Peter Hess Named President of the Air and Waste Management Association

Peter Hess has assumed the presidency of the international Air and Waste Management Association (A&WMA), effective January 1, 2006. Founded in 1907, A&WMA is the largest association of air pollution and waste management professionals in the world. It currently has more than 8,000 members in 65 countries.

As president of A&WMA, Hess, 57, will direct activities aimed at improving environmental knowledge and decision-making. The nonpartisan association provides a neutral forum for the exchange of technical and scientific information and fosters worldwide professional development. Hess succeeds to the presidency after being elected first vice-president in 2004. He has been a member of A&WMA since 1973.

Hess also is a Deputy Air Pollution Control Officer (DAPCO) of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (Air District), where he oversees the enforcement and permitting functions of the nine-county regional agency. He joined the Air District in 1974 and was appointed DAPCO in 1979.

Growing up in Toledo, OH, near iron and steel mills, Hess became interested in air pollution control at an early age. "In the 1950s and '60s, you could taste the hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide emissions from the plants," Hess recalled. "I wanted to do something about it." After graduating from Toledo University with a bachelor's of science degree in Mechanical Engineering, he worked in air pollution control at the Ohio Department ofHealth. Relocating to the San Francisco Bay Area four years later, Hess joined the Air District as an engineer in the Permit Services Division, a group he now oversees.

During his tenure as president, Hess will work to enhance A&WMA's role as the primary resource for environmental knowledge both nationally and internationally. "We are reaching out to our counterparts in Asia and the Middle East. We have knowledge and expertise in the association that can lead to a cleaner, healthier environment in emerging countries and we're eager to share that knowledge," Hess said.

Hess resides in Marin County with his wife Allison. For further information about the Air and Waste Management Association, visit www.awma.org.