Andy Koester, MS

As Managing Director, Andy supports a nationwide team of technical assistance professionals and coordinates staffing, budgets, and operational needs across the organization. He previously worked at Thames Water, helping major wastewater treatment plants maintain environmental compliance. Before that, he spent more than a decade with a private water utility in Illinois, and also served as a state regulatory manager with expertise in Clean Water Act regulations. Andy’s 20+ years of background spans private utilities, government, and the nonprofit sector. He brings deep experience in water and wastewater operations, management, and environmental compliance, including Safe Drinking Water Act and Clean Water Act regulations, NPDES permitting, treatment processes, asset management, and utility governance.

His career in water began with his first job at a water treatment plant, where he discovered a deep curiosity and a passion for a service he had previously taken for granted. He later realized that the plant was treating water from the very same Mississippi River, where he had spent his childhood boating with his family!

·       MS Environmental Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology

·       Class IV Water Distribution System & Treatment Plant Operator, AZ

·       Class III Wastewater Collection System & Treatment Operator, AZ

·       BS Natural Resources, University of Missouri – Columbia