Staff & Board

Staff

Before taking on the role of NHWWA’s PCEO, Sam was the Superintendent for Water and Sewer at the Town of Hopkinton and Contoocook Village Precinct. Sam is driven to improve water quality on both sides of the pipe with multiple years in both water and wastewater. Sam is extremely passionate about all things water quality and feels lucky to be in this field doing something he enjoys every day. After working full-time, right out of high school, for NVI (a concrete foundation company), Sam started his water career at the Wastewater Facility in Rochester, NH. He then transitioned to the Water Treatment Facility in Rochester. This led him to gain experience and confidence for his superintendent role. Sam plays a lot of ultimate frisbee and flag football on the seacoast of NH. While he’s not out running around, he is out with his wife, two daughters, and his two cattle dogs!

Susan Kowalski, Office Manager

Susan Kowalski has served as Office Manager at NHWWA since the fall of 2011. As office manager, Sue manages registrations and communications, and produces the Newsletter and Journal. Sue received a BA in History from UNH. She worked at Canterbury Shaker Village and a small private hospital before starting her own freelance business producing newsletters for non-profits. While focusing on raising her family, she was involved in a number of organizations, from education to town government. She enjoys daily walks with her chocolate lab (rain, snow or shine) and witnessing the many ways nature changes day to day, season to season.

Instructors/Contractors

Marco Philippon, Instructor

Marco Philippon is currently the Water Treatment Superintendent for the City of Concord. Marco is also a past president of NHWWA. Marco entered the drinking water industry in 1988 as a draftsperson for the Consumers New Hampshire Water Company of Londonderry, NH. His interest in all things mechanical gave him the opportunity to see all aspects of ground-water treatment and distribution throughout the Southern NH area, and soon he became the engineering coordinator. He performed fire flow testing, service inspections, chemical addition, and he was involved with SCADA installation which was relatively new at the time. While at Consumers he met his future wife Debra and they married in 1994. Marco and Debra added two children to their family in 1997 when they adopted 2 sons from the Philippines. During this period, he began taking night classes at UMass Lowell with a focus on Civil Engineering.

Ian Rohrbacher, Instructor

Ian Rohrbacher has been the Chief Operator for the City of Rochester since 2014. He is also a past president of NHWWA. Ian has a background in electrical and computer engineering and entered the drinking water industry in 2001 as a distribution mechanic for the City of Somersworth. In 2006 he transferred into the treatment plant and was responsible for the operation and maintenance of both an upflow clarifier and ballasted sand clarifier. In Rochester, he manages the water treatment and storage systems; oversees the cross-connection control program; and directs the planning and operations for a 4.5MGD conventional surface water plant, 0.9MGD groundwater treatment plant, 6 pumping stations, and the City’s multiple reservoirs contained within the 8,000 acre Berry River Watershed. He holds Grade IV Treatment and Grade III Distribution certifications and is a licensed backflow inspector. His friends and family consider him a renaissance man due to his eclectic interests and hobbies, which include camping, fishing, hiking, amateur radio, computer repair, and reading. Ian joyfully spends his personal time with his wife Michelle and their five children, serving in their church and tending to their small hobby farm in Barrington.

Donald Bunker, Instructor

Don Bunker currently serves as the Deputy Executive Director/Director of Education and Training for New England Water Works Association. Don has been involved in a number of drinking water projects in Massachusetts and New Hampshire while working for Prism Environmental and Fay, Spofford & Thorndike/Stantec. From 2006-2008, Don served as general manager of the Whitinsville Water Company. He has also been active in teaching courses for New England Water Works Association as an Instructor and Adjunct Faculty since 1996. Don holds a Masters in Environmental Engineering from the University of Massachusetts. He is a licensed professional engineer and is a licensed water operator, Grade II Distribution and Grade III Treatment in Massachusetts.

Board of Directors

Officers

Chairman of the Board: Chris Berg, Wright-Pierce

Christopher (Chris) Berg is a Senior Project Manager in the Water Practice Group in Wright-Pierce’s Portsmouth, New Hampshire office. He’s an active member of New England Water Works Association, NH Water Works Association, and Granite State Rural Water Association. Chris earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering at Rowan University and a Master of Science in Civil Engineering at the University of New Hampshire. He is also a Grade 2 Water Treatment Operator in Training. His responsibilities at Wright–Pierce include the design of water treatment processes and facilities, pump stations, water supply, distribution system infrastructure, water storage facilities, hydraulic modeling, master planning and asset management.

Vice-Chair: Jamie Stevens, City of Dover

Jamie Stevens started his career with the City of Dover over 20 years ago, currently he is the Lead Operator for the City’s water treatment and waste water pump stations. His achievements include NHDES drinking water distribution Grade 3, NHDES drinking water treatment Grade 2, and NH sewer collections Grade 4. He currently oversees the city’s 2.1 MGD demand that is supplied through 7 production wells, 4 drinking water treatment plants, two storage tanks and one booster station. In addition, Jamie also oversees the maintenance and operations of the City’s 23 sewer pump stations. Jamie is a life time resident of the City of Dover where he resides on a small family farm (Stevens Family Farm) with his wife Samantha, three children and black lab Drake. They raise pigs, chickens and egg laying hens, and produce maple syrup. In his free time, Jamie enjoys hunting, fishing, riding his Harley and spending time with his family. He has also served as President of a local girls softball league for the past 10 years where he enjoys coaching and mentoring the City’s youth.

Treasurer: Robyn Descoteau, NH Energy Department

Robyn is a Utility Analyst in the Gas and Water division of the State of New Hampshire Energy Department. She serves the NHWWA as one of three ex officio, non-voting members from the public drinking water regulatory community. Robyn has been in the drinking water industry for 34 years. She worked at a regulated utility for 18 years before she began serving the citizens of NH as a Utility Auditor then Utility Analyst. Robyn received her master’s degree in Applied Management and her bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Daniel Webster College and an associate degree in Business Administration from Bay Path University. Outside of work, Robyn enjoys baking, camping, reading, and spending time with her family and friends.

Secretary: Sarah Lescault, CPA, AMS Accounting

Sarah worked at Manchester Water Works (MWW) from 2014 to 2024. She prepared and maintained the department’s budget and oversaw the billing/collections and accounting department of MWW. During college, she had an internship with MWW for four summers in the accounting department. Prior to her position at MWW, she worked in public accounting as a municipal auditor for 7 years. Sarah received her Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from Bridgewater State University and her Master’s in Business Administration from Southern New Hampshire University. Sarah is a Certified Public Accountant, licensed in the State of New Hampshire. Outside of work, she enjoys being outdoors and spending time with her family.

Directors

Chris Albert, CSA Environmental Consultants, LLC. – Past Chair

Mr. Albert recently created CSA Environmental Consultants LLS, bringing over 30 years of experience in municipal design, permitting, and construction management in the Wastewater and Drinking Water fields. He specializes in small community water systems and working with the NHDES Drinking Water Bureau. He is sitting to take the Professional Engineers exam in October 2021.

Brandon Kernen, Drinking Water and Groundwater Bureau, New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services

Brandon Kernen is the Administrator of the Drinking Water and Groundwater Bureau at the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services. He has over 25 years of professional experience and a graduate degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Tufts University and an undergraduate degree in Hydrology and Water Resources from the University of Arizona. He is a licensed Professional Geologist.

Jason Gagnon, North Conway Water Precinct

Jason Gagnon has served as Superintendent of North Conway Water Precinct since 2018. Prior to arriving in North Conway, Jason’s career involved time as a Director of Public Works, consulting engineer, and in the heavy commercial construction field. He currently serves on the Advisory Commission for the New Hampshire Drinking Water Groundwater Trust fund, on the Board of Directors for the New Hampshire Water Works Association, and as a Board member of the Saco Headwaters Alliance. He is a strong believer in the value of public infrastructure and public education, both of which are foundations of every strong community. In his free time, Jason serves on the School Board for Northeast Woodland Chartered Public School, rides his mountain bike on old-school New England trails, hikes the White Mountains, and tries to hold up his end of the deal at home with his wife Brett, two sons Brannock and Elyas, and their menace of a dog Finn.

Patricia Kelliher, P.E., Hazen & Sawyer

Patricia Kelliher (Trish) is an Environmental Engineer at Hazen & Sawyer in Manchester, NH. Trish wanted to pursue environmental engineering as a career after travelling to Kenya with Engineers Without Borders (UMass) in 2009. Since graduating, she has assisted communities throughout New England on a variety of water related projects. Her experience includes capital planning, asset management, condition assessment, hydraulic modeling, permitting, design, bidding, and construction administration for water infrastructure projects. In addition to the NHWWA YP committee, Trish is also an active member of the NHWWA Programs Committee and NEWWA Youth Education Committee.

Director Emeritus: Rene Pelletier, New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services

Rene has 45+ years of experience with the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services. Rene has worked in all water related programs at DES and its predecessor, the Water Supply and Pollution Control Commission (1973 to 1987) during his career. For the past 10 years Rene has been serving as the Assistant Director of the Water Division. Prior to his current position, he managed many of the individual programs within the Division. Since June of 2018 Rene has served as the Acting Director of the Water Division. While in both capacities, he has provided program oversight and assisted program implementation over eight programs/Bureaus within the Division. These programs include Subsurface Systems, Alteration of Terrain, Drinking Water and Groundwater Bureau, Wetlands Bureau, Dam Bureau, Wastewater Engineering, Watershed Management and the Winnipesaukee River Basin Program. Rene holds an M.S.in Civil Engineering from the University of New Hampshire.

Michael Metcalf, Underwood Engineers

Michael (Mike) Metcalf is currently a semi-retired, Technical Leader for Underwood Engineers. He retired from full time work at the end of 2021 and now provides technical assistance to Underwood on a part-time basis. He has 42 years of consulting engineering experience in the evaluation, design, and construction of all aspects of municipal water works including supply development, treatment, pumping stations, storage facilities, and transmission/distribution mains. Mike earned a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Connecticut and an M.S. in Hydrology from the University of New Hampshire. He is a past President of NHWWA and served for many years, including chair, on the Water Resources Committee for NEWWA. He is a licensed Professional Engineer and now serves as a Water Commissioner for the Contoocook Village Precinct. Mike resides in Contoocook, NH with his wife Amy. They have three grown children in New Yok City, Denver, CO and Moab, UT. Mike is an avid kayaker, biker and skier. His definition of heaven is skiing untracked powder with his wife and kids.

Abby Thompson Fopiano, Edgewater Strategies

Abby Thompson Fopiano is a Professional Geologist, NH Water Works Operator and owner of Edgewater Strategies a hydrological consulting firm focused on groundwater withdrawal management and permitting along with public water system operations and upgrades. Before opening her own business in 2021, Abby worked in the Drinking Water Bureau at NH DES and in the private sector with Epping Well and Pump Company and Geosphere Environmental Management. Her expertise relates to projects involving public water supply operation and compliance, groundwater well exploration, development, and permitting, water well construction, water treatment and water system designs, water conservation, and water supply protection. Abby enjoys teaching others about our groundwater resources, how water systems work and the industry behind it all. She resides in the Lakes Region of NH with her young daughter, enjoying summer on Lake Winnipesaukee and winter at Gunstock Mountain.

Courtney Mitchell – City of Dover

Currently working for Dover, Courtney was the Water Works Superintendent and Assistant Director of Public Works for the Town of Alton since 2015. She also worked as Superintendent in Meredith, NH during part of that time. Courtney likes to keep busy! She also runs her own business, Wade in the Water, LLC which operates small water systems in the Lakes Region of NH. She gained her first experience in the Drinking Water sector at Pennichuck Water Works after graduating from Keene State College. Courtney will be the first to tell you that she doesn’t hesitate to climb into a ditch to get the work done. She holds her NH Grade 3 Treatment and Distribution certifications, NH Solid Waste Operator Certificate, Green Snow Pro and Salt Applicator Certification as well as being a UNH T2 Road Scholar and a State of NH Bureau of Education Supervisor Academy 2022 graduate. On her time off, Courtney enjoys being with her family and her animals, watching her son play sports, snowmobiling and snowboarding.

Erica Douglas, City of Lebanon

Erica Douglas is the Assistant City Engineer for the City of Lebanon. She has been with the city for 10 years and has spent the last three years focused completely on asset management. Prior to working in Lebanon, Erica worked in the private sector at Pathways Consulting as a Design Engineer. She was also part of the union as the Treasurer and helped negotiate the union contract. In her community she has served on the school board as the Treasurer and Clerk, and as Supervisor of the Checklist for her town. Erica lives in Croydon with her husband and daughter. She loves to travel, hike and garden.

Sarah Jakositz, CDM Smith
Young Professionals Committee Representative on the Board

Sarah is the President of the NHWWA Young Professionals Committee. She served as Vice President since the Spring of 2021 before transitioning to President in January 2024. Sarah began as an Environmental Engineer with CDM Smith in January 2020 working on drinking water and wastewater projects out of their Manchester, NH office. In her career thus far, Sarah has enjoyed working on water treatment plant design, conveyance and hydraulic modeling, lead service line replacements, and PFAS investigations. She is a University of New Hampshire alum, completing her B.S. (‘18) and M.S. (‘19) in Environmental Engineering as well as a Graduate Certificate in Data Science (‘19). Originally from New Jersey, Sarah fell in love with New England while attending UNH. When she’s not working, Sarah loves to be outdoors – running, walking her dog, and strolling to small-town coffee shops.

Jennifer Mates, NH Department of Environmental Services

Jennifer Mates, PE, recently joined the NH Department of Environmental Services as a Sanitary Engineer III in the Drinking Water and Groundwater Bureau. Prior to her position at the State, Jen served as the Assistant Town Engineer in Exeter, NH. Jen grew up in the Chicago suburbs and graduated from Southern Illinois University with a BS in Civil Engineering in 1998. After college, she worked as a consultant for several small engineering firms in Connecticut and NH, primarily providing site plan and subdivision designs for private developers. Her work with public utilities began in 2007 at Wright-Pierce, Inc. She joined NHDES’s DWGB in 2011, providing technical assistance, design review, and conducting sanitary surveys for small public water systems. In 2013, she began working as the Assistant Town Engineer in Exeter. In this position, she is responsible for project management and design review of water, sewer, drainage, road, sidewalk, and bridge projects. Jen and her husband Mike live in Greenland, NH. She enjoys hiking, reading, cooking, and playing frisbee at the beach with her dog, Laney.

NH Water Works Past Presidents [Click here for a full list.]

NHWWA representatives to other organizations:

Drinking Water and Ground Water Trust Fund – Marco Philippon, City of Concord
NH Public Works Association Board – Ian Rohrbacher, City of Rochester
NH Mutual Aid Association Board – John Storer, Dover Public Works
NH Rives Management Advisory Committee – Don Ware, Pennichuck Water
New England Water Works Association, NH State Director – Marc Morin, Hazen & Sawyer

STAFF & BOARD