Current AWWA CEO & Past Executive Directors
From the current AWWA CEO to the first Executive Director in 1938, AWWA’s leadership has paved the way for the water community. These dedicated individuals have shared our mission and played a key role in industry growth.
David LaFrance
David LaFrance leads American Water Works Association, the world’s largest and oldest association of water professionals, with 50,000 members worldwide. Overseeing a staff of approximately 150 in Denver and Washington D.C., David guides AWWA’s extensive scientific, educational, and public policy work to build a better world through better water. He also oversees an extensive volunteer network, which includes serving as Secretary on the AWWA Board of Directors.
Prior to joining AWWA in 2010, David was the CFO for Denver Water. He has been a member of AWWA for 30 years, was the founder of CE Corps, and has made significant contributions to the water community both in and outside of AWWA.
Paula MacIlwaine
As American Water Works Association Deputy CEO, Paula MacIlwaine was directly responsible for work with business units involving conferences, international, technical and engineering, and publications. She worked closely with the AWWA governance and volunteer leaders who serve AWWA.
Paula joined AWWA in 1986 and has held various positions that have given her an extensive knowledge of the industry, volunteers, sections, and the business of AWWA.
Gary Zimmerman
Born in Chicago, Zimmerman has lived most of his adult life in Colorado and Texas. He was educated at the University of Colorado at Boulder (BA, political science) and at the University of Denver (MBA). Most of his career has been spent working in executive positions at Fortune 500 and technology companies.
Jack Hoffbuhr
As the leader of the authoritative resource on safe water, Jack Hoffbuhr was selected as the AWWA Executive Director in February 1996. He first joined the association staff as Deputy Executive Director in 1988, after more than 23 years of hands-on and management experience in dealing with water utilities in design, construction, operation and training. Prior to joining AWWA, Hoffbuhr had a long and accomplished career as a water professional. After a two-year stint designing wastewater and water supply facilities in the Peruvian Andes for the U.S. Peace Corps, Hoffbuhr joined the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service and held a variety of positions, including project engineer designing and constructing similar facilities for the Hopi and Navajo Indian Reservations in Arizona, several international assignments, and a special tour of duty with the Environmental Protection Agency.
John B. Mannion
Jack Mannion moved to Denver, Colorado, to work for the AWWA Research Foundation and then for AWWA. His leadership led to significant improvements for both organizations. During his time as Executive Director, the association grew and changed dramatically. The budget and staff doubled, membership grew by almost 20%, member services burgeoned, and world-wide respect for the association flourished.
Paul A. Schulte
Paul Schulte was born in Kentucky and attended the University of Cincinnati, where he began his career in water for the City of Cincinnati in wastewater treatment. From there, he moved on to the Bureau of Public Water Supply, working on coordinating water and wastewater planning across the country. He became the Director of Standards at AWWA in 1975, before being named Executive Director in 1985.
D. B. Preston
David was born and raised in Medford, Massachusetts, and earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Tufts University in his home town. He served in the US Navy as a navigator, touring the Pacific on assignments that instilled in him an enthusiasm for world travel. At the recommendation of AWWA President C.F. Wertz, Preston applied for the position of assistant secretary at the association in 1960, bringing a balance of technical expertise to the AWWA staff. He worked with AWWA’s technical divisions and councils and was named assistant executive director in 1967 and deputy executive director in 1969.
Eric Johnson
Eric Johnson, who dedicated most of his life to protecting public health, served as executive director of AWWA from 1967 to 1978, overseeing the association’s move in 1974 from New York to Denver, Colorado, Under Johnson’s leadership, AWWA added full-time directors in the safety and education areas, developed a technical reference library, added staff engineers, boosted the standards program, and significantly expanded the association’s publication efforts with the addition of five periodicals. Before becoming executive director in 1967, he served as the association’s director of publications and director of advancement and public education, and for many years he wrote the monthly Journal column Percolation & Runoff.
Raymond Faust
Raymond J. Faust was born in Millersburg, Pennsylvania in 1901. He graduated from Pennsylvania State College and moved to Lansing, Michigan, to work for the Michigan Department of Health as an engineer. He moved up to become Chief of Water Supply there, and joined AWWA as the board representative for the Michigan Section in 1938. He then became the Assistant Executive Secretary, before becoming Executive Director in 1960.
Harry E. Jordan
Harry E. Jordan oversaw two decades of development at AWWA. Under his tenure, Sections were developed and expanded, and AWWA was expanded to include Canada and Mexico. Prior to Jordan’s appointment as Executive Director, AWWA’s governing staff was volunteer-based, and the position was filled by the board secretary. Jordan became the first paid Executive Director of AWWA during his service.
