NEWS RELEASE

April 27, 2007

On Thursday night, the OWASA Board of Directors recognized Bertrum A. “Buddy” Morris for his 35 years of dedicated service to the Chapel Hill-Carrboro community.

Mr. Morris will retire on Tuesday, May 1, 2007 from his position as the Senior Crew Leader in OWASA’s Water Distribution Department.

Buddy began serving in the Water Distribution Department on April 4, 1972, when the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill owned the public water system for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro community, and he has continued to be extensively involved in the operation of the water distribution system since OWASA began serving the community in February, 1977.

Buddy’s responsibilities over the years have included construction, repair, oversight and evaluation of the community’s water distribution system along with supervision and direct involvement in developing and training many employees of the water distribution and wastewater collections department. During his career with OWASA, he received the State of North Carolina’s highest professional certification in Water Distribution and earned the State’s professional certification in Wastewater Collection.

“Buddy Morris is an outstanding public servant. His expertise, experience, energy and knowledge as well as his personal warmth and wit will be greatly missed at OWASA,” said John Greene, OWASA’s General Manager of Operations. “It has been a privilege to be on the OWASA team with him.”
 
For more information:

John W. Greene, P.E., General Manager of Operations, 537-4218; jgreene@owasa.org

Thurman Green, Manager of Water Distribution and Wastewater Collection Systems, 537-4224; tgreen@owasa.org

Randy Horton, Assistant Manager of the Water Distribution and Wastewater Collection Systems, 537-4280; rhorton@owasa.org