Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission Appoints New President and Vice President
At the Friday, March 12 Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission (MWMC) Meeting, the Commission voted to appoint Eugene City Councilor Jennifer Yeh to the position of MWMC President and Springfield City Councilor Joe Pishioneri to the position of MWMC Vice President for terms of one year, through March 2022.
Yeh was previously the MWMC Vice President from March 2020 – March 2021 and has been on the Commission since 2017. She also serves as a Eugene Councilor, representing Ward 4, which consists of northeast Eugene including the Harlow Neighborhood. She has called Eugene home for many years and has more than a decade of experience in neighborhood activism. Yeh said she’s excited to further the MWMC’s mission as Commission President.
“It’s a privilege to serve on a Commission that brings together our three local governments to protect the public’s health and our environment,” Yeh said.
“It’s a privilege to serve on a Commission that brings together our three local governments to protect the public’s health and our environment”
Pishioneri’s appointment to Vice President marks his second time in the role. He has also previously served as Commission President and has been a Commissioner since 2015. Pishioneri represents Ward 6, the Thurston area, for the Springfield City Council. He has lived in Springfield for more than 35 years and is a retired Lane County Deputy Sheriff. Pishioneri said he’s looking forward to a return to the Vice President position for the MWMC.
“I am excited to serve in this capacity on the MWMC,” Pishioneri said. “I am extremely proud to be part of this amazing partnership and of the fantastic staff that make it all come together. You would be hard pressed to find anything like it anywhere. To have Springfield, Eugene and Lane County partner together with one goal, operating on the same sheet of music for so long blows me away! The Commission and all the staff are not okay with just okay. We strive for excellence in everything we do.”
The Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission is made up of seven members representing the regional partnership of Eugene, Springfield and Lane County and consisting of elected officials from those three entities, as well as appointed community members. The Commission provides oversight of the MWMC’s facilities and guidance to staff, establishes policies, sets goals and regional wastewater rates, oversees the facilities budget, approves capital projects and grants contracts to consultants and construction companies.
The MWMC’s seven commissioners have a combined 83 years’ experience on the Commission, bringing a wealth of knowledge and expertise from a variety of backgrounds. Commissioners Pat Farr, Bill Inge, Doug Keeler, Walt Meyer and Peter Ruffier have all also previously served as Commission Vice President and President. Their leadership, alongside current President Yeh and Vice President Pishioneri, is a large part of what makes the MWMC successful in accomplishing our mission to protect the community’s health and the environment by providing high-quality wastewater services to the Eugene-Springfield area.
To learn more about the MWMC, our Commissioners and the work we do to provide essential wastewater services to our community through sustainable and fiscally responsible practices, visit mwmcpartners.org/about-the-mwmc.
- What: Appointment of new MWMC President and Vice President
- Who: Commission President/Eugene City Councilor Jennifer Yeh and Commission Vice President/Springfield City Councilor Joe Pishioneri
- When: March 2021 – March 2022
- Where: Eugene-Springfield metropolitan area
- Additional information: Matt Stouder, MWMC Executive Officer, at 541.736.1006 or mstouder@springfield-or.gov or http://www.mwmcpartners.org
- Background: The mission of the Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission is to protect the community’s health and the environment by providing high-quality wastewater services to the Eugene-Springfield metropolitan area in partnership with Eugene, Springfield and Lane County. Local representatives from each of the regional partners–Lane County, City of Springfield and City of Eugene–serve on the Commission. Learn more at www.mwmcpartners.org.
