Jerry Stevens, general manager of West Des Moines Water Works, was seated last week as president of the American Water Works Association (AWWA). He is the first Iowan elected to the post since 1954, when Dale Maffitt, namesake of Maffitt Reservoir, headed the organization.

Before joining West Des Moines Water Works as general manager in 2004, Stevens spent 30 years at the Waterloo Water Works. He graduated from Iowa State University in 1974 with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering.

Founded in 1881, the AWWA has more than 60,000 members worldwide who focus on water resource development, water and wastewater treatment technology, water storage and distribution, and utility management and operations.

Stevens said he wants to tap the “brain power of young professionals” in an industry that can be overlooked by professionals and taken for granted by the public.

“Safe drinking water will only become more important and more valuable as we deal with issues such as climate change and overpopulation,” he said. “Communicating how water fits into these critical social issues is just one way to get new workers excited about joining the drinking water industry.”