2026 Midyear Operator Conference Presenter Bios
Dave Faux
Dave Faux serves as Assistant General Manager of the Provo River Water Users Association, where he helps lead water operations, infrastructure planning, and long-term resource stewardship. His journey within the organization reflects the message he shares today — that leadership is built through experience, consistency, and a willingness to grow. Dave began his career in the construction industry as a concrete contractor, working in the field and learning firsthand the value of hard work, accountability, and teamwork.
Over time, he advanced from hands-on field roles into increasing levels of responsibility, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Construction Management and a Master’s Degree in Natural Resource Management with an emphasis in Watershed Sciences. His path from the ground up has shaped a leadership style rooted in practical problem-solving and respect for the people who do the work.
Dave believes strong organizations are built the same way strong infrastructure is built, on a solid foundation. Outside of work, he enjoys time with his wife and three children and spends his free time outdoors, training bird dogs, building custom motorcycles, and playing guitar.
Steve Blake
Steve is the manager of Treatment Operations for the District’s three treatment plants:
· Southwest Groundwater Treatment Plant, a reverse osmosis facility,
· Southeast Regional Water Treatment Plant, an Actiflo® Ballasted Flocculation facility and,
· Jordan Valley Water Treatment Plant, a conventional 180 MGD facility currently under expansion to 255 MGD.
These plants treat very different sources: sulfate contaminated groundwater, highly variable direct snow melt, and stable reservoir water impacted occasionally by soil runoff into the Provo River.
He is passionate about helping operators comprehend the sometimes-overlooked simple processes, as well as the complex automation sequences that seem impossible to grasp. Only when the operator fully understands a process can he apply that knowledge to solve the never-before-seen issues that may demand a unique response that a standard operating procedure cannot provide. That is especially true about filter operations that can get lost in the seeming predictability of day-to-day operations.
He maintains a high degree of job satisfaction by mentoring others. This keeps him energized after more than 35 years with Jordan Valley Water.
Josh Shrewsbury
Josh Shrewsbury is the Plant Supervisor for Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District, where he has progressed through roles including treatment operator, plant lead, and now supervisor, with operational experience at all three district treatment plants, including five years at the reverse osmosis facility. In 2021, he pursued a master’s degree in Hydrology and Water Security from the University of Oklahoma—graduating while balancing full-time work and raising two young children—an experience that shaped his perspective on long-term career balance, the focus of his presentation. Josh has been an active volunteer with the AWWA Intermountain Section for more than six years, contributing to the Young Professionals Committee and now serving as Chair of the Treatment and Distribution Committee, where he helps organize training and certification support for new operators. Outside of work, Josh enjoys traveling with his wife, Ashlynne, and their two children, and is an avid fan of the Utah Jazz, BYU sports, and the Seattle Seahawks.
Jeremiah Hinrichs
Jeremiah is a Water System Operator Lead at Metropolitan Water District of Salt Lake and Sandy where he has worked for four years. He holds a BS in Environmental Science and an MES in Hydrology and Water Security. In his role at Metro Water, he is responsible for the operation of both Little Cottonwood and Point of the Mountain Treatment Plants, as well as training new operators at both treatment plants. He has experience operating conventional treatment utilizing; ozone, UV, chlorine gas, and onsite sodium hypochlorite generation. Jeremiah also manages Metro Water's Partnership Safe for Drinking Water Program through the AWWA and is involved with the AWWA IMS Treatment and Distribution Committee. Outside of work he continues his passion for water while white water rafting rivers and kayaking lakes.
Drew Ovard
Drew is the Manager of Operational Technology at the Granger-Hunter Improvement District in West Valley City, Utah.
With a degree in Computer Science from Weber State University and a licensed Grade IV Water Distribution Operator and Wastewater Collections Operator in the State of Utah. Drew provides strategic direction to the operations group, ensuring efficient and sustainable water and wastewater services. In recognition of his contributions to the field, he was named the 2020 AWWA IMS Water Operator of the Year.
He has over 25 years of experience in the Water/Wastewater Industry, including 13 years in the IT field.
Outside of his professional life, Drew enjoys spending time with his wife and two sons, coaching high school lacrosse, and participating in outdoor activities such as hunting and fishing.
Ryan Morris
Ryan has worked as the Lead Water Systems Operator for Provo City since 2008. He has expertise in maintaining and monitoring water treatment and distribution systems. Ryan is a certified Distribution and Treatment Grade IV Water Systems Operator DRC. Ryan is passionate about delivering clean, reliable water to Provo City while adhering to industry standards and best practices. He has played a critical role in the design and construction of the new Provo City Rock Canyon Water Treatment Plant and will be leading the team operating the new facility.
Ryan Dearing
Ryan Dearing is Manager of the Field Services section for the Utah Division of Drinking Water. In this position, Ryan oversees sanitary surveys and other site visits, emergency response, customer complaints, training and just general problem solving. Ryan has been working in the drinking water industry for over 30 years and enjoys helping Utah's water systems and water operators provide the best drinking water possible.
Chris Elison
Chris is a professional engineer that received his bachelor and master’s degrees in Civil Engineering from Brigham Young University. He has over 30 year’s experience as a civil engineer. Chris started his career in 1996 working at Horrocks Engineers. After eight years at Horrocks, he went to Parsons Brinckerhoff and worked there until Spring of 2011. Chris has been at Central Utah Water Conservancy District for nearly 15 years and has worked on a variety of projects. He works in the engineering department but also assists with environmental documentation. Chris has been married to Michele for more almost 35 years. Together, they have five children and made their home in Lehi. Outside of work, Chris enjoys spending time with his family and in the mountains usually on the ski slopes.
Easton Hopkins
Easton Hopkins is a staff engineer at Hansen, Allen & Luce, specializing in a variety of water resources studies, including drinking water system design, water conservation, and water supply planning. He is also a PhD student at the University of Utah, where he researches innovative techniques for water resources management.
Tyler Peterson
Tyler Peterson began working full-time for AE2S in January of this year. Before working full time, he interned with them for a year and 8 months working on master plans, pipeline design, permitting, construction site visits, and other reports. He graduated from BYU with a bachelor's and master's degree in Civil Engineering. Prior to being at AE2S, he worked for Epic Engineering performing structural calculations and drafting plans in Revit for numerous residential projects. He has found a passion for everything involving water and engineering and is looking forward to continuing to develop his skills with AE2S this year.
Joe Crawford
In 2010, Joe graduated from Utah State with a Bachelor of Science in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. In 2013, he graduated from Utah State University with a Master of Science in Watershed Science. Since 2015, I have worked as a Water Quality Scientist and now as the Watershed Program Manager for Central Utah Water Conservancy District.
Maggie Shalvoy
Maggie Shalvoy is an Environmental Engineer at Hazen and Sawyer where she has six years of experience in the planning, design and construction management of drinking water projects.
Justin Hunter
Justin is an engineer at Bowen Collins & Associates (BC&A). In his 4 years with the company, he has worked on a variety of drinking water projects for owners throughout Utah specializing in large diameter pipeline design. Prior to BC&A, he worked on National Water Model research at BYU, interned with the City of Pleasant Grove, and played collegiate football at the University of Oregon. Justin grew up in the Denver area and has a 2-year-old daughter with a son on the way.
Tom McOmie
Tom oversees Emergency Response and Cybersecurity for the Utah Division of Drinking Water. A certified water operator, cross-connection control administrator, backflow tester, and sanitary surveyor, Tom is committed to protecting public health through secure and reliable drinking water infrastructure.
Brooklyn Hall
Brooklyn Hall graduated from Utah State University with a B.S. in Environmental Engineering. She is a Principal Engineer for Hazen and Sawyer, working primarily on piloting, designing, and constructing drinking water treatment facilities. Brooklyn has been an active member of AWWA since 2022 and is currently serving as the committee chair for the Young Professional and Student Committee. She also recently moved from Salt Lake City to St. George and is serving as the committee chair for the Southern Utah Regional Team.
Brad Buswell
Brad Buswell is a Project Manager and Associate at Carollo Engineers with a focus on water treatment planning, design, and construction. He is currently serving as the YP Advisor to the Intermountain Section Board and previously served as Chair and Vice Chair of the Young Professionals and Students Committee. He received his M.S. degree in Civil & Environmental Engineering and his B.A. in Chemistry from Utah State University.
Jessica Morgan
Jessica Morgan joined Brown and Caldwell in 2022 with a B.S. in Environmental Soils and Water Sciences from Utah State University. With her diverse background in drinking water and supply planning, conservation landscaping, agricultural practices, as well as wastewater and solids land application and permitting and compliance, Jessica brings a wealth of experience to her role. Jessica has been actively involved with the AWWA IMS section for 6 years, serving on both the YP and Treatment and Distributions committees. Currently, she is expanding her expertise by taking on additional work with food and beverage clients and working on her Professional Soil Science Certification.
Monica Hoyt
Monica Hoyt has spent more than three decades making sure Utah communities have safe, clean drinking water. She started her career as a chemist and quickly became known as a go-to expert in water quality, treatment processes, and regulatory compliance. She’s served as Laboratory Director, Education and Public Outreach Manager, and now works with Carollo Engineers helping public water utilities connect with the right engineering expertise to solve complex challenges. Monica is known for blending deep technical know-how with a gift for making science approachable and engaging.
