This week, we welcome two guests from Pennsylvania: Mike Sullivan, executive director of the Northampton Bucks County Municipal Authority; and Shannon Drosnock, executive director of the Montgomery Township Municipal Sewer Authority. Mike and Shannon lead a successful internship program for Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Region 1, in the greater Philadelphia area. They talk with Steve and Jennifer about their efforts to combat the “silver tsunami” affecting the water workforce.
Topics Discussed
- Meet Mike Sullivan
- Mike’s Water Hero: Tom Courduff, former president of the Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association
- Meet Shannon Drosnock
- Shannon’s Water Hero: Mike Sullivan!
- Mike and Shannon’s Water and Wastewater Internship Program
- Why programs like this are needed
- The silver tsunami in the water workforce
- How to make jobs in the trades more appealing to young people today
- Does it seem like Gen Z may be more interested than the generations preceding them?
- Bringing women into the water and wastewater workforce
- Northampton Bucks County Municipal Authority
- Montgomery Township Municipal Sewer Authority
That is a problem across the entire United States, where that population of workers – there’s just not enough humans to replace [the baby boomers] in our pools of employment.
Shannon Drosnock
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About the Guests
Michael Sullivan has nearly 40 years of experience in the water and wastewater industry. He has provided management and consulting services to municipalities and authorities on topics such as water and wastewater treatment, management, and utility operations. Michael graduated from the Southern Illinois University Environmental Resources Training Center in 1983. He went on to become a Pennsylvania State licensed water and wastewater operator and has held various positions in the industry. Since 1997, Michael has served as the Executive Director for several municipal authorities. He is currently the executive director for the Northampton Bucks County Municipal Authority and serves on the Board of Directors for the Chalfont/New Britain Joint Sewer Authority.
From 2002 to 2022, Michael owned and served as the president of Private Utility Enterprises, Inc., a company dedicated to consulting, contract operations, and management of approximately 80 water/wastewater treatment facilities in Southeastern and South Central Pennsylvania. Under his guidance, the company became a trusted industry leader. Michael also currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association, representing Pennsylvania Region 1, which encompasses Philadelphia, Bucks, Montgomery, Chester, and Delaware counties.
Shannon Drosnock is the executive director of MTMSA – The Montgomery Township Municipal Sewer Authority. Shannon began her career in custodial banking, first at the Vanguard Group and then serving as the Controller for the Dublin, Ireland, division of State Street Bank. After deciding to move back to the US to start a family, she changed careers and began working in local government. She has worked for Montgomery Township for over a decade; first as the Township Finance Director, and then moving to the Sewer Authority in her current position. Shannon also currently serves as the Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association Region 1 Assistant Director. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Millersville University of Pennsylvania and a MS in Business Intelligence & Data Analytics from St. Joseph’s University.