s next president-elect.
The Board also selected AWWA’s next treasurer, three vice presidents, and a director-at-large during its annual winter meeting in Sedona, Arizona.
Collins will begin her term as president-elect in June at the conclusion of AWWA’s Annual Conference & Exposition (ACE24). Her term as president begins in June 2025 following that of current President-elect Cheryl Porter.
Collins is Assistant Chief of Operations for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, where she has worked since 2011. She currently sits on AWWA’s Board of Directors and is a member of the Water Utility Council. She previously served as an AWWA vice president and member of the Technical and Educational Council. Collins has been an active member of the California/Nevada Section since joining in 1992. She holds a master’s degree in civil engineering from Loyola Marymount University and a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, environmental option, from California State Polytechnic University in Pomona.
The Board selected Reid Campbell as treasurer. Campbell is the Director of Engineering & Technology services in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he has served since 1998. He has been actively involved in AWWA’s Atlantic Canada Section since joining in 1989.
The Board selected the following three vice presidents:
- Ken Kawahara, President and Chief Executive Officer at Akinaka & Associates in Honolulu. He has been actively involved in the Hawaii Section since joining in 1992.
- Rebecca Venot, Senior Civil Engineer at CRW Engineering Group in Anchorage, Alaska. She has been actively involved in the Alaska Section and joined AWWA in 2007.
- Carol Walczyk, Vice President, Process Efficiency Analytics at Veolia North America in Paramus, New Jersey. She has been actively involved in the New Jersey Section since joining in 1989.
The Board selected Andrea Odegard-Begay as director-at-large. Odegard-Begay is a Senior Associate at Hazen and Sawyer in Goodyear, Arizona, where she has worked since 2021. She has been actively involved in the Arizona Section since joining in 2000.
The new officers will begin their terms in June at the conclusion of ACE24.
Source: American Water Works Association
