The Water Council Announces Third ‘Water Warrior of the Year Award’ Winner
Executive Director of Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District is recognized for his support of STEAM education.
MILWAUKEE (June 27, 2019) – The Water Council today awarded the 3rd annual ‘Water Warrior of the Year’ award to Kevin Shafer from Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) during a special ceremony at the 12th annual Water Leaders Summit at the Harley-Davidson Museum®.
The ‘Water Warrior of the Year’ award was created by The Water Council to celebrate and acknowledge the successes of individuals in Wisconsin’s water industry who are making significant achievements while supporting the advancement of students in STEAM education (Science – Technology – Engineering – Arts – Math). Each year the honor is awarded to a member of The Water Council at the Water Leaders Summit.
“We are very lucky to have someone such as Kevin Shafer, who is considered globally as a visionary in the water industry, at the helm leading MMSD,” said Dean Amhaus, president and CEO of The Water Council. “When it comes to supporting and nurturing our next generation of water professionals we always know that Kevin will say an emphatic yes when we ask him to do more.”
For over 25 years, MMSD has grown their internship program that now hires 25 students every summer. Students receive hands-on experience within water quality protection, laboratory services, engineering construction and sustainability. These students have also gone on to apply for a consecutive summer internship at MMSD and in some cases are hired on as permanent MMSD employees.
During the summer of 2018, The Water Council worked with Kevin Shafer and MMSD in placing two of five African-American junior engineering students from Tuskegee University to work as interns with a goal of increasing the number of African-Americans pursuing water as a career.
“The future of Milwaukee rests with our students. Exposing them to the strength of our water industry not only provides them a future in Milwaukee but also creates a water synergy that will continue to grow for generations. I am proud to be a member of the Board of the Water Council and to contribute in any means I can,” said Kevin Shafer, executive director of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District.
Last year, the ‘Water Warrior of the Year’ winner was presented to Dr. Marcia Silva, associate scientist and director of the Water Technology Accelerator from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, and in 2017 to Dennis Webb, president of Sage Water.
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About The Water Council
Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA next to the world’s largest freshwater system and home to one of the most influential freshwater technology hubs in the world, The Water Council (TWC) is recognized as a global center for advancing water technologies and stewardship. At its heart, TWC is a non-profit, membership organization that connects, convenes and showcases the hub comprised of more than 238 water technology businesses and the diverse water leadership network of 200 members it is linked to from around the world. While TWC’s mission is centered on driving economic development, attracting and connecting world-class talent and supporting water-focused technology innovation, its larger goal is to help secure freshwater resources for the world by driving solutions to the numerous industries that need and use a large amount of water. www.thewatercouncil.com
About Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District
MMSD is a regional government agency that provides water reclamation and flood management services for about 1.1 million customers in 28 communities in the Greater Milwaukee Area. The District serves 411 square miles that cover all, or segments of six watersheds. Besides its core responsibilities, the District also handles water quality research, household hazardous waste collection, pharmaceutical collection, industrial waste monitoring, laboratory services, planning and engineering services, and Milorganite®, a fertilizer trusted by professionals for more than 90 years. www.mmsd.com
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