For National Volunteer Week, I had the privilege of being able to interview Andrew O’Neill, PO, who has served as a WPI volunteer for over a decade, including as our C2EP Wastewater Treatment Operations Commissioner. Recently, he participated in the first cohort of WPI and The Water Tower’s Excellence in Training Certificate. Throughout his years of service to WPI, Andy has remained a compassionate leader and steadfast in his dedication to giving back to the water and wastewater industry.
Read more about Andy’s journey as a volunteer in the interview below.
You’ve been in the wastewater industry for over 24 years. What first drew you to this field, and when did you get involved with WPI as a volunteer?
Originally, I was drawn to the industry out of necessity. I was looking for employment that would provide opportunities to help support a young family. I transitioned into the water world after employment as an aircraft mechanic. I was working in agriculture which lacked some of the benefits that municipal employment had to offer, health insurance, retirement, sick leave, vacation, etc. I made the transition from agriculture to wastewater operations where I was able to apply my mechanical background. Within the first year of that transition, I realized the water industry was much larger than just pumping water. That is where I learned of organizations such as WEF and WPI. To understand the opportunities that may be available to me, I attended various training courses and regional short schools to help gain the skill set needed as an operator. This is where I learned that our industry is always looking for volunteers. My state’s certifying authority sent out a mass email to provide comments on the operator’s experience with wastewater exams. If it wasn’t for our state to ask questions of the operators, I don’t think I would have been as engaged with fully understanding the impacts and rewards of my certification. The state asked its operators to comment on their recent experience of achieving certification. They were looking for feedback, and I felt safe to give my opinion. That is when our state certifying authority connected me with WPI. I shared my comments with WPI and have continued to do so for the last 11 years.
You’ve worn many hats over the years as an operator, instructor, facilities manager, and board member. How have those experiences shaped the perspective you bring to your volunteer work with WPI?
Perspective is everything. Having the ability to look through multiple lenses can help a team become more successful. My engagement within the industry has widened those lenses. WPI would not exist if it weren’t for operators, instructors, utilities, and regulating authorities. Bringing firsthand experience from each of these vantage points enables me to provide input in a holistic approach. The result of being able to offer opinions from varying perspectives provides an opportunity to positively impact all the disciplines that touch WPI.
You’ve also served as past president of PNCWA and on Washington’s Wastewater Certification Advisory Committee. How do you balance volunteering across multiple organizations, and how do they complement each other?
Balancing is a never-ending challenge. This is a topic that should be given some great thought. Our industry is filled with a wonderful talent pool. However, some of the most insightful voices may never be heard. In my opinion, balancing and burning out are closely related. As someone who is a “yes” man, I struggle with this. There are more opportunities to volunteer than there are hours in a day. Juggling our personal lives, daily workloads, and adding in extracurricular activities does lend itself to prioritizing one over the other, if not managed correctly. One of the tools I use when volunteering is to stay focused within one subject area. The wastewater industry is my career. By volunteering for wastewater specific activities, I’ve found that all are interrelated. Thus, helping me to see through lenses of wastewater. Each volunteer activity I do is related especially to my certification in one form or another. The certification is the common thread that ties each of my past and current experiences together.
What motivated you to pursue the Professional Operator (PO) designation, and how has that credential influenced your volunteer work?
Achieving the PO designation was initially motivated by my desire to validate my prior hard work while learning how to operate complex systems. Over the years the PO has not only given me self-satisfaction as a certification accomplishment, but going through that process has also served as a life-long learning tool. Certifications are hard to achieve. To be successful one needs to learn good study habits, time management, and research skills. While studying for my PO I practiced each of these skills. As I studied and gained more technical knowledge, I also was acquiring new skills. These newly acquired skills, in addition to the technical subject areas, have translated very well into other disciplines. Volunteering with WPI has provided an opportunity for me to continue to practice those skills which I used during my pursuit of the PO designation. While great interaction happens during volunteering with WPI, there is often homework or research that accompanies. The efforts that I put into volunteer work with WPI continue to enable me to learn– both technically and personally.
Is there a moment from your volunteer work that stands out as particularly meaningful or rewarding?
One rewarding volunteer activity I enjoy is speaking at career fairs. The work we do is often unseen or even misunderstood. Volunteering my time to share how the water industry could be a great fit for those looking for a career is gratifying. Our industry has numerous avenues to explore. When we engage and share what we do with future operators, they can see our passion. Sharing a passion and being enthusiastic can be contagious. When I can connect with and inspire others it feels good. I like to think of myself as a wastewater coach. Whether helping someone write a resume or even coaching them on how to connect with a facility for a tour, I find being a conduit in our industry to be very meaningful to the work we do.
What’s one challenge facing the wastewater profession today that you think volunteers and organizations like WPI are uniquely positioned to help address?
Retention of institutional knowledge. As many operators are near retirement or feel like they are getting burned out, volunteering may reignite their passion. I have experienced a tremendous amount of support over the years from my peers. Having peers to share with and learn from is important. Often volunteer activities may feel one sided. As a volunteer you may think you are giving and not receiving much in return, except maybe some intrinsic rewards for doing a good deed. However, that shouldn’t always be the case. As a volunteer, I am constantly gaining knowledge and practicing new skills. With each volunteer activity I am surrounded by like-minded people. They become my peers on those topics and offer me an opportunity to learn from their experiences. Having a sense of community keeps engagement high and serves to fill voids within volunteers which they may not be receiving elsewhere. Those voids can increase the rate at which people seek new opportunities outside of our industry.
What would you say to a seasoned wastewater professional who is on the fence about getting involved as a volunteer?
Volunteering is rewarding, both personally and professionally. When I first started to volunteer, I felt as if I wasn’t qualified to volunteer. I was new to the industry and had little understanding of even how to participate or what to expect. The first time I raised my hand and said yes, I was hooked. I felt welcomed and valued for my contributions. You don’t need to be a subject matter expert to volunteer. You just need the willingness to learn, and desire to build your peer group. That peer group will generate long-lasting relationships with those that are interested in the same things you are. Once your peer group begins to grow, so does that sense of community. This new community can also serve as a great support group through your professional career. I have found that when someone within my community needs some help, I can’t say no.
National Volunteer Week is a chance to celebrate people who give their time and expertise. What does volunteering mean to you personally?
Volunteering equals support. When I volunteer, I am supporting something I believe in. This makes it feel less like work and more like a community involved activity. Being part of a team has always been rewarding to me.
Learn more about Andy from Maddie Christensen, WPI’s Engagement Strategist and Volunteer Coordinator
I have been lucky to know Andy since my very first week at WPI, when I got to see my first glimpse of exam development right here in Des Moines. Over the years, I have had the chance to get to know him even better, and he is just as kind and wonderful as you would expect. He brings a steady and trustworthy voice to any room.
Most recently, Andy served on our exam development committee for the Excellence in Training certificate. This experience highlighted his depth of knowledge in the industry and showed that he truly excels across so many aspects of the work operators do every day. He might deny it, but he can also hit a mean drive at the TopGolf range!
Thank you, Andy, for being such a shining example of a volunteer and simply a genuinely good person. We are so lucky to know you and to work alongside you!
Learn More about Volunteering at WPI
Volunteers are truly the heart of everything we do at WPI. We could not produce high-quality exams without their expertise, time, and passion for making the industry better. We are grateful for the many ways our volunteers share their knowledge, whether that is serving on an exam development committee, contributing in a leadership role on our Board of Directors or the Certification Commission for Environmental Professionals, or supporting our annual Innovation in Certification Conference.
We rely on professionals in the industry to help guide our work and ensure we are meeting the needs of the operators and members we serve. Their perspective and experience are essential to everything we do. Volunteering also creates meaningful opportunities to build connections across the industry, forming relationships that support and strengthen the work happening every day. This is a close-knit community, and we are committed to lifting each other up and supporting one another.
If you are interested in getting involved as a volunteer, please reach out to Maddie Christensen at [email protected] to learn more about available opportunities!
About our Contributor:
Andrew O’Neill, PO, is a technical assistance provider in the Department of Ecology’s (Washington state) Water Quality program. He holds valid wastewater treatment Level IV certifications in the states of Washington, Idaho, and Oregon and achieved the Professional Operator (PO) designation awarded by the Certification Commission for Environmental Professionals (C2EP) from Water Professional’s International (WPI) in 2016. Andrew earned his graduate degree in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University, Spokane WA. in 2005. For over more than 24 years, Andrew has continued to serve the wastewater industry as a specialist in wastewater certification training, process control, and regulatory compliance reporting. His background includes serving in various roles, such as, a wastewater treatment plant operator, facilities manager, an adjunct wastewater instructor at Spokane Community College, board member for the state of Washington’s Wastewater Certification Advisory Committee, past president of the Water Environment Federations (WEF) member association Pacific Northwest Clean Water Association (PNCWA) 2010-11, and serves as the current Wastewater Treatment Operations Commissioner with WPI.
