Bowling Green, Ohio
The Northwestern Water and Sewer District’s Board of Trustees today accepted the appointment of a new board member, the reappointment of two current members, and also approved board officers during their first meeting of 2021.
New Board of Trustees Member
The board accepted The District’s municipal appointment of Bill Barnhart to the Board of Trustees. Mr. Barnhart fills the board seat left vacant by Bill Verbosky, who retired from his board seat in December. Mr. Barnhart currently serves as the Vice President of Engineering and Operations for the Hancock Wood Electric Cooperative. He is a registered electrical engineer in the State of Ohio and has worked in the electric utility industry for over 20 years. Bill currently lives in Weston and also served on the Village of Weston’s council for four years.
“Hopefully, I can contribute to the board through my experience with long-term capital planning for addressing aging utility infrastructure and balancing this need with fair rates. I would also encourage management to continue to investigate leveraging technology to hopefully reduce cost, improve operational efficiency, and improve service,” Barnhart said.
Bill was appointed by The District’s municipal members and his term will expire in 2023.
Returning Board Members
William Hirzel was reappointed to the District’s Board of Trustees. Mr. Hirzel resides in Lake Township and also serves on the board for the Hirzel Canning Company. He was reappointed by the Wood County Commissioners and his current term expires in December 2023.
Melinda Kale was also reappointed to The District’s Board of Trustees. Ms. Kale is the Chief Executive Officer at Work Leads to Independence (WLI), a nonprofit organization delivering services to people with disabilities throughout Northwest Ohio. Reappointed by The District’s Township members, Ms. Kale lives in Rudolph, Ohio and her current term expires in December 2023.
Board Officers
Mark Sheffer was re-elected to serve as Board Chairman. This will be his sixth consecutive year as chairman. Mr. Sheffer resides in Weston and serves as a municipal appointee. His current board term will expire in December 2021.
Steve Arnold was elected to serve as Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees. Mr. Arnold resides in Bloom Township. His current term expires in 2021. Steve has spent his entire career in banking and finances, working for MidAm Bank for ten years and opening up an Edward Jones Investment office in 1996.
Melinda Kale was elected to serve as the Secretary of the Board of Trustees. This will be her third year serving in the position. She is the CEO of Work Leads to Independence and participates in several community boards such as The Governor’s Council of People With Disabilities, Bowling Green Chamber of Commerce Board of Trustees, and the Liberty Township Memorial Association.
The Northwestern Water and Sewer District’s board members are appointed three each by the townships, municipalities, Wood County Commissioners, and one board member appointed by the Henry County Commissioners. We serve over 20,000 water and sewer customers in Wood, Hancock, Henry, Lucas, & Sandusky counties. With $240 million in assets, The District maintains over 440 miles of water distribution pipe, 8 water towers, and over 3,900 fire hydrants. Sewer maintenance includes over 355 miles of collection pipe, 13 wastewater treatment facilities, and over 5,000 manholes.