VHB thought leaders recently presented at this year’s New England Water Environment Association (NEWEA) Conference. The annual event attracts over 2,300 engineers, consultants, scientists, operators, and students to discuss the most current and forward-thinking water quality solutions.
The theme of this year’s conference was “Work for Water: For Communities. For the Environment. For the Future,” highlighting the need to address current and upcoming threats to the water environment and to provide the future sustainability of water resources.
The NEWEA honored Water Resources Engineer Joanna Sullivan with the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) Leadership Award, which recognizes an individual or group in the wastewater field that has championed the value of a diverse and inclusive workforce and created an environment that promotes individual talents.
“I am honored to receive this award,” said Joanna. “I have been lucky to work with and learn from an outstanding group of water professionals who are dedicated to improving diversity, equity, and inclusion within the water industry. I look forward to continuing to advocate for DE&I initiatives that will improve the work experiences of current and future generations at VHB and within our industry as a whole.”
Joanna also coordinated the College Student Poster Board Competition, which featured abstracts from students on water pollution control, water quality, hazardous waste, and other environmental engineering topics.
During the session, “Permitting, Inspections and Maintenance − Oh my,” Water Quality Professional Anna Keimel-Fitzsimmons offered guidance on municipal stormwater control measure (SCM) and inspection and maintenance.
Water Resources Scientist Sarah Nalven moderated the session, “Local Approaches to Coastal Watershed Management,” which explored innovative septic solutions, flood mitigation strategies, and reversing the impacts of algal blooms in coastal estuaries.
Director of Water Resources Theresa McGovern highlighted SCM best practices for private property owners in the panel presentation “Next Steps in the Nutrient Dilemma,” which focused on how to mitigate barriers to cost-effective nutrient control implementation in communities.
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