The City of Charlottetown is pleased to announce that two of its employees have been recognized by the Atlantic Canada Water and Wastewater Association (ACWWA).

Ramona Doyle, Projects Officer for the City’s Water and Sewer Utility, was presented with the 2012 Fresh Ideas Award at the ACWWA’s annual conference this week. As part of that recognition, she has been invited to represent ACWWA at the American Water Works Association’s (AWWA) annual conference and exposition in Denver, Colorado in 2013.

Craig Walker, the Utility Manager, was also recognized at the annual conference. He was selected as the winner of the 2012 Ira P. MacNab Award for his outstanding service to the industry and the association.

"We are fortunate at City Hall to have such dedicated, hardworking employees who are passionate about their work," said Charlottetown Mayor Clifford Lee. "Ramona and Craig were chosen by the association for these awards because their dedication and passion for the industry shines in everything that they do both at City Hall and in our community."

The Fresh Ideas Program is for young professionals who are first-time technical session presenters at the annual conference. Candidates for the award are evaluated by a panel of industry professional based on the technical content of their presentation, their contributions to the drinking water industry, their oral presentation skills, and their overall organizational skills and impact on the audience.

The Ira P. MacNab Award was established in 1957 by the forerunner of the Atlantic Canada Section of AWWA, the Maritime Branch of the Canadian Section American Water Works Association. The award is in honour of the late Dr. Ira P. MacNab, P.Eng. the first president of the Maritime Branch for his untiring efforts and wise council during the formative years of the Branch and to recognize his outstanding service and interest in the water utility field in the Maritime Provinces. It is presented to a like-minded individual annually.

"As the Chair of the Water and Sewer Utility, I’ve had the pleasure of working with Craig for many years and with Ramona on a number of projects, including our water conservation initiatives," said Councillor Edward Rice. "Ramona is like a breath of fresh air in this industry, and I believe this is only the beginning of the recognition she will get as she continues in her career. Craig is the backbone of our Utility team. I fully believe that the team is such a strong, dedicated group because of his continued leadership."

For more information on the ACWWA, visit: http://www.acwwa.ca/

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Media contact:

Jennifer Gavin
Communications Officer
City of Charlottetown
902-629-4102
jgavin@charlottetown.ca

ABOUT THE ACWWA and AWWA:

The ACWWA is a section of the AWWA and a Member Association of the Water Environment Federation (WEF). The ACWWA annual conference provides an opportunity to learn about and discuss the water and wastewater industry issues with those in the industry through daily technical sessions, a trade show, and an awards night and banquet. It is comprised of over 550 water and wastewater professionals from Atlantic Canada.

The AWWA is an international non-profit scientific and educational society dedicated to the improvement of drinking water. AWWA is the largest association of water professionals in the world with over 50,000 members, representing every part of the water profession. AWWA has 43 Sections in the U.S, Mexico and Puerto Rico, and five Sections in Canada.