NGWA Board members elected
Joseph ‘Augie’ Guardino, General Manager of Guardino Well Drilling Inc. in Morgan Hill, CA, and Brian Lane, CPI, Operations Manager of Joe Samples Well Drilling Inc., in White Pine, TN, were elected to the National Ground Water Association Board of Directors. Guardino was reelected to a second two-year board term at the 2011 NGWA Ground Water Expo and Annual Meeting last December. 
Lane was elected to his first term on the board. A 20-year veteran of the groundwater industry, Guardino has chaired NGWA’s Finance and Budget Standing Committee, Investment Subcommittee and Public Awareness Committee, as well as working on Contractors Division Board of Directors, Membership Standing Committee, Policy and Code of Regulations Standing Committee, and Governance Task Force. He is a Past President of the California Groundwater Association. Lane is a 20-year veteran of the groundwater industry and has been a member of NGWA for seven years. He served on the Tennessee Water Well Association Board of Directors for four years and is currently serving as its Vice President.
Calgon management restructured
Effective January 1, Robert P. O’Brien was promoted to the newly created position of Executive Vice President and COO at Calgon Carbon Corporation. In this new role, he will have responsibility for the day-to-day operations of Calgon Carbon worldwide. O’Brien joined Calgon Carbon in 1973 and has subsequently held a number of technical, sales and marketing management positions in the US and Europe. O’Brien was promoted to Senior Vice President, Engineered Solutions in 1999, to Senior Vice President – Americas in 2005 and to Executive Vice President – Americas in 2010. In his current position, he has responsibility for all manufacturing facilities in the US, as well as marketing and sales of all Calgon Carbon products and services in North and South America. In addition, O’Brien oversees the company’s research and development activities. He holds a B.S. Degree in chemical engineering from the Pennsylvania State University. Three executives will be promoted to regional vice presidents, with responsibility for the operations of that region: James A. Sullivan, Vice President – Americas, Reinier Keijzer, Vice President – Europe; and Allan Singleton, Vice President – Asia. They will report to O’Brien.
NSPF Director named
The National Swimming Pool Foundation® (NSPF®) Board of Directors has appointed Bruce Erhart Becker, MD, MS as Director of Aquatic Health Benefit Research, a newly created position for the non-profit organization. The foundation will rely on his expertise and experience to identify key research topics and researchers and to focus NSPF grant funding. Becker is a physiatrist (a medical specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation) with a lifelong interest in aquatic therapy. Currently, he is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine, and also an Adjunct Research Professor at Washington State University, where he serves as Director of the National Aquatics and Sports Medicine Institute, pursuing physiologic research during aquatic activity. Becker has been twice named to the Power 25 by Aquatics International magazine, and is the 2011 recipient of the John K. Williams Award from the International Swimming Hall of Fame for his work in adapted aquatics.
Rayne Dealer Weisz passes away
Robert A. ‘Bob’ Weisz, Owner and operator of Rayne Water Conditioning of San Bernardo, passed away December22, 2011 after a brief illness. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio on October 2, 1950. Weisz enjoyed woodworking as a hobby and going camping and fishing with family and friends. He had been he owner of his Rayne dealership since October 1979 and was an active member of the Pacific Water Quality Association.
Weisz is survived by his wife of 41 years, Bonnie of Redlands; two sons, Robert Weisz of Redlands, CA and Nick Weisz (Janet) of Beaumont, CA; daughter, Kati Boyce (Scott) of Yucaipa, CA; one sister, Kathy Ferguson (Bill) of Escondido, CA and six grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to the American Heart Association, American Kidney Foundation and American Diabetes Foundation.