Wade Peterson
Baraboo, Wisconsin
August 2013

I sit and write my last President’s Message, it is hard to believe how fast the year has gone by. It seems like I just finished writing my first message. It has truly been an honor and a privilege serving as President of such an outstanding organization. The conference is just around the corner. I hope to see you there! Kelly Zimmer and the Technical Committee have put together a great program. Our technical sessions offer something for everyone. The two precons are: After the Siege (Dealing with the Lab Audit Aftermath) and Electrical Power & Arc-Flash Hazards. Kelly has searched long and hard for the keynote speaker and all the way from Canada, Jody Urquhart’s speech is “The Nerve to Serve …. Say Hello to Humor & Goodbye to Burnout”. There will be 39 different technical sessions that cover something for everyone! Jeremy Cramer has put together a really nice Guest Program and Local Arrangements.

At the annual conference’s banquet, I will be ending my term as I hand the gavel over to my friend, Kevin Freber of Watertown. As your new President, I know Kevin will continue to steer the WWOA in a positive direction and do great things for our organization.

As I’ve stated in the past, this is a great organization and there are many ways to get involved. Volunteer as a regional officer, give a presentation or host a regional meeting, sit on one of the Board of Director committees or become a Board member. You will meet many very talented professionals in the wastewater industry and your personal and professional network will grow immensely.

I have attended some of the regional meeting and have a few more “penciled-in”. The regions continue to do a excellent job. We must not forget they are the backbone of the WWOA. To all the officers and members I’ve met, thank you for your hospitality and all you do in providing training to our members.

Hopefully by now, you have heard that the DNR training requests and soon the credit slips will be all electronic. You can now view the Operators Certification website at: http://dnr.wi.gov/regulations/opcert/. One key element in receiving your credits will be to remember your DNR certification number. We have added that field to your WWOA membership profile, so when you get a chance log in and update your profile. We are planning on having a kiosk at the conference for members to update their information. There are many people I would like to thank for this wonderful opportunity to be your President!! The Board of Director and Committee Chairs put a great deal of time into making this organization run great! The countless hours that Richard McKee and Karen Harter have put in as Executive Secretaries. Thanks to the Regional Officers and their commitment to the Organization. Past Presidents, thanks for the great mentoring! I look at the photo of the Past Presidents and I’m in awe that I will soon be joining that elite group. Thanks to the Village of West Salem and the City of Baraboo for allowing me the time to serve.

I hope you have had a great summer and look forward to seeing you at the Annual Conference in Stevens Point!

Wade