Annual Convention 2024 & Expo

Andrew Adamsky
Andrew has been in the water treatment industry for 6 years and has worked for HOH Water technology for 1 year as the Technical Director. His main accountabilities include the Analytical Laboratory, Water Safety, Equipment Technical Support, Continuous Improvement, Technical Support to Sales and Service, and product development. Prior to working in the water treatment industry, Andrew was a civilian chemist for the Department of the Navy working in the Fuel and Lube Oil group for the Navy’s Surface fleet where he provided analytical report interpretation to identify signs of premature failures of powertrain equipment. He also traveled to Navy ports around the world where he trained Sailors in accordance with the Navy’s technical manual on lubricating oils.

Andrew is also a Captain in the Army Reserves most recently completing an assignment as a Company Commander where he was responsible for the training, morale, and welfare of 123 Soldiers

Andrew has a Bachelor’s of Science in Chemistry from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, is a Certified Water Technologist, and is ASSE 12080 certified.

Simina Alungulesa
Simina Alungulesa obtained her bachelor’s and master’s degree at McGill University in chemical engineering. As a graduate researcher, she focused on biological wastewater treatment and ozonation. She joined TGWT in 2021 as a Research Scientist and became an essential collaborator, producing important research published in The Analyst. She now occupies the position of Supervisor, Technology; Innovation.

Jun Su An
Jun An currently serves as the Senior Director of Product at Solugen, where Jun leads a team of scientists in generating relevant data packages for the company’s bio-based molecules. Jun iterates the product value proposition with various external stakeholders and is responsible for generating application development experiments. Prior to their current role, Jun held various positions at Halliburton, including as a Research & Development Engineer and Field Engineer, where Jun developed new products, processes, and services for the company. Jun also served as a Teaching Assistant at the University of Colorado Boulder and worked as a Photographer at All Digital Photo & Video. Jun An holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder.

Brent Baird
Brent Baird and the Baird family are widely recognized for their groundbreaking contributions to the Ultrasonic Flow Meter Industry. In 1977, Brent and his father, Jim Baird, co-founded Dynasonics, a pioneering venture that marked one of the earliest Ultrasonic Flow Meter manufacturing establishments in the United States. Their visionary work laid the cornerstone for the development of the Doppler and Transit Time flow meter technologies that continue to play a pivotal role in the industry today. Currently at the helm of Instruments Direct Brent Baird’s reputation as a highly esteemed technical entertaining speaker and author is well-established. His educational presentations are centered on Ultrasonic flow meters, energy technology, theory of operation, applications, and best practices.

John J. Baum, CWT
John Baum graduated from West Virginia University with a BS in Chemical Engineering, and has worked in the Water Treatment and Water Analysis Industries his entire professional career (over 40 years).

After graduation John began working in the water treatment industry as a Technical Writer and Field Engineer until 1985 when he joined Hellige Incorporated, a Water Analysis Technology firm in Garden City, NY. There he worked as Production Manager and then Vice President of Sales and Marketing.

In 1989 when Ray Baum, John’s father, passed away, he returned to Pittsburgh to take over Craft Products. John also joined the Board of Directors of The Association of Water Technologies that year, an international trade association of water treatment firms.  After serving as President of AWT in 1993, he was presented the Water Technologist of the Year Award in 1995.  That Award is made annually and the list of recipients includes numerous academic, engineering and industry leaders in the field of Water Treatment Engineering.

Craft Products Company has been treating tri-state waters since 1937 (Incorporated in PA 1959). The company has a reputation for doing the job right at a reasonable price. The markets of concentration include light industry, commercial, education and health care. John is the lead field chemical engineer. In that role, John became a Certified Water Technologist (the only independent, objective certification of general water treatment knowledge, ethics and verifiable and pertinent work experience) and held Certification Number 0060.

In addition to his daily work building the Craft Products business and reputation, John gives back to the industry as a course instructor in business, mechanical and chemical topics related to Water Treatment for a number of entities, including AWT (The Association of Water Technologies), NAPE (The National Association of Power Engineers), HESP (Hospital Engineers of Southwestern PA), and the Penn State University Office of Continuing Education.

Currently Craft is conducting a series of public seminars titled The Mechanics of Water Treatment; which stress the importance of maintaining the mechanical systems associated with chemically treated water. These courses provide certified hours of continuing education for Licensed Boiler Operators as conducted by NIULPE (National Institute for the Uniformed Licensing of Power Engineers). In addition, the important topic of Legionella Prevention has been included, most recently as an embedded session explaining the possible mechanical reasons for contamination and the treatment options available.

For many years John has worked in the areas of disinfection and Legionella Prevention, most recently as the Business Development manager for Sanipur US, promoting the current State-of-the-Art in Legionella Remediation and Prevention technology, precision monochloramine generation.

John has authored many articles and made technical presentations for industry publications and conferences. His Market Updates for Industry Conferences and publications, a study of advancements, business trends and market share analyses have been referenced by numerous international specialists on the water treatment market.

John volunteers for a number of organizations including the Boy Scouts of America where he has served in numerous unit leadership positions. As a volunteer member of the Alpha Rho Alumni Corporation he co-chaired the National Capital Campaign which culminated in the construction of a $3.1Mm fraternity residence on the campus of West Virginia University.

Michael Berg
Dr. Michael Berg is the Technical Director, Building Sciences for Pace® Labs. He holds a Ph.D. in Biology from the Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany. Dr. Berg researched plant pathology and plant genetics as postdoctoral fellow at Oklahoma State University. He also worked in fungicide research for BASF in Germany. Dr. Berg engages in training and other educational events with focus on infection control, sterile compounding, and water risk management.

Matthew Bernhart, PE
Matthew Bernhart, PE has twenty years of experience providing technical solutions in water treatment and chemical industries. He has been the North America Business Development Manager at Italmatch Chemicals since 2022, and spent the previous 8 years working for Sigura Water (formerly a water treatment division of Lonza). He has been working on product development in the commercial, industrial, and municipal water markets for the past 7 years. Matt has Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Chemical Engineering from Auburn University.

Alan Burke, PhD
Alan Burke, PhD, is a chemical engineer with ERCO IDI. He has over twenty years experience in new product development and commercializing chemical processes. His last ten years have focused on using oxidizers for pollutant removal and disinfection in various industrial water applications. Prior to this, Dr. Burke researched and developed electrochemical systems for chemical separation and energy production. He is committed to driving innovative and sustainable practices that improve lives and the health of our planet.

Michael Bourgeois, CWT
Michael has served on the Certification Committee for over 10 years and have worked with many CWTs. Michael is encouraged putting into the Benchmark Study questions to the owners about overall territories size and compensations.

Terrence J. Brennan, PE, CWT
Terry has been employed by HOH Water Technology for 30 years and has held many different positions from Service Engineer to Area Manager to his current position as Continuous Improvement Manager. Terry has been responsible for the training of new Service Engineers at HOH for the last 12 years, and to date has trained 35 current HOH employees.

Prior to HOH, Terry spent 5 years in Process Piping Design and Project Management with CBI Industries, working on Industrial Projects such as Paper Mills, Water Treatment Plants and Refineries. Before CBI Industries, Terry spent 3 years as a Drilling Engineer for Teleco Oilfield Services, working on offshore oil drilling rigs around the world.

Terry has a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University. Terry is a licensed Professional Engineer, and is a registered CWT.

Megan Canright, CIH
Megan Canright has over 15 years of experience in environmental health science and industrial hygiene. She holds a B.S. in Environmental Science from the UC Berkeley and an MPH in Environmental Health Science from UCLA. As the Corporate Director of Scientific Operations and Principal with Forensic Analytical, she provides company-wide technical and operational direction and facilitates the internal Quality Assurance/Quality Control program. Megan’s primary areas of expertise include occupational and environmental exposure assessment, and the evaluation and control of waterborne pathogens in support of environmental infection control. Megan is a Certified Industrial Hygienist and is very active in the local San Diego and National chapters of the American Industrial Hygiene Association and sits on the Board of the California Industrial Hygiene Council. She is a graduate of the 2011 AIHA Future Leaders Institute (FLI) and was named the recipient of the 2019 AIHA Kusnetz Award.

Donald L. Cleveland
Donald Cleveland is the President of MPR-Fintra, Inc. and WaterColor Management, roles he has held for over 21 years. MPR-Fintra is an independent Property & Casualty brokerage firm with an international focus, specializing in large and difficult risks, as well as program and captive insurance company development. Donald holds a master’s degree in Political Science from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a bachelor’s degree in Journalism & Political Science from Creighton University.

Allen J. Clouse
With a wealth of experience in spearheading Sterile Processing water system upgrades and a profound understanding of the transition from AAMI TIR34 to AAMI ST108:2023, Allen Clouse, a seasoned professional from Halls Culligan, is a trusted authority adept at guiding healthcare clients and water management teams through the intricacies of implementing advanced water purification systems and addressing the challenges associated with evolving industry standards.

Alberto Comazzi, PhD
Dr. Alberto Comazzi earned a PhD in Industrial Chemistry from the University of Milan. Alberto is a member of the ASHRAE SSPC-188, SPC-514 and the AWWA premise plumbing system committees.

Dr. Comazzi currently works as VP of Business Development in Sanipur US, based in Philadelphia PA. Sanipur US distributes and provides technical support for the production and application of supplemental disinfectants for Legionella remediation in building utility water systems

Abraham Cullom, PhD
Dr. Abraham Cullom is the Director of Water Safety and Management at Pace® Labs. With a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech, co-advised by Drs. Amy Pruden and Marc Edwards, he has positioned himself as a dynamic leader in building water safety. During his academic journey, Dr. Cullom was awarded the coveted NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, as well as an IIE-GIRE Fellowship to perform research at the prestigious KWR Water Research Institute in The Netherlands. His peer-reviewed research has elucidated the impact of the in-building plumbing environment on important opportunistic pathogens like Pseudomonas aeruginosa and non-tuberculous mycobacteria antibiotic resistance, and microbial ecology. He is well-versed in analytical methods as fundamental as culture and as advanced as contemporary metagenomics. As the Director of Water Safety and Management, Dr. Cullom expertise plays a crucial role in safeguarding drinking water. A cross-disciplinary expert, Dr. Cullom translates insights from engineering, microbiology, and chemistry into practical solutions to mitigate disease risks in water systems and help end Legionnaire disease.

Bob Cunningham, ASSE 12080
Bob Cunningham, ASSE 12080, is a Principal with International Water Consultants. He has 53 years of water treatment experience across a broad range of applications and industries and served as President of the Cooling Technology Institute and on the Board of the Association of Water Technologies. Bob is a sought-after speaker, consultant and expert witness. He has served as both a consulting and testifying expert in water treatment related matters across the globe. He is the recipient of numerous industry accolades including the esteemed Ray Baum Memorial Water Technologist of the Year.

John Daniel
John Daniel has over 26 years of experience with a national water treatment company and chemical solutions supplier to the industry. He has been with Borregaard for 5 years developing biobased technology that is used in the boiler water side.

Jay Farmerie
V.P. of Operations of GLA Water Consultants, Inc., he has over 35 years of experience in the water treatment industry. After obtaining his B.S. in Chemistry, he continued his education further and received his MBA before founding GLA Water Consultants Inc. with the company’s President. Mr. Farmerie holds the CWT certification, and is also a member of the Association of Water Technologies (AWT) – Past President, National Association of Corrosion Engineers, Cooling Tower Institute (C.T.I.), American Association of Energy Engineers, American Chemical Society, and the International Water Conference (IWC). He has developed three patents to help improve the technology for water treatment, serves as a training seminar instructor, and contributes his writings on cooling, boiler, waste and potable water to several publications.

Dave Fitzgerald
Dave Fitzgerald runs the day-to-day operations for North Metal and Chemical Company, a 102 year old fourth generation manufacturer that has served the AWT since its inception. As a small-business advocate, Dave gained experience running small lumber suppliers through the 90’s and right up until the mortgage bubble of 2008. In 2009, Dave started with North as the general manager and began overseeing the entire company by 2012. Having doubled sales volume over the last 5 years, Dave’s found that the story of reliability more than any other — resonates in the post-pandemic marketplace.

Matt Freije
Matt Freije is the founder and CEO of HC Info and the content director for LAMPS, its cloud-based application for water management plans, data analytics, and training. He is an approved ASSE Standard 12080 instructor. He has provided Legionella and water system management education and information since 1995.

Paule Genest, PRP, ARP
Director, ESG and Development Water and Energy, TGWT Clean Tecahnologies, Member of the Strategic Team. Chair of AWT WOW Committee

Over the past 35 years, Paule has worked in many disciplines : education, journalism, public relations and  water treatment. She is now supervising and coaching sales and development teams at TGWT. She is an active mentor to women who want to embrace leadership roles  and simply want their voices to gain influence. Paule believes that women carry significant strenght to make evolution happen. She is a Lecturer at University of Montreal. Corporate Social Responsibility and PR. She is the host of paulecast.com She is the recipient of Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers (Governor General of Canada- 2015 Award)

Louis Godbout
Louis Godbout worked as a research assistant and academic associate at McGill University’s Pulp and Paper Research Center for over twenty years, before joining TGWT in 2016. He was one of the pioneers in the field of nanocrystalline cellulose research. He developed several patents and published many articles on these materials as well as on the fundamental structure of the native cellulose crystal, the most abundant natural polymer. His wide knowledge of biology, chemistry and physics, acquired as a student at Caltech and as a researcher on biopolymers makes him ideally suited to occupy the position of Principal Research Scientist & Mentor, R&D, where he pursues the development of industrial applications of tannins. He is also active in the field of scientific education.

Chris Golden, CWT
Chris has provided consulting service on open cooling tower systems from small comfort cooling towers to the large hyperbolic cooling towers you see at major power utility plants. The cost of poor water treatment can be as small as an uncomfortably warm office to as large as losing more than $500,000 per day in power generation. In the era of heightened awareness to “Sustainability,” proper water treatment is a steward of water and energy conservation. There is an ROI to proper water treatment – it is our job to prove it.

Kevin Gottschalk
Kevin Gottschalk has forty years of industrial water treatment experience to help customers solve their most critical plant and operational challenges.

He has a wide range of experience from raw material sourcing and management of key supplier relationships; formulating new products, marketing, and product line management; to end-user application and best practice implementation. He has held various roles of increasing responsibility in sales, product management, marketing, and technical field support. Kevin has several US application patents in both industrial and process water treatment, all aimed at improving the conditioning of water and air in a plant’s operation.

Kevin has worked for several major chemical companies, including Olin, Drew/Ashland, and most recently ChemTreat, with a focus on water and energy conservation and plant asset optimization. His experience spans both horizontally, in understanding utility water management (pre-treatment, cooling, boiler, and wastewater, and the chemical and equipment technologies involved) and vertically, in the refinery, petrochemical, district energy, mineral processing, paper, and food industries.

Adam Green, ASSE 12080
Adam Green, ASSE 12080 is an attorney and the Chairman of Baker Donelson Water Technology and Water Treatment Group. Over the past 20 years, he has successfully consulted and defended water treatment related claims and litigation on a national scale over wide array of matters ranging from legionellosis related wrongful death and personal injury lawsuits to high value property damage claims arising from catastrophic system failures incident to a myriad of operational, design, maintenance and treatment related issues. He is a frequent author and speaker at the Association of Water Technologies, Cooling Technology Institute, International Association of Defense Counsel and others. He has published numerous technical papers on water treatment in the CTI Journal, the AWT Analyst and the National Engineer. He has successfully challenged and defeated Legionella related public health citations resulting in the reduction or removal of the corresponding penalties. Adam frequently ponders how his parents raised him to have confidence that is disproportionate to his looks and abilities.

Donald Johnson, PhD
Dr. Johnson currently serves as Managing Partner and Principal Consultant at Aqueous Consulting LLC

Adam Kortan
Adam Kortan is the Technical Director for FCT Water Treatment in Colorado. Prior to this he worked as a power plant chemist for Xcel Energy and as a researcher on novel technologies around natural gas. He has a bachelors degree in Chemistry and a masters degree in Materials Science and still nothing quite prepared him for the project presented here.

Dr. David Krause
For Over 25 Years, Dr. David Krause Has Used His Expertise In Toxicology, Environmental And Occupational Health, And Indoor Air Quality To Investigate Exposures To Microbes And Chemicals In Health Care Facilities, Hotels, Airports, Industrial And Manufacturing Operations, And Other Institutions Such As Schools, Government Buildings, And Multifamily Dwellings. He Received A Doctorate In Environmental And Occupational Health And A Masters Of Science In Public Health From The University Of South Florida. He Is A Nationally Recognized Expert In Occupational And Environmental Risk Assessments, Workplace Exposures, Workplace Fatality Investigations, Health Care Facilities, Legionnaires Disease Outbreak Response, Cooling Tower Assessment And Inspections, Combustion Products Flame Retardants, Irritant Chemical Exposures, Indoor Air Quality, And Mold.

Dr. Krause Is The Founder And Principal Toxicologist For HealthCare Consulting And Contracting (HC3) In Tallahassee, Florida. His Experience As A Public Health State Toxicologist, Certified Industrial Hygienist, And Testifying Expert Witness Brings A Unique Perspective To Client Issues And Emergencies. He Has Extensive Experience Serving As A Scientific Expert Witness In Legal Proceedings, Depositions, And Trial Testimony In State And Federal Courts. While Serving As The State Of Florid’s Public Health Toxicologist, He Testified Before The US Senate Committee On Commerce, Science And Transportation On The Emerging Issue Of Chinese Drywall.

Kevin Kuhne
Kevin Kuhne, a seasoned professional, serves as the Founding Partner and President of Energy Resource Products, LLC. With a career dating back to 1986, Kevin made his mark in the nascent stages of the cellular industry, playing a pivotal role in catalyzing disruptive changes in communications

Over the years, Kevin has excelled in various key roles, including senior management, sales channel development, operations, infrastructure build-out, and active participation in public financing initiatives. In the mid-’90s, his passion for emerging technologies led to the groundbreaking integration of data with cellular networks, a move now acknowledged as the bedrock of the Internet of Things (IoT).

Embracing disruption as a positive force, Kevin focuses on guiding disruptive technology from conceptualization to implementation. His expertise spans the entire spectrum, from the design phase to deployment, where he has successfully implemented cutting-edge technologies now operational with numerous public companies.

As a leader, Kevin’s talents shine in team management and the seamless integration of new technologies into existing work models. Beyond the boardroom, he finds joy in road, alpine, and gravel bicycling, as well as immersing himself in the great outdoors through camping and hiking. Committed to giving back, Kevin dedicates time to youth mentoring programs.

Residing in South Dakota with his wife of 42 years, Kevin embodies a harmonious balance between professional success and a personally fulfilling life.

Chris Lawson
My name is Chris Lawson. I’ve worked in the pretreatment water industry for the past 30 years starting in 1993 working for a pretreatment company out of Rockford, IL. Early in my career, I was mentored by some of the best technical minds in the industry. The knowledge imparted would serve as my foundation and lead me down a path that would become a career. I’ve served in many roles including service, technical support, business development, leadership. I currently work for HOH Water Technology, Inc. as our Pretreatment Product Manager. I joined HOH back in May 2012. At that time, they were a water treatment company with a vision of providing pretreatment services. This opportunity allowed me to help build a division that would become an important part of our offerings. My passion for this industry centers around education. My goal is to serve and share with those around me. Most Importantly, I’m a husband, father, music lover, and avid Chicago sports fan.

Zack Li, PhD, PE
Zack Li, PhD, PE, is a senior process engineer with ERCO IDI. He started his career as a water supply and wastewater engineer. He then conducted environmental biotechnology research and development, and finished demonstration projects for the evaluation of oil spill chemical dispersion and bioremediation application. In the past 8 years, he has focused his work at water disinfection and control of microbial contamination using biocide. He holds PhD in Environmental Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis. He is a former supervisory engineer with the Center for Drinking Water Quality of RI Department of Health (RI DOH).

Zhendong Liu
Zhendong Liu is currently employed by LANXESS Corporation as the Head of the Technical Service and Business Development for its Liquid Purification Technologies business in Americas. He is responsible for the technical support of ion exchange resins in power, metals extraction and purification, food, drinking water, semiconductor and specialized processing applications. He has 23 years’ experience in specialty chemical industry. Zhendong earned a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Mineral Engineering from University of California at Berkeley, and an MBA from University of Delaware. He has authored 22 peer-reviewed papers and holds 22 granted US patents.

Matthew Lowry
Matthew currently serves as a Project Engineer, Service Manager at Nova Consultants, Ltd. Employed by a local Industrial Water Treatment Company primarily serving the health care, commercial, and industrial markets. Responsible for review of specifications and preparation of bids for contract work. Prepare quotations for new equipment and service contracts for new and existing customers. Manage service technicians to ensure that all customers are properly being served on a cost-effective basis. Creating and implementing water management programs for customer’s water system for prevention of Legionella Bacteria and other pathogens. Implementing new technologies to increase sustainability efforts at sites. Performing weekly service visits at high profile accounts which include testing of water chemistry of high-pressure steam boilers, cooling towers and closed loops.

Logan Manaranche
Logan Manaranche is a Chemical Engineer who graduated from the National Institutes of Science and Technology of Toulouse, France, and the University Center of Exact Sciences and Engineering (CUCEI), a part of the University of Guadalajara in Mexico. In 2013, Logan joined ODYSSEE Environnement, initially serving as a technical engineer in France and later transitioning to provide technical support for the American continent.

Dan Merritt, CWT
Dan Merritt is the Sales Manager for CH2O, Inc. located in Tumwater, WA. Dan has been in the water treatment industry for 22 years. He started as a service tech, then a sales/service rep. then a regional manager, and for the past 6 years has been the national sales manager for CH2O. Dan received his CWT in 2005, and as of 2023, along with Matt Jensen, is a co-chair for the AWT Education committee.

Richard D. Miller, Ph.D.
Richard D. Miller, Ph.D. is a founder (1993), President, and Chief Scientific Officer at Environmental Safety Technologies, Inc. (EST); and an Emeritus Professor of Microbiology & Immunology in the School of Medicine at the University of Louisville (since 1977). He served on the ASHRAE committees that developed the Legionella Guideline 12:2000 document, as well as the initial publication of ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 188-2015, Legionellosis: Risk Management for Building Water Systems. Dr. Miller has over 43 years of experience working with Legionella through basic research and teaching, as well as through providing environmental testing (validation) and risk assessments for Legionella in cooling towers and potable water systems nationwide. He also has extensive knowledge of other important healthcare-associated waterborne pathogens, their risk for disease, the testing methodologies, and interpretation of results.

Matheus Paschoalino, PhD
Matheus Paschoalino is the Sr. Technical Service Specialist (IWT) for Solugen. He received his PhD in Analytical Chemistry from UNICAMP (Brazil) & UCM (Spain). He has nineteen years of experience in R&D and Technical Support on IWT technologies focusing on asset integrity and microbial control. He is author of seven patents, one book chapter and 30+ published papers and presentations from various international conferences.

Thomas Schramm
Thomas Schramm has been both a formulater and market developer of Defoamers and Antifoams  for more than 40 years. Through traveling and supporting AWT members and major Global giants like Nalco, Ecolab, Ashland (Now Solenis), Envirotech, Polytec, Zep, and many others through private label marketing, he traveled the nation’s factories appearing as their “Foam Control Expert” gaining experience at every kind of foaming problem and application thorough US industry. Experiences include Sugar Beet factories in Idaho, Minnesota and North Dakota, and Michigan, Potato Processors in Carabu Maine and several locations in Pennsylvania, Olin Hydrozene (Rocket Fuel) Lake charles LA & Kelco San Diego Distillation Columbs, several Plywood, OSB Board, and Wood Pellet factories with WESP pollution control devices, egg wash defoaming, countless wastewater aeration ponds and effluent foam control. and many other foaming events.

Patsy Root, MS
Patsy has over 17 years experience in water microbiology, water-related regulations, consensus standards development, and environmental laboratory accreditation. She works with several state legislative offices and other industry organizations to develop sensible laws, regulations, and guidance to protect public health and ensure safe water. Patsy is also a long-time participant in various standards development organizations including with TNI, Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater and ASHRAE. She is also an AWT member and participates on the AWT Leg/Reg committee.

Greg D. Simpson, PhD
Greg D Simpson has written well over 100 technical papers, most of which have dealt with ClO2, and several about MC. He has authored 3 books, co-authored a 4th, and was a major contributor to a 5th.

Mike Standish
Michael Standish is Vice President Water Additives at Radical Polymers a Division of MFG Chemical, LLC. Previously, Mike was founder of Radical Polymers, LLC, a business designed to specifically develop and provide technologies to the independent water treatment community. Mike has 38-years experience in water treatment additive design, development and evaluation. Prior to forming Radical Polymers, Mike served as Senior Business Manager for International Specialty Products and Global Business Manager for National Starch’s Alco Chemical business. Mike has served on the Board of Directors of AWT and holds a BS in Chemistry and master in business administration from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

Ed Sylvester
During Ed’s 44 years of water treatment, he has spent a significant amount for energy troubleshooting and training plant personnel in the field of pretreatment, especially with filtration, ROs and demineralizers. One, repeating theme is how to operate the pretreatment equipment proactively and not reactively. Many engineers and operators lack mentorship when coming into a new position at a plant and really lack insight as to what are the ramifications if water chemistry is out-of-spec and how fast one must respond. In addition, little is taught as to how read a water analysis and know what constituents can be detrimental in the performance and operation such as ROs and demineralizers.