American Public Works Association names board members

KANSAS CITY, MO. — Larry T. Koehle, P.Eng., MPA, director of Public Works and Engineering for the town of Caledon, Ontario, was elected president of the American Public Works Association (APWA) during the recent 2009 APWA International Public Works Congress and Exposition in Columbus, Ohio. Elected by APWA’s 29,000 members, Koehle will lead APWA, which provides professional development and educational services and promotes increased investment in public works infrastructure and systems. Koehle will serve as president of APWA for the 2009-2010 term.

Koehle has been involved in municipal government throughout most of his public works career. He has more than 40 years of public works experience including his service as the commissioner of Public Works for the city of Brampton, Ontario, from which he retired in 2000. Prior to working for the town of Caledon in Ontario, he served as vice president, Infrastructure, ASI Technologies, Inc., in Brampton, Ontario.

He has also held leadership positions at both the chapter and national levels of APWA, serving on the national board of directors since 2003, and has been a member of APWA for 35 years. His service includes serving as the Ontario Chapter president, Chapter delegate, and chair of the House of Delegates. At the national level, he has served on the Nominating Committee, Awards Committee, Audit Committee, House of Delegates Executive Committee (chair 1999-2000), Membership Committee (chair 2006-2007) and the Finance Committee (chair, 2007-2008).

Koehle is joined on the board by APWA president-elect George Crombie, MPA, senior faculty member for the Public Works Administration in the MPA Program at Norwich University, Northfield, Vt. Crombie will serve a one-year term as APWA president-elect, followed by consecutive president and past-president one year terms. Also on the board is past-president Noel Thompson, who has a 30-year career in public service, and currently provides consultant services with Thompson Resources in Louisville, Ky.

Members new to the APWA board of directors include Daryl Grigsby, Public Works director for the city of Kirkland, Wash., as director-at-large, Environmental Management, who was appointed to fill the remainder of Crombie’s unexpired term. Also new to the APWA Board is Ronald J. Calkins, P.E., director of Public Works for the city of Ventura, Calif., appointed as director from Region VIII.

Re-elected board members include: Edward A. Gottko, P.E., director from Region II; David L. Lawry, general services group director for the city of Elgin, Ill., as director from Region V; Larry Stevens, P.E., director of Iowa Statewide Urban Design and Specifications Program at Iowa State University, as director of Region VI; and Doug Drever, P.Eng., FEC, project director for the city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Also re-elected was Patricia Hilderbrand, P.E. director-at-large for Engineering and Technology.