Aqua appoints new presidents in Illinois, Indiana

Aug. 4—KANKAKEE — Aqua Illinois, a subsidiary of Essential Utilities, Inc., welcomes David Carter as state president.

In this role, Carter will lead the Illinois team as they continue to provide high-quality, reliable water and wastewater services to 273,000 customers.

Carter succeeds Bob Ervin, who had been the area manager in Danville and who continues his Aqua leadership journey as president of Aqua Indiana.

Carter joins the organization with more than 15 years of water and wastewater industry experience, and more than 15 years of experience in engineering, consulting and development. He brings a wealth of knowledge in strategic planning, multi-location plant operations, safety and compliance.

"Aqua Illinois has worked hard to become an industry frontrunner, and I am eager to support the company's mission with its pursuit of excellence top of mind," Carter said. "I look forward to partnering with this talented team and our partners to bring our customer-focused services to communities across the state."

Prior to this role, Carter was an operations executive at Aqua Illinois. Prior to joining Aqua, Carter oversaw Suez Environment's Midwest Division as senior director of operations/general manager. There, he helped a staff of more than 125 employees achieve strategic objectives while leading environmental and safety performance. Carter also has served as vice president of operations at Veolia Water North America and Utilities, Inc., where he managed business and technical activities while pursuing organic growth.

Carter has led initiatives related to water, wastewater, biosolids processing, waste to energy conversion and organic waste processing. Most recently, he managed residential improvement projects for his own construction management business, David Carter Group.

"David Carter brings vast experience and a multidimensional perspective that sets him apart as a strong leader in the utility management industry. He is the kind of hands-on visionary you want at the helm to solve Illinois' most pressing water and wastewater challenges," said Colleen Arnold, president, Aqua. "We are so pleased to welcome him to Aqua Illinois, and eager to see how his expertise shapes our growth and service standards."

Carter holds a Master of Science in engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a Master of Business Administration from Northwestern University.