Member News

Utilities Inc. Promotes COO Lisa Sparrow to President

Utilities Inc. is pleased to announce the appointment of Lisa Sparrow to president. Sparrow is an extremely talented leader who has served the company since 2002, including three years in her current role as chief operating officer. She replaces outgoing President and CEO Larry Schumacher, who announced his departure in early December. Schumacher’s nearly 18 years of distinguished service with the company helped position Utilities Inc. as a market leader, and his hard work and dedication are dearly appreciated.

In her new role, Sparrow will report directly to the board of directors as well as gain a seat on the board. Sparrow is a senior leader with more than 20 years of experience in infrastructure, operations and manufacturing, with an impressive track record of executive management and policy development. She joined Utilities Inc. in 2002 as director of operations, quickly advanced to vice president of operations and was later appointed to the position of chief operating officer in 2006. In her current role, she is responsible for providing safe drinking water and environmentally responsible wastewater service daily to more than 1 million people nationwide.

“Lisa is an exceptional choice. Her drive and skills are evident to anyone who works with her. Utilities Inc. and its growing ranks of customers are very fortunate to have such an extraordinary talent at the helm,” said Christopher Lee, founder and managing partner of Highstar Capital, the majority owner of Utilities Inc. “I want to thank Larry for getting us this far. Now it is time for Lisa to lead Utilities Inc. into its very promising future.”

Sparrow’s tireless pursuit of innovation and quality makes her an exceptional choice to lead Utilities Inc., which became a leading provider of potable water and wastewater management decades ago when it bought up scores of underperforming, poorly equipped systems and improved them beyond industry safety and environmental standards.

Prior to joining Utilities Inc., Sparrow held numerous management positions in her 16 years with BP, a global energy company, and General Motors, a global automotive company. Her work included refinery engineering, finished products transportation, business development and human capital. She has a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Michigan State University and a master’s in management from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.

American Water's Laura Monica Honored with PR News PR People of the Year Award

American Water Works Company Inc. announced that Laura Monica, senior vice president of corporate communications and external affairs, was named one of PR News' PR People of the Year. Monica, along with her fellow honorees, was recognized in an awards ceremony at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 1, 2009.

Monica received an honorable mention award in the category of PR Team Leader for her extraordinary leadership in spearheading a national communications campaign aimed at educating customers and other external audiences about the company and the complexities of the water industry. Monica conducted a communications department assessment, which led to department reorganization nationwide; established best practices and operating procedures, including strategically streamlined costs; enhanced customer communications in print and online vehicles; and led her team to plan and execute proactive external communications strategies on the national level and in American Water's service areas of 32 states and Ontario, Canada. Monica is a native of southern New Hampshire.

PR News' PR People Awards competition showcases the top talent in the public relations industry — the innovators and passionate professionals who are making communications matter in the marketplace. The winners of this annual recognition set the benchmark for the industry and underscore the outstanding public relations achievements made in the past year. The winners are profiled in the PR News All-Stars Special Issue, in print and online at www.prnewsonline.com.

Middlesex Water Acquires Twin Lakes Water Services Inc. in Shohola, Pa.

Middlesex Water Company, a provider of water and wastewater services, announced it has acquired the assets of Twin Lakes Water Services Inc., which serves approximately 330 people in Shohola, Pa., in the northeastern part of the state.

"This acquisition is but one example of opportunities for profitable growth beyond our core New Jersey and Delaware operations," said Middlesex president and CEO Dennis W. Doll. "Twin Lakes is a transaction that is consistent with our focus on paying reasonable prices for systems that can yield a fair return for our shareholders. The residents will benefit from additional capital investments we will make to improve overall service quality and with our further focus on keeping rates affordable," added Doll.

American Water's Lendel Jones Selected for Class of 2009 Women of Distinction

American Water Works Company Inc., announced Lendel G. Jones, director of government affairs for American Water, has been selected for the class of 2009 Women of Distinction. The Philadelphia Business Journal and National Association of Women Business Owners established the awards to honor 25 of the area's most dynamic women who are making headlines in their professional field and their community. The celebration occurred at the annual awards program on Dec. 1 at the Sheraton City Center in Philadelphia.

Jones has been with American Water for 17 years and rose through the ranks from secretary to vice president of communications and government affairs for the company's northeast region before being named to her current position as director of government affairs for the company. Jones is responsible for setting the government affairs strategy for the company's services in 32 states and Ontario, Canada.

Throughout her career, Jones has achieved many professional accomplishments, including most recently working with the Congressional Water Caucus to establish a series of forums to help raise awareness of the nation's serious water and wastewater infrastructure challenges, and with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to help create the Water Infrastructure Commission. She also serves on the N.J. Chapter of American Water Works Association's Water Utility Council and the National Association of Water Companies' Government Affairs Committee, and is a past chair of both the N.J. Business and Industry Camden County Employer Legislative Committee, and the Chamber of Commerce of Southern New Jersey's Legislative Affairs Committee.

Jones understands and values the importance of being active in the community through her involvement with several nonprofit organizations, including the Camden Board of Education Foundation, the Southern New Jersey Council of Boy Scouts and The Haddonfield Symphony. She also speaks to youth groups and students in Essex, Camden and Atlantic counties, with the goal of encouraging young people, and women in particular, to do their best to achieve their professional aspirations.

Pennichuck Chief Engineer Admitted to Leadership New Hampshire Program

Pennichuck Water Works is pleased to announce that its Chief Engineer, John J. Boisvert, has been admitted to the Leadership New Hampshire program.

Developed in 1992, Leadership New Hampshire is a unique year-long educational program that has inspired, educated and engaged more than 550 citizens of New Hampshire to leverage the unique opportunities and understand the specific issues facing the Granite State.

Boisvert has been chief engineer at Pennichuck Water Works since 2006.

Aqua America Makes G.I. Jobs’ 2010 Military Friendly Employers List

Aqua America Inc., was recently informed that it has been selected as one of G.I. Jobs magazine’s Top 100 Military Friendly Employer list for 2010 and will be included in the publication's upcoming December 2009 edition.

According to G.I Jobs, Aqua America's inclusion places the company in the top 2 percent of employers nationwide. More than 5,000 companies were considered based on annual revenues of at least $500 million. "Hiring our service members has always been a key component of Aqua's recruitment program," said Vice President Human Resources Susan Broussard. "Veterans bring unique skills and experiences along with a proven work ethic to the workplace. We are honored to have America's service men and women as part of the Aqua Team."

"We are extremely honored to be included in the 2010 Top Military Friendly Employer's list," said Aqua America Chairman and CEO Nicholas DeBenedictis, who achieved the rank of captain in the U.S. Army and was also a member of the Army Corps of Engineers. "Our military personnel and veterans are clearly an important part of our country and our workforce. We are as proud to have them among our present and future workforce as we are to be recognized for creating an accommodating environment in which they can work."

American Water Announces RWE Representatives Resign from Board of Directors

American Water Works Company Inc. has announced that Dr. Manfred Döss, Dr. Rolf Pohlig and Andreas G. Zetzsche have resigned as members of its board of directors in connection with RWE's offering of American Water common stock. Döss and Pohlig have served on the American Water board since Aug. 8, 2007, and Zetzsche has served on the board since Aug. 17, 2007.

"American Water thanks Dr. Döss, Dr. Pohlig and Mr. Zetzsche for their service on our board of directors," said George MacKenzie, chairman of the board of American Water. "Their knowledge and expertise were valuable and we wish them well and appreciate the support they gave the company."

American Water's board of directors will consist of eight members, seven of whom are independent under applicable SEC rules and listing standards of the New York Stock Exchange.

American Water's Emily Ashworth Honored with Professional Achievement Award

American Water Works Company Inc. announced that vice president and chief information officer Emily Ashworth was selected as a recipient of the University of Central Florida's Professional Achievement Awards. Ashworth, along with other distinguished alumni, was honored in a ceremony in Orlando, Fla., on Nov. 12, 2009.

Ashworth, who received the award for the Burnett Honors College, holds a bachelor's degree in both industrial engineering and liberal studies from the University of Central Florida. She also has a master's degree in industrial engineering from the University of Tennessee, where she was included in Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities.

In her role as vice president and chief information officer of American Water, Ashworth is responsible for developing and implementing information technology services (ITS) strategies across the business nationwide. Leading the ITS management team, Ashworth provides direction for implementing business solutions that integrate the latest technologies to deliver reliable technical performance and savings, ensuring goal alignment with business objectives and managing a high performance ITS infrastructure.

The University of Central Florida is a metropolitan research university that ranks as the third largest in the nation with more than 53,000 students. For more information, click here.