Testimonial from a Partner in Maine

Posted on October 5, 2015 by admin

I want to thank you for all the assistance RCAP Solutions has provided to drinking water and wastewater operators in the state of Maine. Each year our future industry leaders benefit from the wonderful “Asset Management” and “Emergency Preparedness” presentations given by Art Astarita during our Management Candidate School. His practical approach resonates well with this audience. Art and Rebecca Reynolds have also been great in their willingness to travel to less populated areas like Calais, Rockland and Presque Isle, Maine.

In early 2015, drinking water and waste water operators in Calais and Fairfield also benefited from the “Math Basics” workshops provided by Mia McDonald. It is tough to positively engage operators in a math training program. However, the students in Mia’s two classes had many favorable comments such as: “Instructor was great! She explained herself well… Will help obtain my Grade III License… Will use this math to help with future problem solving… Dosing pumps and chlorine demand and the formulas will be helpful”.

It is so important that RCAP Solutions takes such high caliber training to the less populated communities in the far reaches of Maine. Such training saves the operators in both the cost of travel and also in the cost of time away from their facilities.

As the Training Coordinator for JETCC, I also work closely with the certification officers for Maine’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). I am always confident that the RCAP training we offer will be welcome by those agencies and recommended for the operators.

Thank you for sharing your resources with Maine’s Water Pollution Control Personnel!

Sincerely,

Leeann Hanson, Training Coordinator

Joint Environmental Training Coordinating Committee

Scarborough, Maine

RCAP Solutions Staff Receive National Awards

Posted on October 5, 2015 by admin

Award recipients Sukhwindar Singh, Josefa Torres-Olivo, and Art Astarita.

Robert Stewart with Sukhwindar Singh.

Robert Stewart, Executive Director for the Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP) presented three RCAP Solutions Employees with prestigious national awards during the RCAP annual conference last year in Madison, Wisconsin.

Sukhwindar Singh, Director of Education and Training was inducted into the RCAP National Hall of Fame. Inductees into the Hall of Fame are recognized for having made significant positive contributions to RCAP in the course of their work over the years as a long-term Technical Assistance Provider or Regional coordinator who works directly with communities. Sukh has been with RCAP Solutions for 21 years and brings unique expertise, training and skills useful in a variety of leadership, training and community settings. She has primary oversight ensuring that all training deliverables/funder requirements are met.

Josefa Torres-Olivo with Robert Stewart.

Josefa Torres-Olivo, District Director for Puerto Rico was the recipient of The Bill French Bridge-builder Award, given to an RCAP staff member who has been successful in building their state RCAP program, whether in reputation and credibility or in funding. She has advanced her state program to a higher level of operations through new and enhanced relationships with funding and primacy agencies or other partners, new services offered to communities, and new grants or contracts obtained. This award is named for Bill French, one of RCAP’s founding members who leveraged the RCAP program to build a strong and well-respected agency, and is given to a recipient who has successfully advanced their state program to a higher level of operations. Josefa was recognized for enabling her program to cross over barriers, leading the program along a road to realize its vision, and bringing the plan to fruition. Josefa has been with RCAP Solutions for 20 years, providing technical assistance on water and wastewater issues; assisting in the planning, developing, and organization of rural communities; providing expertise for the implementation of community source water protection and ground water improvement for rural low-income water systems; and has worked cooperatively with local, state, and federal government agencies to enhance community systems compliance.

Art Astarita with Robert Stewart.

Art Astarita, State Lead for Maine, received The Outstanding Service Award, given to an RCAP staff member who repeatedly goes above and beyond the call of duty in serving his communities, building their capacity and helping them achieve the outcomes that are critical to their future health and development. Art was recognized as a staff member who gives more than 100 percent in the service of his communities and whose commitment and dedication to RCAP’s mission is obvious to all. Art is a geologist and joined RCAP Solutions 17 years ago. He provides technical assistance to small water and wastewater systems throughout Maine and New England. This includes environmental assessment reports, GPS and GIS mapping, aquifer contaminate analysis, writing funding applications, grant administration, conducting system financial analysis and asset management training. He has helped to secure funding on numerous water and wastewater infrastructure improvement projects.

Calais, ME Water Department Welcomes RCAP Staff

Posted on May 22, 2015 by admin

The Calais Water Department welcomed RCAP staff to their facility to perform the Basics of Operator Math training.

Fourteen operators from eight different systems attended the training and received 3.75 training contact hours from the State of Maine. The training was well received by operators with different levels of math knowledge. The operators each brought different strengths and were often helping each other during practice problems.

Mia McDonald, a technical assistance provider in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island with RCAP Solutions, led the training and was assisted by the State Lead for Maine, Art Astarita.

Ms. McDonald brings over fifteen years as a math tutor, as well as a lifelong love of math given by her math educator parents. Mr. Astarita was able to connect with systems to begin new relationships with RCAP Solutions to offer assistance with future trainings, locating funding sources and asset management.