60 Years and Beyond

After celebrating its 50th anniversary in Racine in 1981 the West Shore Water Producers Association Officers pondered on the direction the Association should take inching closer to the 21st century. Members of our Association saw an increased amount of technical and educational material that needed to be presented at meetings. The ever rapidly changing regulations and technology facing us in the water industry was overwhelming. The Association officers made the commitment to push forward with the goals and objectives set forth by our founding fathers in 1931 with new vision.

In 1984 Keith Young of the Gary Hobart Water Corporation forwarded the idea that an education committee should be formed to handle technical sessions at each meeting. In addition, a yearly technical seminar would be held on the most pertinent topics available at that time. In 1985 the first ever full day technical seminar was held in Gurnee, Illinois, on the computerization in the water industry with over 150 attending. The first Chairman of the education committee was Herbert Schmidt of Racine, Wisconsin, a position which he held for three years. The quality of these meetings swelled the attendance to over 100 at each event. Over the past years such topics as the safe drinking water act, pump maintenance and control and chemical treatment and handling have been presented at these technical seminars and in 1990 the first ever West Shore Water Producers table top show was presented in conjunction with the technical seminar in Gurnee, Illinois. Over 45 exhibitors displayed at the event with 165 total in attendance.

In 1989 an award to honor one of the most inspirational members of the West Shore Water Producers Association was named in memory of Emmett Sutliff. Mr. Sutliff, the Superintendent of the Hammond, Indiana plant passed away after years of service to Hammond and the water industry and in particular the West Shore Water Producers Association. The Award is given to the person who best exemplified the spirit and enthusiasm of Mr. Sutliff. The first recipient of the Emmett Sutliff Fellowship Award went to Keith Young of Gary Hobart, Indiana, at the 1989 winter meeting.

The Association looks forward to the challenges that lie ahead, but we can all be assured that the WSWPA will be in the forefront of these issues. The camaraderie which binds its members together overcomes the geographic locations and the diverse personalities which meet together on a quarterly basis. The West Shore Water Producers Association 60 years and beyond.