Awards
Every year the IWEA and the Water Environment Federation has a slate of honors and awards which are presented to deserving members, supporters, and facilities. Use the links below to learn more about the various awards and their past recipients. Please contact Christopher Buckley, Awards Committee Chair, with any questions.
Member Association Awards:
These awards, listed below, are presented at the Illinois Water Environment Association Annual Meeting each year. You can find information regarding award criteria, nomination forms, and past recipients on the MEMBER ASSOCIATION AWARDS web page.
- Bedell Award
Congratulations to Dan Collins, our 2023 award winner.
This award acknowledges extraordinary personal service to a Member Association.
Criteria for Nomination:
- Any WEF Member
Nomination Form
Bedell Recipients
- Burke Safety Award
Congratulations to Village of Hanover Park STP, our 2023 award winner.
This award was established to encourage municipal and industrial wastewater facilities to participate in promoting an active and effective safety program and to stimulate the collecting and reporting in injury data. The recipient is chosen based on the quality of their documented safety program as well as innovative actions taken to prevent injuries and corrective measures taken when an injury occurs.
Criteria for nomination:
- WEF member employed by a municipal or industrial wastewater facility
Nomination Form
Burke Award Recipients
- Clinebell Award
Congratulations to Laurie Frieders, our 2023 award winner.
This is a special/prestigious award to recognize an individual who has and continues to provide significant contributions to the Illinois Water Environment Association. The recipient will have given outstanding service to the IWEA over the longevity of their membership.
Criteria for nomination:
- Current primary member of the IWEA
- IWEA member for a minimum of twenty years
Nomination Form
Clinebell Award Recipients
- Golden Manhole
Congratulations to Bob VanGYseghem, our 2023 award winner.
This award acknowledges an individual that has made significant contributions in promoting individual professionalism and pride among those working in the design, management, construction, operations and maintenance of collection systems. It also acknowledges contributions to the success of the Illinois Water Environment Association and its goals, and effort over an extensive period of time which has positively contributed to the betterment of individuals associated with collection systems.
Golden Manhole Award Recipients
- Hatfield Award
Congratulations to Doug Armstrong, our 2023 award winner.
This award acknowledges an operator of a wastewater treatment plant for outstanding performance and professionalism.
Criteria for nomination:
- WEF member employed by a municipal or industrial wastewater facility
Nomination Form
Hatfield Award Recipients
- Lab Analyst Award
Congratulations to Kaylin Patterson, our 2023 award winner.
This award acknowledges an individual for outstanding performance, professionalism, and contributions to the water quality analysis profession.
Criteria for nomination:
- WEF member employed by a municipal or industrial wastewater facility
Nomination Form
Laboratory Award Recipients
- Merideth Award
Congratulations to Lynn Kohlhaas, our 2023 award winner.
This award acknowledges an individual who has performed duties above and beyond the usual employment requirements so as to elevate the status of the plant operator and promote operator professionalism within the State of Illinois.
Nomination Form
Merideth Award Recipients
- Outstanding Young Professional
Congratulations to Jennifer Loconsole, our 2023 award winner.
This Award recognizes the contribution of young water environment professionals for significant contributions to the IWEA and to the advancement of knowledge, technology, and practices in the operation, management, design or construction of wastewater and pollutions prevention systems.
Criteria for nomination:
- IWEA member
- 35 years old or younger at the time of nomination
Nomination Form
Outstanding Young Professional Award Recipients
- Public Official Award
Congratulations to Lora Vitek, Mayor of St. Charles, our 2023 award winner.
The Public Official Award is presented to a public official that has made a documented significant contribution in the areas of clean water legislation, public policy, government service or another area of public prominence that resulted in improvements to the water environment. The award can be presented for public service at local, state or federal level.
Criteria for nomination:
- Nominees must be an elected or appointed office, and do not need to be a member of WEF.
- Significant contribution that resulted in improvements to the water environment.
Nomination Form
Public Official Award Recipients
- Technical Presentation Award
This award is acknowledges outstanding presentations at the IWEA Annual Conference. The award recipient is chosen based on evaluations submitted by conference attendees.
Technical Presentation Award Recipients
Other Awards
- Federation Level Awards:
These awards are presented at the Water Environment Federation Annual Meeting (WEFTEC) each year. You can find award descriptions and nomination forms on the WEF website.
Awards Criteria & Nomination Forms
IWEA Recipients of Federation Level Awards
- Quarter Century Operators Club:
This award is presented to WEF members whom have been in wastewater treatment business for 25 years, 10 of which they have been actively involved in day-to-day collections, maintenance, operations, laboratory, or management of a wastewater transportation or treatment facility.
Criteria for nomination:
- Member of WEF for a minimum of five consecutive years immediately preceding application.
- Significant, full-time participant in the water industry for a minimum of 25 years, 10 years of which must have been in active participation in the day-to-day collections, maintenance, operations, laboratory,or management of wastewater transportation or treatment facility.
Nomination Form
Quarter Century Operators Club Members
- Illinois Select Society of Sanitary Sludge Shovelers (I5S):
Congratulations to our 2023 I5S winners: Doug Armstrong, Matt Schiltz, and Gustavo Gallo-Chacon (shown in picture below with Dan Small, the pH7 Inflow Regulator.)
IWEA members may be awarded the "Golden Shovel" by serving the Association as Committee Members or Chairs over a period of years. They may be on multiple committees for a short term or one committee for a decade. The bottom line is service and support of IWEA goals and programs.
Congratulations to Doug Armstrong, Matt
Criteria for Nomination:
- I5S members are nominated by the standing group of shovelers.
I5S Members
