• Denver Water Director of Finance will take association reins May 3
WASHINGTON, DC, March 25, 2010 -- The American Water Works Association (AWWA), the authoritative resource on safe water, today named David B. LaFrance as its new Executive Director.
LaFrance, 46, has served as Director of Finance for Denver Water for the past 12 years and is a respected industry leader in the areas of utility economics and water rates. He served as chairman of AWWA's Audit Committee from 2005-08 and its Rates and Charges Subcommittee from 1993-2002.
"David is a proven leader in the water community, and he has the ideal skill set to lead AWWA in the new decade," said AWWA President Craig R. Woolard. "His superb understanding of the water industry and experience with the many issues facing our members will serve the association well."
LaFrance was selected by the AWWA Board after unanimous recommendations from a Transition Committee and the Executive Committee, both comprised of AWWA volunteer leaders. He succeeds Gary Zimmerman, who resigned in March 2009.
Prior to being named Director of Finance in 1998, LaFrance served as Denver Water's Manager of Rate Administration for five years. From 1988-93, he worked as a utility rate economist with the global engineering and consulting firm CH2M Hill in Denver and Portland, Ore., and from 1986-88 he was a natural resources economist with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Portland.
LaFrance earned an M.B.A. in Finance from the University of Colorado, Denver in 1992 and a B.S. in Economics from Lewis and Clark College in Portland in 1986. He lives in Denver with his wife, Justine, and two children, Sierra and Devon, both in high school.
"It's a privilege to lead AWWA at such an important moment in the history of our association," LaFrance said. "I look forward to working with AWWA volunteer leaders and staff in fulfilling our mission to protect public health and to provide safe and sufficient water for all."
AWWA is the authoritative resource for knowledge, information, and advocacy to improve the quality and supply of water in North America and beyond. AWWA is the largest organization of water professionals in the world. AWWA advances public health, safety and welfare by uniting the efforts of the full spectrum of the entire water community. Through our collective strength we become better stewards of water for the greatest good of the people and the environment.
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