"Wayne N. Aspinall Water Leader of the Year" Award
Goes to Pueblo Water Works Executive Director
Alan Hamel
Aspinall Award "a total shock" to Hamel
Former Aspinall recipients congratulate this
year’s recipient Alan Hamel. (l-r):
Bill Miller (1991), Hamel (2010), Tillie BIshop (2009), Ray Kogovsek
(2003) and Ralph Curtis (2004).
The Colorado Water Congress membership's traditional "surprise"
presentation of the Wayne N. Aspinall "Water Leader of the Year" Award was
once again perfectly executed at the CWC 52nd Annual Convention's closing
luncheon on Friday, January 29th, 2010.
Alan Hamel, Executive Director of the Pueblo Board of Water Works, was
caught entirely off guard by the announcement, accompanied by a rousing
standing ovation in the Denver Hyatt Regency Tech Center's Grand Ballroom.
He was equally surprised by the sudden appearance of wife Mary Kay, daughter
Lisa, and other family members as his name was announced to the packed
ballroom.
"I'm very humbled to stand here among this group of water leaders," said
Hamel, joining past Aspinall recipients on the dais. "This was a very good
secret; a total shock."
Hamel, who has spearheaded Pueblo's Historic Arkansas Riverwalk project
for two decades, received a framed artist's rendering of this project from
the Colorado Water Congress.
The list of Hamel's achievements on behalf of Colorado's water community
is long for this man, who began working summers with Pueblo's Water Board as
a teenager 50 years ago. By 1982, Hamel had become the Board's
Director.
He said he’s proudest of the team effort that resulted in Pueblo's
upgraded water infrastructure, "One of the most modern systems in the
country," Hamel remarked.
He has served on the Colorado Water Conservation Board and with the
Colorado Water Resources and Power Development Authority. Hamel is past
chairman of the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District, and
remains an advisory board member. He was the Arkansas Basin
Roundtable's first chairman, as well as its representative on the Interbasin
Compact Committee. He also works closely with the American Water Works
Association.
Prior Aspinall Award recipients in attendance include former State
Senator and Ag Commissioner Don Ament, former State Senator and President of
the Senate Fred E. Anderson, former State Senator Tillie Bishop, Ralph
Curtis, former State Senator Lewis H. Entz, L. Richard Bratton, Ralph
Curtis, former Congressman Ray Kogovsek, Dick MacRavey, Bill Miller, former
Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton, John Porter and Larry Simpson.
Only four of the surviving past recipients were unable to attend: Former
U.S. Senator Hank Brown, Fred Kroeger, former Assistant Secretary of the
Interior John Sayre and David Smith.
Assisting CWC’s Mary M. Stirling with this year's Aspinall Award ceremony
were Christine Arbogast, Kogovsek & Associates; Erin Regrutto, Historic
Arkansas Riverwalk of Pueblo (HARP); artist Steve Bigley, Advanced Photo
Solutions, Pueblo; as well as staff members of Pueblo Water and SECWCD.
* The photo shown above was taken by Chris Woodka of the “Pueblo Chieftain”.