2024 AAEES Officer Elections

Below are the profiles of the individuals who are on the ballot for the 2024 AAEES Officer Elections.

Winners in this election will take office starting January 1, 2025.

2024 President-Elect, Dr. David A. Chin, P.E., BCEE, will assume the Office of President on January 1, 2025.

The link to access the election ballot is at the bottom of this page.

Candidate for President-Elect

Jeffrey H. Greenfield, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE

Jeffrey H. Greenfield, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE is a licensed engineer/project manager with the Broward County Water and Wastewater Services in Pompano Beach, FL.  He has a master's and Ph.D. in civil engineering (environmental engineering program) from the University of Pittsburgh.  His work experience includes full-time academic, industry, private consulting, and government engineering positions.  His most recent experience included managing capital projects in both water and wastewater from $20M to over $50M.  These projects included 1.5-5 million gallon concrete ground storage tanks and high service pump stations and a 16 million gallon per day reclaimed wastewater addition to an existing wastewater treatment plant. His current work includes review of developer projects and serving as a project manager for a PFAS study and a retail water and wastewater master plan. In addition to his current full-time position, he is an adjunct lecturer in the Civil & Environmental Engineering Department at Florida International University teaching ethics and undergraduate and graduate courses in environmental engineering.  

His current activities for the Academy include serving as the Vice President, chair of the Major Partners Committee, member of the Executive Committee, member of the Education Committee and Membership Committees. His past service to the Academy includes being a two-term member of the board of trustees from 2017-2022, 15 years as chair of the Water Supply and Wastewater Committee, Executive Committee member in 2022, and past member of the Nominating Committee.  He is a life member of the Academy and certified in both water supply and wastewater and sustainability. 

In addition to his long-term service to the Academy, he currently has leadership roles with NCEES, ASCE, ABET, NSPE, and the Florida Engineering Society. 

Candidates for Vice President

Vinio Floris, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE, CSP

Dr. Floris is an experienced sustainability, water resources, ESG, environmental and occupational safety professional in the energy and the industrial sector. He earned a PhD in Civil-Environmental Engineering from Colorado State University, an MBA from Texas A&M and an MPA-Economics and Environmental Management from Harvard University. He is currently the Director of Health, Safety, Environment, and Quality at AXIOS Industrial Group. Previously, he has been an international consultant for the IDB, World Bank, IFC, CAF, as well as development agencies of donor countries. In the private sector, he has worked for top organizations such as Veolia, TETRA Technologies, CEMEX, USEPA, and the Port of Houston. He has worked in over 25 countries. Dr. Floris is a professor of sustainability at the SKEMA Graduate School (France) and GĚRENS Post Graduate School (Peru). Dr. Floris is an Environmental Engineering fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and proud long-term and active member of the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists.

Dr. Floris is a CSP (Certified Safety Professional), a BCEE (Board Certified Environmental Engineer), and a PE (Professional Engineer) in the State of Texas. He is an editorial board member of the Public Works Management & Policy Journal which focuses on planning, financing, and sustainable development of critical infrastructure systems. Dr. Floris is a renowned international speaker, researcher, visionary, and prolific writer on the topics of water resources, environment, sustainability/ESG, climate change, and occupational safety.

Charles N. Haas, Ph.D., NAE, BCEEM

Charles N. Haas has been the L.D. Betz Professor of Environmental Engineering at Drexel University since 1991.  He was Head of the Department of Civil, Architectural & Environmental Engineering from 2003-2020.  Previously, he was on the faculty at IIT (1981-90) and RPI (1978-90). He received his BS and MS from IIT, and his PhD from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  He has taught in the areas of water, wastewater and hazardous waste treatment processes, and risk assessment.  His recent research focuses on the assessment and control of risks from human exposures to pathogens.  He has served on the AAEES Board of Trustees since 2018 as a liaison from ASEE (till 2020) and currently a liaison from AEESP.

Society leadership experience includes director and treasurer of AEESP, director of the Society for Risk Analysis, and Chair of the US National Committee of the (then) International Association on Water Quality.  He has been serving as an ABET PEV, and is currently an ABET EAC Commissioner from AAEES.

He is a distinguished fellow of the International Water Association and a fellow of the American Academy for the Advancement of Science, the Society for Risk Analysis, ASCE, the American Academy of Microbiology, and AAEES.  He is a BCEEM by eminence of AAEES. He has received the Dr. John Leal Award and the AP Black Award from AWWA and the Clarke Water Prize. In 2021, he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering. 

Candidates for Trustee-at-Large

Srinivasarao (Rao) Chitikela, Ph.D., P.Eng., BCEE

Dr. S. Rao Chitikela holds a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering and has 30-yr work experience encompassing government, industry, and academia. He is currently an independent consultant providing services on water-infrastructure updating; environmental permitting and compliance verification; and training on water/wastewater, energy, and EHSS topics. Dr. Chitikela is a registered professional engineer in OH and 8 other states, and Alberta-Canada. He has been honored with ‘Outstanding Team – Outstanding Employee’ award (in 1998) by the Division of Air & Waste Management, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), State of Delaware; and is an elected ASCE fellow. He serves as Vice President/President-Elect on the Franklin County Chapter (FCC) of Ohio Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE).

Dr. Chitikela is an UN/UNEP Facilitator of the Leadership-WG of Global Wastewater Initiative (GW²I). He is an active member of the NCEES-PE Environmental Exam Committee, and is also a member of WEF, AWWA, AWMA, ACS, and SWANA. Dr. Chitikela has been a BCEE since 2002 and is actively volunteering and the current Chair on the Water-Supply & Wastewater (WW) Committee. In addition, he now leads as Chair of the Expertise & Examinations Committee (E&EC), arranging the membership expertise and experts of environmental science, engineering, and sustainability to represent the Academy at professional forums globally. He is recommended to be an ABET Program Evaluator (PEV) and currently is in-training.

Dr. Chitikela appreciates the potential opportunity to serve as a Trustee-at-Large in advancing the Academy. Thank You!

David J. Kerr, P.E., BCEE

David is a Civil/Environmental Engineer with 27 years of experience as a consulting engineer. David’s career has focused on the water and wastewater industry, particularly on horizontal assets. He is a leader in computerized hydrologic and hydraulic models of water distribution, sanitary sewer, combined sewers, and storm sewer systems; developing inflow and infiltration programs; conducting condition and capacity assessment programs for water and sewer systems; leading water and sewer comprehensive master plans; design of water distribution, gravity sewer collection systems, force mains, and sewer pumping stations; design and implementation of a variety of trenchless technologies; developing asset management plans for water and sewer systems; and assisting with risk assessments for water distribution and sewer collection systems. David has a BS (1995) and MS (1998) from Clarkson University. His master's thesis on anchor ice evolution and flow resistance in gravel-bed channels has been published and referenced in several international publications. David is a licensed professional engineer in New York and Maryland. He has been a member of the Academy since 2007.

David has been active on the Academy’s Admissions Committee for over ten years. He is also a member of AWWA and WEF and is active on the Chesapeake WEA Collection System Committee. Through his activities with the Academy and professional organizations, David recognizes the Academy's value to the profession. He believes the environmental profession should value membership in the Academy as the next level of professional engineering and scientific certification. 

Joan Oppenheimer, BCES

My name is Joan Oppenheimer, and it is a privilege to be considered as a candidate for Trustee-at-Large. This introductory statement briefly summarizes my 40-year career in environmental engineering and why I am interested in serving the Academy in this capacity.

I am a Board-Certified Environmental Scientist and a principal environmental consultant with Stantec. My interest in science began while attending the Bronx High School of Science in New York City. I chose not to pursue an engineering degree at Princeton University and obtained a BA in chemistry from Brandeis University and a MSPH at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  This probably explains why I became a chemist supporting engineering projects protective of public health. I’ve worked on many interesting projects, such as evaluating solids retention time impacts on pharmaceuticals and personal care products during biological treatment and generation of the data supporting the Surface Water Treatment Rule requirements for inactivation of Giardia cysts and Cryptosporidium oocysts in drinking water.

My tenure in the Academy began in 2012 when certification expanded to include environmental scientists. I am on the Membership Committee, the Nominating Committee, and Chairman of the Environmental Chemistry Committee. The Academy is an excellent resource for the environmental engineering and science community that provides its members with many opportunities to promote and demonstrate excellence, expertise, education, and engagement in their respective fields. Serving as a Trustee-at-Large will allow me to further contribute toward the continued success of the Academy.  

Yuefeng Xie, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE

I have been a dedicated member of AAEES since 2001. As a professor at Penn State, I have contributed significantly to both academia and the water industry. I have served as a member of the USEPA Science Advisory Board’s Drinking Committees across three administrations, chaired the AWWA Organic Contaminant Control Committee, and led the Southeastern Pennsylvania Section of the ACS as its Chair.

I have played a pivotal role in the water industry, particularly through my leadership at the Environmental Training Center at Penn State. Under my guidance, the center has provided training to over 15,000 water professionals (registrations). I have organized more than 20 professional workshops for ACS, AWWA, and other professional organizations. Furthermore, my involvement in water professional training extends internationally to Canada, Singapore, and China.

My achievements include being recognized as a Fulbright Scholar and a Fellow of the International Water Association. In 2023, I was honored to receive the AAEES Excellence in Environmental Engineering and Science Education award. I was awarded the Penn State University-wide Faculty Outreach award and nominated for an honorary road, “Xie Lane.” Notably, my advocacy led to the establishment of “Water Doc Lane” at Penn State University Park campus, serving as a tribute to all water professionals.

I am deeply committed to advancing environmental sustainability and fostering stronger connections between engineering education and environmental practice. It would be a privilege to serve as an AAEES trustee-at-large, leveraging my diverse experiences to further the mission of AAEES.

Only Board Certified Environmental Engineers (BCEE), Board Certified Environmental Engineering Members (BCEEM), Board Certified Environmental Scientists (BCES), and AAEES Members who are current on their dues are eligible to vote in the Officer Elections.   Honorary Members and Student Members are not eligible to vote in this election.  Click the button below to access the ballot.

2024 Election Ballot