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HOW THE PROGRAM OPERATES

Board of Directors

 

 

 

Paul M. King, QEP
Paul is executive director for the Institute of Professional Environmental Practice, Associate Director of the Certificate Program in Environmental Law, Science and Policy at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and an environmental management consultant and an environmental attorney. He previously held environmental management and environmental law positions with PPG Industries. He holds a B.S. degree in business administration from Duquesne University and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. Paul is a member of the Allegheny County Board of Health and is a member of the Environmental Committees of the national, state and county Bar Associations. An adjunct professor of environmental management at Duquesne University and environmental law at the University of Pittsburgh, he is vice chair and a member of the U.S. Department of Commerce Environmental Technologies Trade Advisory Committee, chair of the Air and Waste Management Association Environmental Commerce Council, and chairman of the Board of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council.

 




Senator Jay Costa

Elected to the Pennsylvania State Senate in 1996, Jay is now serving his third full term as state Senator from the 43rd District. The Senate Democratic Caucus Chairman, he serves as Democratic Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and is a member of the Community, Economic an d Recreational Development; Public Health and Welfare; and Policy Committees. Formerly, he served as Allegheny County Deputy Sheriff (1984-1989) and Register of Wills (1992-1996). Jay has also served as an adjunct professor to the Community College of Allegheny County and a member of the Pennsylvania and Allegheny County Bar Association. He earned his Juris Doctorate at Duquesne University and is a shareholder of Grogan, Graffam, P.C. In addition to the 3 Rivers Wet Weather Board, he serves on the boards of many Pittsburgh organizations, including Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, the Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center and the Neighborhood Legal Services Board. He attended the Allegheny County Policy Academy in 1985 and earned a Bachelor of Arts at Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1979.

 

 




Representative Harry Readshaw

A life-long resident of the City of Pittsburgh, Harry has been serving the 36th Legislative District as a Pennsylvania State Representative, since his 1995 election. He began his seventh term in office in January 2007 and serves on the Professional Licensure (Democratic Secretary), Consumer Affairs, and Game and Fish Committees. The first certified funeral practitioner in Allegheny County, he is the third-generation owner-operator of Readshaw Funeral Home, founded in 1912. Along with his membership in dozens of groups, he also serves as chairman of ALCOSAN, the Secretary-Treasurer of the Allegheny County Redevelopment Authoirty and Chairman of the Allegheny League of Municipalities. Harry is a former chairman of the committee on Excellence for Pittsburgh Public Schools and committee on redistricting; past president of the Carrick Business Association and Carrick Community Council. He has received two citations from the PA House of Representatives for community and professional services. History Center and the Neighborhood Legal Services Board. He served in the Marine Corps and attended Duquesne University and the Pittsburgh Institute of Morturary Science.

 

 

 

 

Patricia M. Schaefer
Pat is Vice President of Edgewood Borough Council, where she is serving her second term as an elected official. She is Edgewood Council’s representative to the Turtle Creek Council of Governments and Chair of the 3 Rivers Wet Weather Eastern Basin Group, a position she has held since the creation of the basin groups in 2001. A local expert on the wet weather issue, Pat has spoken on the economic and intergovernmental impact of the wet weather problem at the University ofPittsburgh Environmental Issues Conference and the 3RWW Annual Sewer Conference. The Local Government Academy graduate also serves on the Municipal Advisory Committee to ALCOSAN. She is the Clinical Research Coordinator for the Division of Hematology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. A registered nurse, she earned a BSN from Carlow College and a Masters of Divinity from the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.

 

Staff

 

John W. Schombert, Executive Director
With more than three decades of waste management experience, John is our resident authority on wet weather sewage overflows and played a key role in turning 3 Rivers Wet Weather from a concept into a reality. As Executive Director, he sets the strategic direction for the organization and leads a team of six professionals in implementing programs and reaching goals. Prior to joining 3RWW, John worked for nearly 30 years in the Allegheny County Health Department's water pollution, public drinking water and waste management programs. Most recently, he served as chief of Public Drinking Water and Waste Management.He is a member of the Pennsylvania State Board for the Certification of Sewage Treatment Plant and Waterworks Operators and a Board Member of the Hollow Oak Land Trust. A Thiel College physics graduate, John is also a registered environmental health specialist and a Pennsylvania-certified sewage enforcement officer.

 

Jerry D. Brown, Municipal Support Manager
As someone with decades of municipal experience, Jerry walked in the door perfectly suited for 3RWW's Municipal Support Manager. Prior to joining 3 Rivers (in 2009), he served as the manager of the South Fayette Township Municipal Authority where he was responsible for day-to-day operations of the sewer authority, which serves a population of 12,500. He was employed by SFMA for the last 21 years. A certified PA DEP Class E collection system operator, he is well-versed on the sewage and stormwater overflow issue, the requirements of the municipal consent orders, and the challenges facing communities as they work toward a long-term control plan that will ultimately protect our water quality. Jerry earned an associate degree in air and water pollution from Triangle Tech and completed extensive engineering training at the University of Pittsburgh and Geneva College.

 

Tracy E. Schubert, Public Outreach Manager
Tracy can frequently be found "reaching out to the public" to raise awareness, educate myriad audiences and position 3 Rivers Wet Weather as a valuable resource on sewer-related issues. She joined the 3RWW team in 2000 to plan and implement the organization's extensive public outreach program. Prior to joining the nonprofit organization, she served as corporate relations manager for Lender's Service, Inc., public relations manager for Development Dimensions International (DDI), a community relations professional for St. Margaret Memorial Hospital and a reporter for the Beaver County Times. She earned a B.A. in Communications from Slippery Rock University.

 

William L. Hixson, Business Operations Manager
Bill is our "go-to" guy for anything operational--finances, contracts, human resources, grants and overall office management. Joining the 3RWW team in 2009, he brought with him extensive experience in overseeing daily operations for a variety of businesses, in both the profit and non-profit sectors, including Eelo Foundation, the International Book Project and Brother's Brother Foundation. We are counting on Bill to ensure 3RWW remains a financially strong and sustainable organization well into the future, while keeping with the organization's mission and compliance requirements. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Pittsburgh and an MBA in Management from Robert Morris University.

 

Susan C. Heiss, Executive Assistant
When the 3RWW Team began its search for an Executive Assistant, we knew we needed someone who was not only organized and efficient, but could keep the rest of the office operating in the same manner. We certainly accomplished our mission when we discovered Susan, who came to 3RWW in 2009 after nine years as the Executive Assistant at the University of Pittsburgh's Institute of Politics. She brings with her extensive experience in communicating with elected officials, foundation presidents and business leaders on a wide range of topics affecting southwestern Pennsylvania. A 2009 graduate of Pitt, Susan is an active member of the Pitt Alumni Association.

 

Madeline T. Izzo, Contracts and Accounting Manager
Madeline describes her professional experience as "eclectic" and we agree, which is why we didn't waste any time adding her to the 3RWW team. While she has a wide range of talents, in her current role with 3RWW, she records and reports all of the organization's financial transactions and reviews all professional service and other contracts to ensure compliance with federal requirements. Before joining 3RWW, she held a variety of positions including auditor for Harvard University and writer for a number of organizations, most recently the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. She earned an M.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication from Point Park University and and an M.S. in Accounting from Bentley College, Waltham, MA.

 

Harry Geis, Senior Equipment Technician
If you have questions about "calibrating, flow monitoring and data downloading," Harry is your guy. As the senior equipment technician, he ensures that flow monitoring equipment, the rain gauge network and gas hazard monitor equipment are calibrated and installed properly; he also downloads and graphs important data that helps to support the organization's goals. Before beginning his role at 3RWW in 1999, Harry worked as an instrument and control technician for LTV Steel Corp. A certified GPS survey technician, he has an Associate Degree in mechanical engineering from Penn State University and has completed NASSCO certification for pipeline assessment and extensive training in flow measurement technology and TV inspection.

 

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Improving our region's water quality