17290_Authority_February_2024

54 The Authority | FEBRUARY 2024 integrity, fairness, efficiency and fiscal responsibility in the operation of PMAA. In addition, he served on several PMAA committees including the Municipal Authority Advantage Committee (MAAC) to promote the value and benefits of authority ownership of public water and sewer systems by educating customers, public officials, and communities. Paul earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from Robert Morris University in 1984 and in 1994, he received his Masters of Business Administration, with a concentration in Computer Information Systems, from Robert Morris University. He had more than 38 years of experience with municipal authority finances, spending eight years with the Allegheny County Industrial Development Authority as Controller, six years with the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County as Superintendent of Customer Service, and the past 24 years with EWW starting as the Finance Director and in 2004, becoming the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer. Always the volunteer, Paul has served on the Boards of the American Heart Association and the Booker T. Washington Development and Education Center. He is the Parish Finance Director at Our Lady of Peach Parish in Erie. In 2020, Paul famously fought Erie boxer Johnny Bizzarro to raise money for the Erie City Mission as part of their annual Knockout Homelessness event. Paul is married to Diane and they have two wonderful children; Christina and Paul Jr. For fun, Paul enjoys golfing in Erie, Pittsburgh, and Myrtle Beach. He is also an extreme Pittsburgh sports fan and tries to attend as many Pirates, Steelers, and Penguins games as possible! We will miss you Paul! Enjoy Retirement! S Vojtek continued from page 11. painter suddenly informed us that they wouldn’t have the gorgeous new logo completed as previously promised. I remember sitting in Dan’s truck at the jobsite, having just talked with the paint foreman (Pro Tip: ALWAYS talk to the guys on site if you want the real story). Sweat was dripping down my back, and I asked Dan what we could do. Together, we crafted a plan and ran it past the painter’s manager, and the following Saturday, the logo was unveiled and looked magnificent. One of the best ways to enhance and facilitate collaboration in our industry is by being an active member like I am in the various organizations that support authorities and municipalities and the water and wastewater industries, like PMAA, PA American Water Works Association (www.paawwa.org) , and the Water Works Operators’ Association of PA (www.wwoap.org) . In fact, that’s my biggest regret – that I didn’t get involved sooner. I could have expanded my network, learned about everything my clients were up against when it came to changing regulations and new technologies, plus gotten to know so many amazing people even better. I am so grateful that Entech Engineering has always supported its employees' efforts in these organizations. We are members and board members, give presentations that are educational and entertaining, organize tank building contests, volunteer in community outreach efforts, plus network and help our clients to network with the wonderful people we know. After almost 30 years, I now look for ways to get the next generation excited about tanks, make sure that our young engineers attend regional conferences, and constantly introduce everyone I’m talking with to each other, ensuring the collaborative spirit will continue. S Collaboration article continued from page 13.