Photo courtesy of Dale Jacobson, WEF past president and treasurer.
Dale Jacobson, past president and treasurer of the Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) was elected to the World Water Council (Marseille, France) board of governors. Jacobson served 8 years on WEF’s board of trustees and has spent much of his professional career working internationally.
The World Water Council is an international organization that promotes improved water management. It elects 36 governors from around the world to find and work to implement joint solutions to the world’s water challenges; Jacobson is one of three from the United States, he said.
“WEF experience helped immensely as I worked with other organizations internationally in subsequent years,” Jacobson said. “WEF activity also contributed to the World Water Council election success.”
Jacobson, WEF president from 1997 to 1998 and a member of the Iowa Water Environment Association, is a senior engineer at Short Elliott Hendrickson (St. Paul, Minn.). He became a member of WEF in 1972 and continues to be an active member, working as chair of WEF’s Engelbrecht International Achievement Service Awards subcommittee and a member of WEF’s International Coordination committee.
As a registered professional engineer with 42 years of experience in water, wastewater, water resources, groundwater, solid waste, and hazardous waste, Jacobson has served as project principal and project manager for many projects.
Jacobson has spent his career traveling the world to disseminate information about wastewater treatment and water quality. He has presented several technical papers at various events around the world, developed a seminar covering various wastewater treatment topics for the Singapore Ministry of the Environment, and represented various organizations at meeting and events globally.
Jacobson also has worked to initiate activities that unite U.S. organizations with others worldwide. He has promoted WEF’s relationship and reach internationally, helping WEF add new Member Associations outside the United States during his term on WEF’s board of trustees, he said. He said his other activities include helping WEF
- host a WEFTEC® event in Singapore in 1998;
- sign an agreement for cooperation with the European Water Association (Hennef, Germany), the Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management (London), and Japan Sewage Works Association (Tokyo), which resulted in four technical conferences hosted by the conglomeration;
- form the Water Associations Worldwide organization; and
- form a partnership with the Asociación Interamericana de Ingeniería Sanitaria y Ambiental (Sao Paulo), the Latin American association of sanitary and environmental engineers.
Jacobson has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering, as well as a master’s degree in business administration. He has received the Bedell Award and Engelbrecht International Development Award from WEF. He also is a fellow and President’s Medal recipient from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE; Reston, Va.).
He is an active member, taking various leadership positions throughout the years in WEF, ASCE, the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists (AAEES; Annapolis, Md.), International Water Association (London), American Public Works Association (Washington, D.C.), American Water Works Association (Denver), Society of American Military Engineers (Alexandria), and Reserve Officers Association (Washington, D.C.). He also has served on the board of directors for the Water Environment Research Foundation (Alexandria), American Academy of Water Resources Engineers (Reston), Council of Engineering and Scientific Specialty Boards (Annapolis), and AAEES.
— Jennifer Fulcher, WEF Highlights
July 11, 2013
Achievements, Featured