Get to Know the CASA Staff: Greg Kester
Greg serves as CASA’s Director of Renewable Resource Programs and has been CASA’s subject matter expert on all matters pertaining to renewable resources for nearly two decades. He manages emerging issues at the local, state and federal level and within the private sector on all biosolids, renewable energy, and related issues. Prior to joining CASA, he served as the state biosolids coordinator for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, where he represented all states in the nation, by their election, to the USEPA on biosolids issues. Greg holds a BS in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Wisconsin and is a registered professional engineer.

Greg beyond the office:

  • What’s the most unusual or interesting thing you’ve ever eaten? Perhaps frog legs or escargot? I grew up in the shadow of New York City and while in early high school was in French Club. We had a field trip to New York which included eating at a French bistro. I decided to do as the French would and ordered both frog legs and escargot! To my surprise, I loved them both and continue to eat them whenever they are on the menu!
  • What is something people would not know about you that is unique? As a 16-year-old, I attended the Woodstock Music and Arts festival and stayed for an entire week. I was working on the boardwalk on the shore in Seaside Heights New Jersey and wasn’t able to take off for the Newport Folk Festival in July which was my first intention. But I was aware of the annual Woodstock festival in August and sent for tickets to the 3-day festival. It was only after securing them that I saw it advertised in the NY Times and realized how many great performers would be there. It was a positive life changing event for which I have only great memories!
  • Do you have a favorite musician? Why are they your favorite?  Bob Dylan. My brother came home from college in 1965 with a copy of Highway 61 Revisited and upon listening I heard a voice that spoke directly to me and have been a devoted fan ever since. I think he is the best writer and singer from whom all my musical knowledge derives (past, present, and future). Even at 83, I look forward to seeing him at the Shoreline Amphitheater in August (with Willie Nelson).
  • What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received, and did you follow it? When I was 35 and had been driving an 18-wheel semi-truck for 10 years, hauling biosolids to agricultural fields for Madison MSD, I decided to use my mind and return to college. I was planning to major in creative writing because I always wanted to be a writer. My wife (of 50 years this October), questioned this since I had not written anything in the 15 years we had been together! Rather she said my memorization of all baseball statistics from the 1950’s on, was not normal and I should be in the math and science field. A lightbulb went off and I majored in civil and environmental engineering which proved to be the second-best choice of my life (after marrying her)!

 

Excellence Unveiled: A Webinar Showcasing CASA Award-Winning Projects
Join us on June 25 from 11:00am – 12:15pm for an exclusive webinar as we delve into past CASA Awards of Excellence winning projects. This virtual event offers a unique opportunity to gain invaluable insights directly from the minds behind these exceptional projects. From harnessing biomethane as a renewable energy source to engaging the public through effective outreach and education programs, each project offers a unique perspective and important lessons for other CASA agencies. Our esteemed presenters, each a recipient of the CASA Awards of Excellence, will take you on a journey through their innovative projects, sharing the challenges and triumphs that defined their process.

For those of you who have seen our Awards of Excellence presented at the CASA Annual Conference and wanted to know more about the projects being honored, now is your opportunity! This webinar promises to be a rich source of knowledge and inspiration, with plenty of time to engage with the presenters during the Q&A period. Keep an eye out for registration information. You won’t want to miss it!

 

Deadline Approaching: CASA Education Foundation Scholarships
Does your local college or university know about CASA’s financial aid to students interested in a career in water? The CASA Education Foundation helps energize the future of the clean water sector by awarding scholarships to promising students on a path to serving the environmental community. The Foundation is accepting scholarship applications through May 17, 2024. For information on how to apply, who is eligible and the scholarship guidelines, visit the website.

 

CASA Annual Conference: Registration Open!
CASA is thrilled to announce the upcoming 2024 Annual Conference, set to take place from July 31 to August 2 at the Monterey Marriott. This year, our conference theme is “Empowering Through Collaboration,” highlighting the importance of working together to achieve our shared mission. Our program will feature an array of speakers and panels geared towards providing our agencies with the necessary tools and information to foster collaboration and achieve our common goals. We will also host three different tracks this year with opportunities for high-level policy discussions as well as deep technical dives, and some excellent networking opportunities as well! As always, our committee leaders and subject matter experts will be on hand to provide all the latest information on legislative and regulatory proposals that will impact your agency.

Also, new to this year’s event will be an extended keynote session featuring the esteemed Mabel Miguel from UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School. Mabel will lead an interactive session with breakouts and small group engagement that will be sure to captivate and inspire. Additionally, we’re offering an exclusive tour of Monterey One Water, but space is limited, so be sure to sign up early! Stay tuned for updates on speakers and the official program. Trust us, you won’t want to miss out on what we have in store. Register early and make your reservations to lock in the best hotel rates. We hope to see you this summer in Monterey!

 

In Memoriam: Wyatt L. Troxel
On April 18, 2024, with the passing of Wyatt L. Troxel, the CASA community lost a visionary leader, an inspirational “solutioneer,” a compassionate teacher, a talented musician, and a loyal friend. Wyatt passed suddenly and far too early, and is survived by his wife Kathy, two sons, Evan and Andrew, and four grandchildren, Leighton, Jackson, Landon, and Marlin. Wyatt will be remembered by his water and wastewater colleagues as a passionate, intelligent, caring, and giving man, committed to helping our industry “do better,” as he liked to say.

Wyatt spent much of the later part of his 50-year water industry career traveling up and down the state, dropping in on wastewater plant operators and managers, discussing their most challenging problems, identifying uncommon system linkages, and investigating elegant solutions that others wouldn’t often consider. Wyatt’s primary objective was to help others improve their decision-making processes, ultimately to revolutionize the wastewater industry while “saving humanity from itself.” “Wyatt brought a rare combination of bold audacious vision for innovation balanced with the discipline of an engineer. He said when we are wildly successful, none will know where the idea came from, and all will believe we had always done it this way” shared Celeste Cantu.

Wyatt was a consultant and advisor to technologists, engineering firms, regulators, and agencies, getting a remarkable volume of mileage out of his Grade V Operator certification since obtaining it in 1974. Wyatt was probably most proud of his commitment to training young, up-and-coming professionals throughout his career. Hundreds of certified (“and certifiable”) operators in California and across the country had the privilege of learning about sewage and treatment from Wyatt through CWEA and other industry training courses and events that he taught through. Colleagues, clients, and students will recall the library of stories he always had on hand to illustrate complex scientific wastewater topics in ways that would stick. Wyatt was the former Assistant General Manager and Operations Director at IEUA and was later elected to the IEUA Board of Directors. He became the Board President and, in that role, served on the Board of Directors for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. Over the past twenty years, Wyatt also served as a member of the CA Water Board’s Operator Certification and Training Advisory Board.

Wyatt loved CASA and was committed to the organization. We will remember and recognize Wyatt’s valuable contribution to our industry and to CASA at the 2024 Annual Conference in Monterey, the first CASA conference he will not attend in many years.

NOTE: Thank you to Jamie Ferro, Wyatt’s longtime friend and colleague, for drafting this in memoriam.