In this episode of 21st Century Water , we sit down with Matt Stouder, Executive Officer of the Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission (MWMC) in Oregon, to explore how his leadership is driving operational resilience, environmental stewardship, and innovative thinking in wastewater management. We begin by learning how Matt’s rural upbringing and early exposure to water chemistry inspired a lifelong commitment to environmental protection and public service. His path from stormwater enginee...
Jul 01, 2025•32 min•Ep. 42
In this episode of 21st Century Water , we sit down with Eric Johnson, Executive Director of the Fox River Water Reclamation District (FRWRD), to unpack a unique leadership journey and explore a forward-thinking approach to water management. Eric’s path to running a regional wastewater agency is anything but conventional. Starting in public service at age 19 while in college, he transitioned from political roles to township supervisor, then city manager, and eventually into the water sector. Wha...
May 28, 2025•40 min•Ep. 41
In this episode of 21st Century Water , we sit down with Andrea Cole, General Manager of Dominion Water & Sanitation District in Colorado. With a background in engineering and law, Andrea brings a multidimensional perspective to leading water, wastewater, and stormwater efforts in the fast-growing Sterling Ranch community. We begin by exploring her journey from a small town in Wyoming, where an early appreciation for natural resources sparked her passion for water. Her unique blend of techni...
May 01, 2025•29 min•Ep. 40
In this episode of 21st Century Water , we sit down with John J. Entsminger, General Manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) and the Las Vegas Valley Water District. John oversees the water supply for 2.5 million residents and 40 million visitors annually in one of the most water-stressed regions of the United States. He shares his journey from environmental law to leading a major water utility and highlights the pivotal moments that shaped his approach to water management, includi...
Apr 02, 2025•36 min•Ep. 39
In this episode of 21st Century Water , we sit down with Matthew Wirtz, Deputy Director and Chief Engineer at Fort Wayne City Utilities. With over 25 years of experience, Matt has played a crucial role in shaping the city’s water infrastructure, addressing challenges like flood prevention, stormwater management, and sustainability. Coming from a farming background, Matt’s early exposure to water management laid the foundation for his career in civil engineering. We explore Fort Wayne’s ambitious...
Mar 05, 2025•26 min•Ep. 38
This episode of 21st Century Water features a dynamic conversation with Ghassan Korban, Executive Director of the Sewage & Water Board of New Orleans. Korban shares insights from his six-year tenure, focusing on the challenges and transformative solutions for New Orleans’ water infrastructure, a system vital to a city below sea level. The episode dives into the critical steps taken to modernize the city’s systems, sustain its population, and adapt to increasing environmental challenges. Korb...
Feb 04, 2025•36 min•Ep. 37
In this episode of 21st Century Water , Mahesh Lunani speaks with Will Pickering, CEO of Pittsburgh Water, about the transformative changes he has overseen in Pittsburgh's water infrastructure. Pickering shares his unconventional journey into utility leadership, tracing his career from public policy roles in Washington, D.C., to heading a water utility that was in dire need of reform when he joined. Pickering discusses the challenges Pittsburgh Water faced, including outdated infrastructure, lea...
Nov 26, 2024•36 min•Ep. 36
In today's episode of the 21st Century Water Podcast, we engage in an insightful conversation with Greg Eyerly, Director of Houston Water. Greg's journey through the water industry spans three decades, and his career trajectory is a testament to his willingness to take risks and make bold decisions. He started in the laboratory and transitioned to operations, a move that laid the foundation for his eventual rise to leadership. His experiences in both the private and public sectors, including sig...
Jun 26, 2024•42 min•Ep. 35
In this episode of the 21st Century Water podcast, Mahesh Lunani talks with Craig Miller, the general manager of the Western Municipal Water District in California. Craig brings over three decades of experience in water management, focusing on operations, engineering, and community service. He discusses the significant decisions in his career and his vision for creating a climate-resilient water system in Southern California. Craig begins by reflecting on his career in the water industry, emphas...
Jun 03, 2024•49 min•Ep. 34
In the "21st Century Water" podcast episode hosted by Mahesh Lunani, listeners are introduced to Kishia Powell, the General Manager and CEO of WSSC Water, which is recognized as the eighth-largest water utility in the United States. With a career spanning over 25 years, Powell has significantly contributed to the water sector, focusing on the provision of essential services, the economic implications of water, and the maintenance and operation of water and wastewater infrastructure. Powell share...
May 01, 2024•49 min•Ep. 33
In our latest episode of the 21st Century Water Podcast, we had the privilege of engaging with Shivaji Deshmukh, General Manager of the Inland Empire Utilities Agency. Shivaji, a veteran in the field with over two decades of experience in sustainable water solutions, sheds light on the evolution and challenges of Southern California's water systems, emphasizing the importance of innovative practices in water management. We kicked off the conversation with Shivaji sharing his top three significan...
Apr 05, 2024•37 min•Ep. 32
In this episode of the 21st Century Water podcast, we delve into the visionary leadership and innovative mindset of Roger Bailey, the General Manager of the Central Contra Costa Sanitary District. With a distinguished career that has spanned across the United States, Bailey shares his extensive experience and the transformative journey in the water industry, from his early days in Antigua and various roles in the U.S. to his current position, where he oversees water services for half a million r...
Mar 29, 2024•42 min•Ep. 31
We dive into a conversation with Kevin Ward, the General Manager of the Trinity River Authority Kevin oversees a vast operation that includes water treatment and wastewater facilities, serving a wide area and managing a significant budget. His journey from a temporary role in the water business to leading one of the top utilities in the country is a testament to his dedication and adaptability. Kevin's career began out of necessity, leading him to the Texas Water Development Board and eventually...
Mar 22, 2024•45 min•Ep. 30
We dive into the heart of water infrastructure challenges and innovations in our latest podcast episode. Our guest, Troy Hayes, brings over two decades of experience from the City of Phoenix, where he oversees a vast utilities operation. His journey from engineering to operations highlights pivotal shifts towards managing one of the largest utilities in the U.S., emphasizing the generational legacy and the evolution of water systems from his father's time to now. Troy's narrative underscores the...
Mar 08, 2024•38 min•Ep. 29
Juan Carlos Guerrero, Public Utilities Director at the City of San Diego, shares his journey from starting as a wastewater treatment plant operator to becoming a utility CEO. He discusses the pivotal moments in his career and the challenges and opportunities in the water industry. Juan also talks about the size and scope of the City of San Diego's public utilities, including its water and wastewater systems. He highlights the importance of optimizing operations and managing assets, and discusses...
Sep 21, 2023•45 min•Ep. 28
Today, Aquasight's Mahesh Lunani welcomes Andrew Lee, CEO of Seattle Public Utilities. He currently manages about 1,400 employees, and has previously worked in Bellevue, San Franscisco, and various consulting firms. First and foremost to Andrew is a desire to serve people. Yes, in Seattle they service large corporations like Microsoft and Amazon, but Andrew takes pride in serving the most vulnerable and underserved communities. This means more than infrastructure - it also means wealth building ...
Jun 27, 2023•47 min•Ep. 27
Michael Mucha, the Chief Engineer and Director for the Madison Metropolitan Sewage District (MMSD), has bi-coastal experience as both an educator and administrator. Prior to his current role in Wisconson, he's worked in both Olympia, Washington, and Reading, Pennslyvania. This structural engineer by degree explains how a job as a civil engineer completely changed his career trajectory. Michael discusses the challenges faced by MMSD, including maintaining public confidence, an affordability dicho...
May 24, 2023•33 min•Ep. 26
As GM of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Marty Adams is in a very unique position in the water world. Not only does he oversee a combined department of water and power, he's doing it for the second largest city in the country, along with all the climate challenges faced by the state of California. Having worked at LADWP for 39 years, Marty has seen the department through many difficult events in Los Angeles' history - from the LA riots to the 1994 earthquake and more. He frames th...
Apr 18, 2023•50 min•Ep. 25
NEW Water in Green Bay, Wisconsin, may be a mid-sized utility. But during our interview with executive director Tom Sigmund today, you'll hear about the remarkable things they are doing to prepare for the future. NEW Water covers 15 municipalities and over 240,000 residents. Over the next 20 years, they will implement a $470 million dollar capital improvement plan. Like many utilities, Tom sees their top three challenges as this capital improvement plan, retaining quality employees, and replacin...
Feb 07, 2023•37 min•Ep. 24
Today, Mahesh Lunani talks to Kamuron Gurol, Director of the King County Wastewater Treatment Division, Washington State (including Seattle). Prior to taking on this role, Kamuron was a Corridor Development Director at a 116-mile rail system connecting greater Seattle area. Kamuron was also the City Manager at City of Burien, a community of 50,000 with hundreds of businesses. In his current role, Gurol oversees 5 treatment plants, 400 miles of interceptor pipes, 48 pump stations, 39 CSO outfalls...
Dec 19, 2022•50 min•Ep. 23
Alyson Watson is our first non-utility CEO guest, and she lends her perspective from the private sector. Alyson is the CEO of Woodard and Curran, a planning, funding, engineering, construction and O&M (operations and maintenance) organization. Alyson talks about three big trends in the water industry: resiliency, the switch from an extraction to a creation economy, and ESG (environmental and social governance). These trends include climate change, viewing nothing as waste, and water equity. ...
Oct 06, 2022•34 min•Ep. 22
Laura Briefer is the director of Salt Lake City Public Utilities. Today she joins Mahesh Lunani of Aquasight to talk about her unique role in the water community as it relates to her appointment, droughts in the West, collaboration, and leadership. Unlike many of her colleagues, Laura's job is appointed by the Mayor, and she's been in the role through three administrations. There are unique opportunities that come with that, as well as some challenges. She also explains her role on the Public Ut...
Sep 14, 2022•39 min•Ep. 21
Today, Aquasight founder and CEO Mahesh Lunani sits down with Calvin Farr, Chief Executive Officer of Prince William County Service Authority, providing water and wastewater services for over 360,000 customers. Calvin talks about changes to workplace culture in his two decades in the industry. The days of a two-generation workplace, where Baby Boomers order around Gen X'ers, are gone. Now, with 4 generations in the building, there's a much more collaborative approach, where employees aren't afra...
Jul 06, 2022•40 min•Ep. 20
Megan Ross is the Utilities Director of Pinellas County Florida, which includes Clearwater and St. Petersburg (near Tampa). A chemical process engineer by trade, her background is different than other water professionals we've spoken to. She entered this industry because she saw a need, and she wanted to stay close to home and serve her community. Megan describes the unique governance structure her organization has, working with 14 municipalities as well as Tampa Bay Water. She calls her top 3 c...
Jun 01, 2022•45 min•Ep. 19
Carla Reid is the CEO of Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) Water, one of the largest utilities in the country, serveing over 1.8 million residents through 11,000 miles of water and sewer mains, 2 water filtration plants, and 6 Water Resource Recovery Facilities. She also served on the boards of several reputed organizations such as DC Water, Prince George County Revenue Authority and was an adjunct professor at the University of the District of Columbia. Carla first tells us about h...
May 04, 2022•46 min•Ep. 18
David Gadis is the CEO of DC Water. Prior to this, he was with Veolia NA and Indianapolis Water. He joins Aquasight CEO Mahesh Lunani for a wide-ranging discussion, including how his experience in the private sector informs his management style when running a utility. A third generation water professional, Gadis looks at DC Water as an economic engine for our nation's capital. This includes cleaning up waterways to enable economic development, and providing access for tourists in town for the ch...
Apr 05, 2022•43 min•Ep. 17
Today, Aquasight CEO Mahesh Lunani is joined by OJ McFoy, CEO Buffalo Sewer Authority and Chairman of Buffalo Water. OJ is a Professional Engineer, on the board of NACWA, and is a member of the US Water Alliance Equity Taskforce Team. OJ and his team is treating wastewater for over 500,000 residents in the State of New York and recharging Niagara River. Throughout our conversation, you'll hear OJ's passion for his work shine through. OJ discusses the relationship between Buffalo Sewer Authority ...
Mar 15, 2022•40 min•Ep. 16
Mami Hara is the CEO of the US Water Alliance and formerly CEO of Seattle Public Utilities, as well as Deputy Commissioner at Philadelphia Water. Her diverse background also includes time as a visiting professor at MIT, an adjunct professor at Temple University, and principal at an urban planning and architecture firm. She has degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and the Harvard University. This experience uniquely qualifies her for a conversation with Mahesh Lunani about 21st Century Wat...
Mar 09, 2022•34 min•Ep. 15
Tad Bohannon leads the largest public drinking water system in Arkansas, serving 500,000 consumers and 18 cities. Tad's law degree, water licenses, and recent Master's degree from the University of Oxford combine to make him the perfect man to lead Central Arkansas Water through the 21st Century. Tad and Aquasight Founder Mahesh Lunani discuss how CAW is set up and governed, including their naming of a Chief Innovation Officer to their team, and how that new role may change. Also, typical Merger...
Feb 07, 2022•46 min•Ep. 14
Adel Hagekhalil is the CEO of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. It is the largest wholesale agency in the country serving 19 million residents and 26 member-public agencies. Given the challenges of water in California, this conversation should resonate with listeners not only in the US, but worldwide. Adel discusses how the fourth aqueduct, including reuse of water, will secure water for 90 million people over the next 100 years. Adel has worked in Los Angeles Sanitation, S...
Nov 03, 2021•40 min•Ep. 13
