Ben Grumbles confirmed last week via his monthly column on the U.S. Water Alliance website, that he will be leaving his position as president of the organization in light of his recent nomination to become Maryland Secretary of the Environment.
Last month, Maryland Gov.-elect Larry Hogan (R) announced additions to his cabinet, including some key environmental positions including Grumbles, who will head up the state?s Department of the Environment. Grumbles? term officially starts Wednesday.
Grumbles has served as president of the U.S. Water Alliance since 2011, a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C. He previously led Arizona?s Department of Environmental Quality, and before that, served as assistant administrator for water at the Environmental Protection Agency under former President George W. Bush. He has extensive experience in environmental law and policy and has held several important roles focused on water throughout his 25-plus year career.
?The Alliance has engaged with and learned from some of the most inspiring and influential public and private sector leaders in the world,? Grumbles said. ?We?ve held dialogues across the country on the need for an integrated and comprehensive national water policy, on answering the question ? What?s Water Worth?? and on defining and implementing ?One Water? management.
It?s always more about the people of an organization than its programs, products, and policies,? he continued. ?That certainly rings true here at the Alliance. I?ve been honored to work with and for an immensely talented and intensely diverse Board of Directors. They are the leaders of One Water and the future of the U.S. Water Alliance and they?ve taken good care of the organization and its staff through thick and thin, hot and cold.
?All in all, I see a bright blue future for the Alliance. I know I?ll keep an oar in One Water and continue to row in the direction of sustainability through collaboration and innovation. From USWA to MDE (Maryland Department of the Environment): from one great spot to another.?
To read more about Grumbles? career, check out our cover story in the December 2014 issue of UIM, when we honored Grumbles with our annual Water Infrastructure Management Award:
http://uimonline.com/index/webapp-stories-action?id=1311
