Industry Leaders To Discuss the Water-Energy-Food Nexus at WEFTEC 2017

September 21, 2017

Featured, Learning Opps

Many of our favorite foods and beverages could not be produced without water. As a necessary resource in the Water-Energy-Food Nexus, tensions surrounding water supply will continue to grow as populations increase and climate changes.

WEFTEC 2017 Save the DateOn Oct. 2, WEFTEC® 2017 attendees can gather to hear ways to help manage the Water-Energy-Food Nexus by representatives of the food and beverage, energy, and technology sectors. During Session No. 102, No Water, No Energy, No Food: Managing the Nexus, speakers will share case studies showing how structured water management programs have resulted in improved economic performance and minimized risk across supply chains. Mark Knight, the session assistant moderator, then will facilitate a discussion between the speakers and the audience. Tom Sandy, the session moderator, will give a summary at the end of the session.

“Industries will play a major role in balancing tensions within the Water-Energy-Food Nexus,” Knight said. WEFTEC provides a platform to educate about the risks associated with this nexus, outline opportunities for society and industry to work together managing these risks, and inspire people to take action with best practices for creating sustainable, long-term solutions, he said.

Knight believes that tensions associated with managing these resources “will become one of the biggest issues of our lifetime,” he said. “We need leaders to step up to take on these issues at the regional, national, and global scale.”

The session is organized in collaboration with The Water Council (Milwaukee). Food, beverage, and energy leaders participating in the session include the following:

David Garman will give an introduction and discuss the Energy-Water Nexus Roadmap during Session No. 102 at WEFTEC 2017. Photo courtesy of Garman.

David Garman will give an introduction and discuss the Energy-Water Nexus Roadmap during Session No. 102 at WEFTEC 2017. Photo courtesy of Garman.

  • David Garman, chief technology officer for The Water Council (Milwaukee), will give an introduction and discuss the Energy-Water Nexus Roadmap. He is associate vice chancellor for water, technology, research, and development at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM). Previously, he served as president and chairman of the International Water Association (IWA; London). He now serves as cochair of the Distinguished Fellows Committee for IWA. He also was founding dean of UWM’s School of Freshwater Sciences.

 

Kim Marotta will talk about the need for water to produce beer. Photo courtesy of Marotta.

Kim Marotta will talk about the need for water to produce beer. Photo courtesy of Marotta.

  • Kim Marotta, global senior director of corporate responsibility for Molson Coors Brewing Co. (Denver), will discuss the necessity of water to produce beer. She joined the beer business in 2004, after holding similar positions within MillerCoors (Chicago). Marotta, a member of the board of directors for The Nature Conservancy-Wisconsin, has served on numerous boards for other local organizations. The holder of degrees in marketing and jurisprudence, Marotta worked for 13 years as a criminal defense attorney and served as an adjunct professor at Marquette University Law School (Milwaukee).

    Mark Yin will discuss the relationship between energy and water. Photo courtesy of Yin.

    Mark Yin will discuss the relationship between energy and water. Photo courtesy of Yin.

 

  • Mark Yin, senior engineer at Shell Oil Co. (The Hague, The Netherlands), will discuss energy. Yin, who has worked for Shell more than 20 years, has extensive experience in water and wastewater treatment in the petrochemical industry. He holds a master’s degree in civil and environmental engineering and a doctorate in civil engineering.

 

 

Paul Bowen will share ways to turn risk into opportunities. Photo courtesy of Bowen.

Paul Bowen will share ways to turn risk into opportunities. Photo courtesy of Bowen.

  • Paul Bowen, director of sustainable operations at The Coca-Cola Co. (Atlanta), will discuss transforming risks into opportunities. He has worked as a technical expert for the company since 1999 and has helped reduce water use in bottling operations by almost 50% since 2002. Bowen serves as immediate past president on the Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) Board of Trustees. He has a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and natural systems and master’s and doctorate degrees in environmental systems engineering.

 

Mark Knight will co-moderate the session. Photo courtesy of Knight.

Mark Knight will co-moderate the session. Photo courtesy of Knight.

  • Mark Knight, technical specialist for GE Water and Process Technologies (Trevose, Pa.), will co-moderate the session. With more than 10 years of experience, he is responsible for improving the economic and environmental performance of industrial clients. He is a member of the WEF Industrial Wastewater Committee and chair of the Refining Subcommittee. He also is a professional engineer and has a master’s degree in environmental applied science and management.

 

Rowlan Greaves will present about balancing water use and giving back to the environment. Photo courtesy of Greaves.

Rowlan Greaves will present about balancing water use and giving back to the environment. Photo courtesy of Greaves.

  • Rowlan Greaves, manager with the Southwestern Energy (SWN; Houston) Strategic Solutions team, will present about balancing water use and giving back to the environment. He joined SWN in 2010 as a facilities engineer before moving to strategic solutions in 2013. Prior to SWN, he worked for 10 years supporting the oil and gas industry in a consulting role with an emphasis on water resources. He holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and currently serves as secretary of the Energy Water Initiative. 

 

Steve Gluck will discuss new and emerging technologies. Photo courtesy of Gluck.

Steve Gluck will discuss new and emerging technologies. Photo courtesy of Gluck.

  • Steve Gluck, a scientific consultant who provides technical leadership to several organizations including BlueTech Research (Cork, Ireland), will discuss new and emerging technologies within the nexus. He assists companies in a broad range of water and wastewater technology needs. Previously, he was a fellow for Dow Water & Process Solutions (Edina, Minn.), responsible for applications development and technology scouting in the water and wastewater markets. He has a doctorate in analytical chemistry and more than 40 years of research and development experience. He has served various roles at WEF and currently is active in WEF’s Industrial Committee.

Learn more about other featured WEFTEC 2017 speakers by searching for the keyword WEFTEC17Speakers.

— Jennifer Fulcher, WEF Highlights

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