Water Works President to Retire in 2009
By Chuck Williams, Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, Ga.
Feb. 12–Columbus Water Works President Billy Turner told the Board of Commissioners on Monday he will retire in 11 months.
“I think it’s that time in my career,” said Turner, 71. “I have been here 20 years and it’s been a wonderful experience. Columbus has been great for me. I have given it every ounce of energy I have. I need to slow down now that the pace is picking up.”
His last day at the Water Works will be Jan. 8, exactly 20 years after he came to Columbus from a similar job in Spartanburg, S.C.
Turner’s retirement had been no secret to the five-person board. He informed the commissioners two years ago in a letter that his retirement was imminent.
After a brief closed session Monday to discuss a personnel matter, the board voted to hire The Mercer Group, an Atlanta-based consulting firm, to conduct a search for Turner’s successor. The firm, which is the same company that recommended Turner for the job almost two decades ago, will be paid $25,000 for the search.
The search will be complicated by the fact that two other high-ranking Water Works executives also have plans to retire in the next two years. Executive Vice President Bob Tant, 62, said his last day will likely be Jan. 1. Chief Financial Officer Emory Blount, 65, said he will leave at the end of 2009.
Because so many of the Water Works top executives were in the final years of their careers, Turner said the organization began succession planning “several years ago.” Executives have been working with Columbus State University’s Cunningham Center for Leadership.
Tant, the No. 2 man in the organization, said Turner’s retirement will likely not alter his plans to leave at the end of the year. He said he had not given any thought to the possibility of replacing Turner.
“I assume the board will contact replacement folks,” Tant said. “If I am one of them, fine. If I’m not, that’s fine, too. I am pursuing plans to retire at the end of the year.”
Tant came to the Water Works in 1979 and was promoted to his current job in 1988, just before Turner was hired.
Commissioner Phillip Thayer said Turner will be difficult to replace.
“He is more than just the president of the Water Works,” he said. “He has put Columbus on the map nationally for being progressive.”
Thayer points to a plan the Water Works is developing to recapture the methane gas the sewage treatment plant produces and sell that energy or use it to operate the plant.
“Those are the types of innovations that make Billy so difficult to replace,” Thayer said. “It is not just his role in the day-to-day operations of the Water Works. It’s forward thinking that will be the biggest challenge to replace.”
Thayer said he is “personally looking for someone who’s progressive” as a replacement for Turner.
In the early 1990s, Turner led the effort for Columbus to tackle state-mandated improvements to its combined sewer overflow system. The $80 million project, which was funded in large part by a 1-percent sales tax, put the city in compliance well before other municipalities — including Atlanta — chose to act.
That project led to the Chattahoochee Riverwalk, a 15-mile lit and paved path along the river. The path serves as a service road for the sewer lines.
“There are a lot of things that I am proud of,” Turner said. “I am proud of the performance the Water Works provides to the citizens of Columbus. I am proud of the Riverwalk and our role in the Oxbow Meadows Environmental Learning Center. I am really proud of the combined-sewer project. We solved that problem when a lot of cities haven’t.”
Turner said the demands of his job overseeing the 225-person utility with a $40 million annual budget is taking more than he is willing to give. He is also recognized as an expert on Georgia water issues, especially the Chattahoochee River, which Columbus uses for its water supply. He serves on a number of state, national and international boards.
Turner said he was looking forward to spending more time with his wife, Judee. They have been married for 49 years.
“I just don’t want to work 40 hours a week any more,” he said. “I may want to do some part-time work, maybe travel a little bit.”
He did not rule out becoming a consultant.
“I haven’t thought much about that, but that is something that I might enjoy doing,” Turner said.
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