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WICHITA, Kansas — The Water Leadership Institute Steering Committee, supported by the Water Environment Federation, recently appointed Michaela Rempkowski, Burns & McDonnell environmental engineer, to its class of 2018. Rempkowski is among just 54 professionals chosen to participate in the highly selective program promoting leadership in the water industry.

“I am incredibly excited to expand my leadership skills related to the water sector and continue to discover new trends and innovative strategies to utilize with our clients and push the industry forward,” says Rempkowski. “Not only does the Institute promote invaluable skills such as communication, innovation, achievement and relationship building, it provides the opportunity to work with emerging leaders in the water industry.”  

Selected participants are invited to attend a conference in June at the Water Environment Federation headquarters in Virginia, as well as the Water Environment Federation Annual Technical Exhibition and Conference in New Orleans in September. Top leaders in the water industry are chosen from a pool of applicants and receive funds necessary to cover the costs directly associated with the conference.

“The 2018 Water Leadership Institute is a nationally recognized program that aims to encourage networking for some of the top professionals in the water sector,” says Brian Meier, project manager, Burns & McDonnell. “We are honored to have Michaela recognized as one of the up and coming leaders in our industry.”

Institute participants will use a variety of methods to examine common challenges facing the water sector, as well as work to build the skills necessary to create effective change in the industry. A combination of both public and private sector participants are invited to take part in the selective program. 

Rempkowski is currently participating in planning efforts for Wichita’s new water treatment plant and ongoing water supply initiatives. Her background includes water supply work in New Mexico, Oklahoma and Kansas. Rempkowski serves as a voting member of the American Water Works Association (AWWA) International Council, treasurer of the Wichita Society of Professional Engineers, Young Professional Chair for the Kansas Section of AWWA and is also a member of a variety of organizations including the Kansas Chapter of Design-Build Institute of America and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

For more information on the 2018 Water Leadership Institute, and to apply for next year’s conference, click here.

About Burns & McDonnell

Burns & McDonnell is a family of companies made up of more than 6,000 engineers, architects, construction professionals, scientists, consultants and entrepreneurs with offices across the country and throughout the world. We strive to create amazing success for our clients and amazing careers for our employee-owners. Burns & McDonnell is 100 percent employee-owned and is proud to be on Fortune’s 2018 list of 100 Best Companies to Work For.