By Jeré Mohr
Hello, everyone! As I look out my window in Duluth at a deep blanket of snow, it’s hard to believe that March is here, and I have already been serving as MGWA President for over two months. It is an honor to serve this great organization and I am excited (and I will admit a little bit nervous) to take the reigns as President. I will do my best to fill the big shoes of those who have come before me. I want to thank Tony Runkel for his service last year as President. He organized two terrific virtual conferences that went off without a hitch, despite what he says about not being a “technology guy.” Tony’s friendly, collegial style felt very welcoming to me last year when I was a new MGWA Board member and I look forward to continuing to collaborate with and learn from him and the rest of the Board this year. I am excited to welcome Sandeep Burman to the Board as President-Elect and I am happy that Michael Ginsbach and Vanessa Baratta are returning to the Board as Secretary and Treasurer, respectively. A big thank you to all who serve MGWA!
Since I am relatively new to MGWA and have not had the opportunity to meet many of you due to the circumstances the last couple of years, I will take a moment to introduce myself. After earning B.S. degrees in both Geology and Geological Engineering (Geoenvironmental emphasis) from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities and an M.S. in Geology from the University of Minnesota Duluth, in 2004 I was fortunate to land a job at Barr Engineering Co. in the Duluth office. I am a Senior Hydrogeologist and Project Manager and I work on a wide variety of projects related to groundwater and water resources. Solving complex technical problems excites me and I feel fortunate that my work allows me to do this every day. I am passionate about contributing to high-quality scientific work that supports decision-making on projects that lie at the intersection of science, engineering, and public policy. Many of the projects that I work on are “in my backyard” of northern Minnesota and bring into sharp focus the unique responsibilities to balance responsible natural resource use with environmental protection. On a personal note, I have lived in Duluth for more than 20 years and I enjoy the region’s numerous outdoor pursuits, including biking year-round, cross-country skiing, canoeing, sailing on Lake Superior, and hiking with my yellow lab Atka. The photo is of me and my wife Leah Gruhn (also a geologist) at the finish line of the Arrowhead 135, a human-powered race that follows snowmobile trails from International Falls to Tower each January. Leah and I have taken on this challenge together on our fat tire bikes each winter for many years.
While it remains unpredictable, I am hopeful about the trajectory of the pandemic and that we will soon be able to gather in-person again. The pandemic and other world events can be distracting and temporarily take our focus away from groundwater, but they highlight how interconnected our world is today. In the global society in which we live, responsible management of groundwater quality and supply are more important now than ever. Despite the challenges of the last two years, I find it inspiring that MGWA has remained an active and vibrant organization that has continued to provide a venue for groundwater scientists and professionals to gather, collaborate, and share information.
Speaking of sharing ideas and information, I am getting excited about the upcoming spring conference, which will feature presentations on groundwater projects from across the state of Minnesota (and a bit beyond). The diversity of hydrogeologic settings across the state is fascinating to me and I think we all benefit from gaining a broader understanding and perspective on the broad range of groundwater issues across the area. Many of us have been forced to stay close to home the last couple of years, but hopefully the upcoming conference will help us all learn something new outside our immediate area of focus and might just help scratch that travel itch that some of us are feeling! The conference will be virtual, which allows us to host speakers from outside the area once again. I look forward to seeing you all (virtually) on April 28th.
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