The Illinois Section American Water Works Association is governed by a 16-member Board of Trustees (15 voting members and the Executive Director serves as a non-voting member). Board members are elected annually by our membership and their term begins following WATERCON. Board of Trustees meetings take place throughout the year. Trustees represent their respective districts; to see the Illinois district map, click here.

Thank you to our Board of Trustees members for serving our organization!

Melissa Olenick

Board Chair

Melissa is the Laboratory Supervisor and Safety Coordinator at CLCJAWA and Chair on ISAWWA'S Board of Trustees. This term, she's looking forward to following through on plans and providing more value for members.

Todd LaFountain

Chair-Elect

Todd is the Water Division Director in the City Water, Light, and Power department of the City of Springfield and serves as Chair Elect on ISAWWA'S Board of Trustees. He hopes to inspire the next generation of water professionals.

Michele Piotrowski

Vice-Chair

Michele is a Senior Project Manager and Principal at Engineering Enterprises and serves as Vice Chair on ISAWWA'S Board of Trustees. This term, Michele is looking forward to growing alongside others in the industry, working with newcomers, and tackling challenges ahead.

Hanting Wang

Secretary-Treasurer

Hanting is a Water/Wastewater Process Engineer for Donohue & Associates and serves as the Secretary-Treasurer on ISAWWA'S Board of Trustees.  This term, she is looking forward to working with other board members to achieve ISAWWA's goals and introducing more students and YPs to ISAWWA and the water industry as a whole.

Jamie Rott

Past Chair

Jamie is the Water Superintendent for the City of Rockford and Past Chair of the ISAWWA's Board.  She enjoys collaborating with committee and board members while furthering the Section's strategic plan.

Carolyn Grieves

AWWA Director

Carolyn is Vice President at Baxter & Woodman and AWWA Director on ISAWWA's Board of Trustees. A longtime volunteer, Carolyn has been with the Section for 20 years and loves that she's so connected with the best industry in the world.

Elisa Bonkowski

Trustee-at-Large

Elisa is an engineer at Baxter & Woodman and Trustee-at-Large on ISAWWA's Board of Trustees. This term, she's excited to learn more ways to improve the Section.

Kelly Saunders

District 1 Trustee

Kelly is CEO at North Park Public Water District and District 1 Trustee. She values the ability to learn from other water professionals in ISAWWA and she's excited to provide more value to the Section and help in any way she can.

Carlos Covarrubias

District 2A Trustee

Carlos is Regional Manager for M.E. Simpson, Inc. and District 2A Trustee.  Carlos is actively involved in the Young Professionals Committe, along with various other committees.  He enjoys being involved and bringing new and innovative ideas to the water industry.

Nora Bertram

District 2B Trustee

Nora is the Water Director for the City of Elgin and the District 2B Trustee.  She enjoys a wide range of educational and networking opportunities offered by ISAWWA.  She is looking forward to working with the Section to navigate the increasing challenges facing the total water industry.

Ralph L. Gross

District 2C Trustee

Ralph is President and CEO of Associated Technical Services Ltd and District 2C Trustee. To him, membership and hands-on involvement with ISAWWA and AWWA are invaluable. He's excited to bring more of that value to members.

Mark Siefert

District 2D Trustee

Mark serves as the District 2D Trustee and works for Baxter & Woodman, Inc. He values the wide range of educational resources the Section offers and enjoys being an educator himself.

Joe Hogan

District 3 Trustee

Joe is General Manager at Otter Lake Water Commission and current District 3 Trustee. Something Joe enjoys about ISAWWA is working with like-minded individuals who care about the future of the industry.

Rachel Bretz

District 4 Trustee

Rachel is a Water Quality Supervisor for the City of Belleville and the District 4 Trustee.

Kevin Hannel

District 5 Trustee

Kevin is Senior Engineering Manager at Farnsworth Group Inc. and District 5 Trustee. He's excited to meet even more members at future events and wishes to learn more about their needs.

Annie Storey

Executive Director

As Executive Director, Annie works closely with the Board to determine ISAWWA's priorities and strategic plan; her and her team then work together with Section volunteers to implement the annual plan and maintain regular operations.