John Kupke of Indianapolis, IN was elected Chairman of the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO). ORSANCO is the water pollution control agency for the Ohio River representing Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.
ORSANCO operates water quality programs through representation from its eight member states. Twenty-seven Commissioners are appointed from the member states and the federal government. In addition, numerous ORSANCO committees address specific Ohio River water quality topics and interests. Kupke, over the next year, will serve as Chairman to this extensive network of Ohio River representatives.
Kupke retired from the national, civil engineering firm of HNTB Corporation, as a Senior Vice President. During his 37 years with HNTB, as a Registered Professional Engineer with a specialty certification in Environmental Engineering, he served in an office leadership capacity in several states, as well as at the Division and Corporate level of the firm. His technical and project leadership experience in the Ohio River Basin involved working with numerous communities as well as state, water and wastewater utilities, and regional planning entities. Kupke's extensive project experience included planning, design, and construction engineering services for numerous sewer systems and wastewater treatment facilities along with municipal and private utility water distribution and treatment systems. During this time, he participated in a variety of professional organizations and community groups that dealt with regional water quality planning and Combined Sewer Overflow Long-Term Control Planning.
His career demonstrates a long-term approach to evaluating and managing water quality. "Were I to explain to my grandchildren our role as Commissioners of ORSANCO for the Ohio River, I would say Commissioners want to do the best they can to help preserve and make better the Ohio River for fish, wildlife, and our grandchildren for many generations to come," said Kupke.
He assumed office July 1. In addition to electing Kupke, ORSANCO also elected Charles Duritsa (Pennsylvania Commissioner) as Vice-Chair and Michael Wilson (New York Commissioner) as Secretary-Treasurer.
