The Illinois Section of the American Water Works Association (ISAWWA) presented CMT’s Theresa O’Grady with the 2020 George Fuller Award for her many contributions to the field of water supply. The award was originally to be presented at Watercon on March 25, 2020, an event that was canceled due to COVID. An official presentation was made on March 12, 2021, when members of the Fuller Selection Committee surprised Theresa at her home. The award is also being announced publicly at an ISAWWA virtual event called Palooza on March 23, 2021.
“Having Theresa as a colleague and a friend for almost 27 years, I can tell you that she is one of the hardest working engineers in the water industry. This is a well-deserved honor,” says Raed Armouti, CMT’s Director of Water Resources.
Theresa has spent her entire 26-year career at CMT, providing drinking water solutions to communities throughout the state. Based in Aurora, she is a strong advocate for improving the way that water infrastructure is managed. In addition to her efforts on behalf of CMT, Theresa is active in promoting and advancing industry interests. She has served on the AWWA National Board of Directors, served the ISAWWA Board as a Director and Board Chair, chaired its Engineering and Modeling Applications Committee, and has served on numerous other committees.
“Theresa’s passion and commitment are evident through the countless hours she has spent volunteering, both in Illinois and at the national level. By helping clients, utilities, operators, and other engineers advance the cause of safe and reliable water supply, she is improving the quality of life for a countless number of residents,” says Raed, a past Fuller Award recipient.
Growing up in Rockford, IL, the importance of clean and readily available drinking water was impressed upon Theresa at a young age, lessons she is passing down to her own two children. Theresa is a 1994 graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and she and her husband, Michael, have been married for 22 years.
The George Fuller Award is presented annually to individuals who best represent the distinguished service, engineering skills, and leadership of its namesake.