17290_Authority_February_2024

36 The Authority | FEBRUARY 2024 M a r c h i s W o m e n ’ s H i s t o r y M o n t h Hello! My name is Peggy Citeroni and I am the Executive Director for the Central Indiana County Joint Sanitary Authority (CICJSA). More than 30 years ago, I began working for Homer City Borough as a water billing clerk and then as Borough Secretary. Part of my responsibilities was to be recording secretary for the CICJSA at their monthly meetings. The community was under a sewer tap moratorium and required a public sewer system; the Borough had sanitary sewer lines that flowed directly to the stream and the surrounding Center Township had failing on-lot systems. I quickly became interested in what was being planned and found myself learning about elevations, gravity flow, EDUs, debt service and so very much more! In 1997 I was hired by CICJSA as the Office Manager and was the sole employee of the authority. My role in the early days was more about office administration and less about the complexities of wastewater. Over the 26 ½ years of my employment, I have really taken it upon myself to be educated in all aspects of the wastewater industry. It has only been in the past couple of years that the recognition of what my role truly is with the authority was affirmed with the new title of Executive Director. A lot of things have happened in the time I have been with the authority, both personally and professionally. I am a wife, mother of four – a daughter and three sons - and grandmother (Gigi!) to four beautiful granddaughters. My family has navigated several major health crises including my personal bout with bladder cancer. I have had the privilege of working with some excellent volunteer board members that have valued family first. This may seem counter-productive but it allowed me to not have to choose between my family and my job during some very critical situations. This has been a driving force for me; it has urged me to be the best I can be, to continue to educate myself so that I can share this with others, and to be the type of leader that can balance the needs of the authority along with the needs of my staff. Within the wastewater industry, and especially with CICJSA, there have been numerous developments that have changed my role from simply doing the monthly sewer billing and paying the authority’s bills to being a leader in our community. The wastewater industry has typically been dominated by men. Women have been emerging in all aspects of this industry in recent years and have been proving that women can not only understand the math, science, leadership, planning, and many other parts of the industry, but are leaders that are outstanding in this field. All the hurdles have not been conquered but seeing women not only in leadership but becoming certified operators is fabulous! It has never been my desire or career ambition to be a certified wastewater operator – that’s not my gift or passion. I do, however, continue to learn about the process of treating wastewater and emerging technologies. There are so many moving parts in wastewater (no pun intended!) with biosolids, PFAS, new treatment technology, SCADA systems, and lab processes just to mention a few. I do not pretend to know everything but if you want to succeed in this industry, you need to continually educate yourself and ASK QUESTIONS! Attending PMAA trainings and conferences has been extremely helpful. I have been blessed with several people over the years that have served as mentors that have shared invaluable lessons. The authority adopted this mission statement a few years ago: Being good stewards of our natural environment, providing quality services at a reasonable, affordable cost in an efficient, effective and reliable manner – that’s the mission of Central Indiana County Joint Sanitary Authority. Ultimately, everything that we do in this wastewater industry is to leave our world a better place. This mission, along with the vision we have, is what motivates me! S Peggy Citeroni, Executive Director Central Indiana County Joint Sanitary Authority Each year, March is designated Women’s History Month by presidential proclamation. It celebrates the contributions women have made to the United States and recognizes the specific achievements women have made over the course of American history in a variety of fields. Meet the following PMAA members from several disciplines within the municipal authority industry – their contributions and achievements as well as their journeys in this industry.