Walkerton, ON — The Walkerton Clean Water Centre (WCWC) is excited to announce that Brian Bates will be returning to Walkerton to lead the team as CEO effective February 22, 2022.
Brian is passionate about the water industry, with proven leadership abilities and strong business acumen. He has worked in the industry for more than 20 years, including his time serving as Manager of Training and Development at WCWC from 2019 until 2020.
Most recently, he worked as Senior Director, Product Management, at Evoqua Water Technologies where he provided municipal and industrial clients with a wide range of solutions.
Brian has also been involved in postsecondary education in Ontario. He served as Director, Product Development and Institutional Research at Fleming College where he was responsible for all new program development and transformed the college’s processes to increase new program offerings, enrollment and student engagement.
Brian earned a B.Sc. degree in Environmental Resource Sciences from Trent University and an MBA from the University of Phoenix.
“I would like to congratulate Brian Bates on taking on this pivotal role and thank retiring CEO Carl Kuhnke for his leadership and tireless work over the years to safeguard Ontario’s drinking water,” said David Piccini, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. “I have enjoyed working closely with Carl. Under his leadership, the Walkerton Clean Water Centre has grown its training and education programs and expanded collaborations with Indigenous peoples. We are incredibly grateful for his service. Ontario continues to make tremendous progress on clean water, and I look forward to working with incoming CEO Bates to ensure that everyone in the province has access to safe water to drink.”
