New England Water Works Assiciation honors NHDES staff

Richard “Rick” Skarinka of Concord, NH, recently received the 2020 Jerome J. Healey Award from the New England Water Works Association (NEWWA), the region’s largest and oldest not-for-profit organization of water works professionals.

The Jerome J. Healey Award acknowledges the contributions of an individual or a group of individuals, who have promoted the drinking water profession by reaching out to other NEWWA members and the public and have enhanced the relationship between the regulated community with state and federal personnel to protect water supply and public health.

Rick serves as manager of the Engineering and Survey Section of the NHDES Drinking Water and Groundwater Bureau. He manages drinking water engineers, sanitary surveyors, and is responsible for the drinking water technical review and oversight of 2,500 public water systems in New Hampshire. Rick has promoted staff networking opportunities so that the regulatory staff in New Hampshire know the operators, managers, and water works service community.

Rick is a regulator who understands that communication is key to ensuring safe and reliable drinking water. He approaches difficult conversations with respect and the true desire to understand where people are coming from and what their interests are. By practicing this approach, he has mentored many engineers along the way and has the respect and trust of the water systems he regulates.

Rick was recognized with this award on September 23, 2020, during the virtual 139th NEWWA Annual Conference.