The city of Durham issued the following news release:
Terry Rolan, director of the City of Durham's Department of Water Management, has assumed the presidency of the American Water Works Association (AWWA), an international organization dedicated to ensuring a safe and sufficient drinking water supply. He is the first president of American Water Works Association from the North Carolina Section since this section was formed in 1921.
'I am thrilled and excited to be selected to lead the AWWA and my service will allow me to give back some of what AWWA has given me in experience, training and information,' Rolan said. 'My goals for the organization include improving service delivery to our more than 57,000 individual members and working with our 4,700 utility members on new opportunities to improve revenues and reduce costs of service, while making continuous improvements in service delivery to our customers.' Rolan also plans to provide partnership opportunities with member sections throughout North America and continue to use technology to expedite and expand communication throughout the AWWA.
'Terry Rolan has been a leader in the development of new and safer water treatment methods for years and it is only fitting that he now lead the organization he has been such a strong advocate for over the years,' City Manager Patrick W. Baker said. 'His selection to lead the AWWA indicates the respect with which he is held in the industry.'
A graduate of Berry College in his native Georgia, Rolan received his master's in Public Health from the School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) in 1974. He began his employment with the City of Durham as a sanitary engineer in 1973, and after obtaining both a Grade IV, N.C. Wastewater Operator's Certificate and a Grade A, N.C. Water Operator's Certificate, moved up in the organization to his present position.
Throughout his 32-year career with the City, Rolan has been involved with volunteer organizations at the state, regional and national level. Rolan served in all leadership levels of the North Carolina Section of American Water Works Association/North Carolina Water Environment Association and has served on the AWWA board as both a director and a vice-president. Rolan has also served on the boards of the AWWA Research Foundation and the Water Environment Federation. He currently serves on the steering committee for the Drinking Water Research Center at UNC-CH and the Research Advisory Committee for the University of North Carolina Water Resources Research Institute.
For his service to the water and wastewater industry, Rolan has received numerous awards including the George Warren Fuller Award from the AWWA, the Arthur Sidney Bedell Award from the Water Environment Federation and the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Department of Environmental Science and Engineering at the UNC-CH School of Public Health. Rolan was named as an honorary member of AWWA in 2000 and was awarded life membership in the AWWA in 2002.
Rolan was installed as president in June at the AWWA's Annual Conference and Exposition in San Antonio, Texas, and begins a one-year term in that office. This commitment will be followed by a one-year term as past-president, ending his three-year commitment in June 2008.
Established in 1881, the AWWA promotes public health and welfare by assuring drinking water of unquestionable quality and sufficient quantity. The AWWA is the largest organization of water supply professionals in the world. Its more than 57,000 members represent the full spectrum of the drinking water community and is respected worldwide as the authoritative resource for safe drinking water. Membership includes more than 4,700 utilities that supply water to about 180 million people in North America.
