Rural Water History

Everything has to start somewhere, and as if the weather were an indication of things to come, the Wisconsin Rural Water Association (WRWA) was started on a bright sunny day in June, 1987. In actuality, the roots for the association started prior to that when WRWA's parent organization, the National Rural Water Association (NRWA), made the decision to expand into several new states, one of which was Wisconsin. A NRWA representative then made the trip north from Oklahoma to Wisconsin to interview candidates to hire as the first WRWA employee. And as they say, the rest is history. The following is the chronological history of Rural Water in Wisconsin.
1987
June NRWA hires Ken Blomberg as Program Manager
August Janis Klismith is hired as Office Manager
September First WRWA Training session held in Plover, WI
October First Issue of the "Wisconsin Rural Water Journal" is published
December First charter system member joins WRWA - Goodman Sanitary District
1988
March Scott Giese is hired as Water Circuit Rider
June WRWA Board of Directors meets for first Organizational Meeting
July Vaughn Abelman is hired as Wastewater Circuit Rider
1989
January Tina Schwebach is hired as Assistant Office Manager
April First Annual WRWA Technical Conference is held at Elizabeth Inn in Plover
1990
April Second Annual Technical Conference is held at Holiday Inn, Stevens Point
1991
March Jill Jonas is hired as Groundwater Technician
April Board of Directors expands from 5 to 10 members
October Sue Wojtalewicz is hired as Accounting Assistant
1993
April Board signs land contract with Village of Plover for 3 acres of land for future office/training center
May Gary Lueck is hired as Groundwater Technician under contract signed with DNR.
1994
March Jon Cleveland hired to replace Jill Jonas as Wellhead Protection Coordinator
June WRWA Board approves building a 5,000 sq. ft. office/training center
July Renee Lake is hired as WRWA Secretary
August Groundbreaking Ceremony is held for new WRWA office/training center building
1995
January WRWA moves into new building at 350 Water Way, Plover, WI
1996
September WRWA Reorganization complete: Ken Blomberg named Executive Director, Scott Giese named Program Specialist, Sue Wojtalewicz named Office Manager, Janis Klismith named Administrative Assistant, Renee Koback named Assistant Office Manager, and Gary Lueck named Groundwater Technician.
  New employee hired: Kay Marshall as Wastewater Technician and Joe Kniseley as Water Circuit Rider.
October Society of Water Professionals (SOWP) a WRWA individual membership category is created
1997
July 10th Anniversary Issue of the "Wisconsin Rural Water Journal" is published
1998
April 10th Annual Technical Conference is held at Holiday Inn, Stevens Point.  Conference theme is "Ten Years and Still Flowing"
1999
April Other-Than-Municipal (OTM) membership category was created
August 5 Rural Water trucks are purchased and hit the road
2000
May State Small System Program began: Dick Minett, Jeff LaBelle and Dave Lawrence hired as Circuit Riders
July Wastewater Trainer Program began.  Jesse Claflin hired as Wastewater Technician
October Chris Groh is hired to replace Kay Marshall as Wastewater Trainer
November Stew (a Whitetail fawn) appears at the windows of WRWA office and stays throughout the winter
December Second Circuit Rider Position began, Dave Lawrence moves into the new position
2001
January Ed Hendzel is hired to replace Dave Lawrence as Small System Circuit Rider
July Ed Morse is hired to replace Gary Lueck as Groundwater Technician
September NRWA Conference is canceled because of terrorist bombing of the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington DC.
2002
January Dave Lawrence moves into newly created position of Deputy Director, Sue Wojtalewicz is promoted to Chief Financial Officer, Renee Koback is Administrative Assistant and Ed Hendzel replaces Dave Lawrence in the second Circuit Rider position
August Kelly Thomas is hired to replace Ed Hendzel as a State Circuit Rider
  First WRWA Operator Expo is held in Columbus, WI
2003
January The WRWA Board of Directors met and held a strategic planning meeting
February Administrative Utility Professionals (AUP) a WRWA individual Membership category is created
March 15th WRWA Annual Technical Conference is moved to Green Bay
July WRWA State Office/Training Center is paid off
September WRWA purchases land across from the State Office/Training Center
   
2004
March WRWA awarded State Small Systems Training Contract
  Joe Kniseley moves into Small Systems Training position
  Jeff LaBelle moves into Circuit Rider position
April Eric Van Laanen is hired as Small System Circuit Rider.
  Over 1,300 people attend the Annual Conference in Green Bay, including a theme party in the Lambeau Field Atrium for over 600 people.
June WRWA Board of Directors update its 2004-2006 Strategic plan at the annual Board reorganization meeting.
July USDA Source Water Protection Specialist program began.  Patrick Harrington hired as Source Water Specialist.
August 3rd Annual Operator Expo was held at the land across from the WRWA State Office/Training Center.  Over 300 people were in attendance.
November 5th Annual WRWA Management Conference held in Wisconsin Dells at the Kalahari Resort.
2005
February Janis Klismith named Association Services Coordinator and Renee Koback named Members Services Coordinator.  New Administrative Assistant position created.
  New Administrative Assistant position created.
April Kimberly Fischer hired as Administrative Assistant.
July WRWA Awarded State Operator Training Contract with DNR.  Dave Lawrence moves into the position.
August Kathy Savonne hired as Director of Education & Outreach.
October WRWA awarded "State Association of the Year" at the National Rural Water Association Annual Conference in Sacramento, California.
December Jim Bollini hired to replace Joe Kniseley as State Operator Trainer position.
2006
June Janis Klismith hired to replace Jim Bollini as State Operator Trainer position.
  New Administrative Assistant II position created.
  WRWA hosts NRWA In-Service training in Milwaukee, WI.
  Board of Directors created the Training Facility Committee.
July Joan Hoffman hired as Administrative Assistant II.
2008
April 20th Annual Technical Conference is held at the KI Center in Green Bay.
  Conference Theme was "Aloha from Green Bay"
September Dave Lawrence moves into the Assistant Director Position.
  David Tichinel hired as Regional Circuit Rider.
2009
June ARRA Circuit Rider Program started.  Janis Klismith moves into this position.
  Ed Morse hired to fill second ARRA position
September WRWA Training & Storage Facility started across from WRWA State Office/Training Center in Plover.
October Gabrielle Peterson hired to fill ARRA position.  EPA Source Water Protection Specialist program began.  Ed Morse moves into open Source Water Specialist position.
  15 Wisconsin Rural Water Association trucks on the road.
2010
January New Financial Assistant position was created.
  Donations for WRWA "Water Walkway" at the WRWA Training & Storage Facility started.
February Betty Kaye is hired to fill Financial Assistant position
March Andrew Aslesen is hired to fill the Source Water Specialist position.
June WRWA received 40 SOWP Scholarship applications.  WRWA awarded two $1000 SOWP scholarships & seven $500 SOWP scholarships.
August WRWA Outdoor Expo was the largest in attendance.
2011  
January Corporate Gold membership category is created
June Phase II of the WRWA Training Facility was started across from the WRWA State Office/Training Center in Plover, WI.
July WRWA received 48 SOWP Scholarship applications.  WRWA awarded two $1,000 SOWP scholarships & seven $500 SOWP scholarships.
August WRWA 10th Annual Outdoor Expo was held.  "A Decade of Outdoor Education"
  Ed Morse, Source Water Specialist retires from WRWA.