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Your one-stop source for all things rural water, The Rural Water Alliance, proudly introduces the third installment of our new monthly feature: The Manager of the Month. Each month we feature a rural water association general manager and delve into what makes them successful, the challenges they face, and more.

Scioto County Regional Water District #1 Jonathan King, General Manager
 
Jonathan King began working for Scioto County Regional Water District #1 (Water 1) in 1995 as an operator and after some time in that role, moved into the SCADA department, where he was responsible for automating the water treatment plant, well fields, and the entire district's distribution system. After a couple of years in that role, King was promoted to the assistant manager's position which he held for only a year before becoming the general manager at the ripe old age of 23.

"I was in the right place at the right time," King says. When he had graduated with an associate's degree in electromechanical engineering technology, he was hired by Water 1 as the controls person. Then when he was finished with that task, the chief of operations was retiring. King was recommended for the position based on his experience, education and people skills within the company. After moving into management, he received a degree in business from Ohio Christian University.

No Groundhog Day Here

In his role King heads to work every day expecting changes. "The best part of my job is that it is never the same.  With the size of our district, I may be in the office doing grant applications one day, and working in the field with a crew the next," he explains. However, he says the downside to the small size of the organization is that he's forced to spend more time dealing with human resource issues than he'd prefer.

While most rural water GMs agree that their days are typically atypical, Water 1's small size means King is extremely hands on and versatile. "Most of the time, I wake up, work out with a couple of friends, do a group Bible study, then head to work, and it's hard to predict what will end up happening from day to day."

The district has really maximized its service area, but King sees the opportunity to continue upgrading its infrastructure and services as his top goal. "We have grown as far as we can, but we're always upgrading, automating control systems and trying to get better. Right now our system is 50 years old so we're doing a lot of line replacement, and all our pump stations have been replaced or upgraded in the last nine years," he says.

"Over the last fourteen years, I have seen rural systems begin to more forward, realizing that if they were going to remain viable, they were going to have to charge a fair price for their product, properly maintain their equipment, and train their staff," he says.

King is particularly proud of the fact that all of the district's operators who have the experience required to hold water certifications, actually hold Class III licenses. "Our system was built for our community by our community," he says.  "Although we're in an economically depressed area, we do an outstanding job with what we have."

To that end, King believes that one of the biggest challenges facing the rural water community is "finding future managers and operators who will take pride in their job and view it as both a challenging and rewarding occupation." For someone who became a GM at 23 and was one of the youngest people in the state of Ohio to receive a Class IV license, rural water management has provided a perfect fit.

 "I really like what I'm doing and am not looking for any other type of work, but when it's time to go home, I do my best to leave my office without the problems or headaches it brings and go home to spend time with my wife, son, and daughter," King says. His preferred method of unwinding is playing on the floor with his kids or reading them a book.

Getting to Know...

King is an avid archer and outdoorsman, hunting turkey, deer, wild boar, and elk, primarily with a bow.  "Hunting is how I get away from everything. I really thrive on the challenge of it, and when you're sitting in the tree in the middle of the woods you don't have to worry about a pager or phone going off and it lets you clear your mind.

While he doesn't really play the lottery, snagging a winning ticket would likely lead to his donating to several charities.

The last good movie King has seen was "A Greater Yes."