AWWA Member Spotlight: Janice Skadsen, Ann Arbor, Mich.

Janice Skadsen of Ann Arbor, Mich., is the 2022 recipient of the American Water Works Association’s “Outstanding Service to AWWA Award.” She retired in 2018 after a successful career as water quality manager with the City of Ann Arbor, as an environmental scientist with CDM Smith, and as an independent contractor with both organizations. She also previously served on AWWA’s Board of Directors and received the George Fuller Award from the Michigan Section.

Education: B.S. Chemistry, B.A. Biology, Case Western Reserve University; M.S., Natural Resources, University of Michigan; Licensed F-1 Operator, State of Michigan  

How and why did you get involved in the water sector? I pursued education in water issues and when I looked for a job while waiting for my husband to finish his master’s degree, an opportunity to work in the lab at the Ann Arbor wastewater plant seemed like a good fit. This soon led to a promotion to chemist at the city’s drinking water treatment plant. Not long after I started that position, I realized I loved the job and the profession and that I had found my passion and career. I luckily fell into this field and have enjoyed it.

As a woman in water for more than 35 years, what has been your biggest challenge and your biggest success? As a much younger person I was very introverted and shy. I realized that to get ahead, I needed to develop the courage and ability to make myself heard and to get involved. I attended my first Water Quality and Technology Conference (WQTC) in the early 1980s. Almost all the attendees were male. The handful of women there quickly bonded and formed the “Women in Water” group. One of those members gave me good advice: start slow, take on one challenge, then reward myself. Gradually it got easier. By having that encouragement, I went on to lead committees, then the Michigan Section, and then even to AWWA Vice President. I also greatly benefited and enjoyed publishing and participating in research on nitrification and other water quality topics. You might say that my biggest challenges led directly to my biggest successes. (Pictured left with chunk of glacier in Iceland.)

What advice do you have for young women in water? Get involved! AWWA offers so many opportunities. Find a mentor. Be a mentor. Do not be afraid to speak up and take on new challenges.  

Are you still involved with the water community? I’m mainly focused on volunteerism related to my work history. Through a local watershed protection group, I have helped conduct water quality assessments on the Huron River and will be doing some student education. I see this as a chance to bring my passion about water to others and to help protect the environment.

How have you benefited from your involvement with AWWA? AWWA gave me the chance to learn many new skills — from management to leadership to scientific advancement. It was a perfect adjunct to my work life. The benefits to myself and to my utility, and later to my consulting firm, were significant. I give much of the credit for my dedication and lifelong involvement in drinking water to the opportunities I had with AWWA. In the 1980s I attended my first conference. The colleagues I got to know there and later in my career have been great sources of knowledge and friendship.

Please describe your family and/or hobbies and interests. One of my greatest joys is to travel and explore the world. This has been curtailed by the pandemic, but my husband and I recently got to visit the Ring Road in Iceland. I also enjoy learning to play bridge, gardening, reading, and hiking. I intend to pursue music: I started learning guitar and plan to get back to playing my flute soon. I also take classes at the local community college, Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor. The latest one was “Geology of the National Parks.” (Pictured right, Skadsen and her husband in costume as Madame Curie and husband, Pierre.)

We have two daughters. One lives in Boulder and is an archeologist for the State of Colorado. Our older daughter and her husband are both clinical psychologists in the San Francisco Bay area of California. Two great places to visit! My husband is now retired from teaching math and statistics at Washtenaw Community College. We also have an old, gray “Big Boy” cat who rules my life.

What is something that people would be surprised to know about you? It began with a Women’s Self Defense class. Many years later, I achieved a third degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do. (Pictured left, honoring her love for eating Maine lobsters.)

Anything else you’d like to add? One of the most meaningful opportunities in my career was the chance to work in Ecuador with the Quechua communities in the Andes Mountains. The Michigan Section supported this work with technical expertise, water quality testing and fund raising.  I had the privilege to visit these communities and directly help change people’s lives. I even learned to enjoy eating guinea pig. And potatoes – lots and lots of potatoes.