ALEXANDRIA, Va. (Sept. 30, 2013) – An impressive lineup of high profile national and international speakers have been confirmed to headline some of the most highly anticipated events of WEFTEC 2013. The Water Environment Federation’s 86th Annual Technical Exhibition and Conference will be held Oct. 5-9, 2013 at McCormick Place in Chicago.
On Monday, Oct. 7, the opening general session features a special welcome from Illinois Governor Pat Quinn and a keynote by best-selling author, speaker and “agent for social change” Kevin Carroll. Carroll will inspire more innovation in water management by encouraging attendees to embrace their spirit of play and creativity to achieve greater personal and professional growth and success.
The water leaders session, “The Future of Cities and Water: Insights from Great Water Cities,” will be facilitated by G. Tracy Mehan III, a former U.S. EPA assistant administrator for Water and a Principal at the Cadmus Group. This special session will feature the Rahm Emanuel, Mayor of Chicago; Gina McCarthy, administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Harlan Kelly, Jr., general manager, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission; Heiner Markhoff, president and CEO, GE Water & Process Technologies; Chew Men Leong, chief executive, PUB Singapore; and Sue Murphy, CEO, Water Corporation of Western Australia.
The AEESP/WEF Scientists Luncheon Lecture will feature Dr. Krishna Pagilla from the Illinois Institute of Technology. Dr. Pagilla will discuss low DO nitrification by bacterial “sherpas”. A ticket is required to attend. It will also feature Dr. John Novak from Virginia Tech. Dr. Novak will discuss the future of bio solids management.
On Tuesday, Oct. 8, Governor Quinn will officially open the Global Center, followed by a special presentation from Robert Kennedy, Jr., a vocal advocate for water stewardship, who will speak about the importance of nutrient removal and recovery. Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago President Kathleen Meany will also be on-hand to discuss the planned 2015 launch of the world’s largest nutrient recovery facility, which will be built at Chicago’s Stickney Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The Collection System Luncheon Keynote will feature Kevin Fitzpatrick, supervising civil engineer at the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. Fitzpatrick will share insights into his work with the city’s $3.6 billion Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (TARP) and intercepting sewer rehabilitation. Ticket required.
Founded in 1928, the Water Environment Federation (WEF) is a not-for-profit technical and educational organization of 36,000 individual members and 75 affiliated member associations representing water quality professionals around the world. WEF members, member associations and staff proudly work to achieve our mission to provide bold leadership, champion innovation, connect water professionals and leverage knowledge to support clean and safe water worldwide.