Wade Trim's Innovation Alley

Brevard County, FL, Utility Services Director Eddie Fontanin shares lessons learned throughout his career, from time on the consulting side to becoming a public sector leader. Leading with clarity, honestly, and heart, he has developed a grounded perspective on what truly drives effective leadership.

In this episode of Innovation Alley, Tim O'Rourke, CTO, hosts a panel in Manatee County, Florida, to explore the growing momentum behind collaborative delivery in public utility projects. The discussion features Chris Collins (Deputy Director of Utilities, Manatee County), Bob Bruner (Regional Manager, Archer Western), and Dennis Prevo (Collaborative Delivery Practice Lead, Wade Trim), each offering unique perspectives from the owner, contractor, and engineer sides.

In this episode, Tim and Hillsborough County, Florida's Assistant County Administrator, George Cassady discuss innovative ways the County is responding to population growth and how the County keeps water safe and flowing in the aftermath of hurricanes. 

The water industry is never stagnant. New regulations continuously come about to meet new water issues. One significant area of concern that has gained attention in recent years is the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in water. PFAS, often referred to as "forever chemicals," are a group of human-made chemicals that have been used in a wide variety of consumer products and industrial applications since the 1940s. In this episode of Innovation Alley, Dave White is joined by experts from Wade Trim and Aqua-Aerobics to discuss regulatory drivers and emerging technologies aimed at treating and destroying PFAS.

In this episode, we hear from two leaders of regional water authorities that serve different areas and populations in the United States. Suzanne Coffey, Chief Executive Officer of the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA), and Diana Smillova,  Division Manager of Water/Wastewater Capital Programs of the City of St. Petersburg, Florida share their insights on how they collaborate with other stakeholders, plan for long-term sustainability, and leverage technology to improve efficiency and resilience.

Wastewater treatment technologies, such as aerobic granular sludge (AGS) continue to evolve to meet new regulations and affordability concerns. In this episode of Innovation Alley, we’ve brought together representative from two heavily involved groups: the engineering community and equipment systems suppliers to share insights on this important topic.

This episode of Innovation Alley focuses on artificial intelligence. Hosts Tim O’Rourke and Dave White are joined by artificial intelligence experts from YegaTech for a discussion on how AEC firms can navigate the world of AI and leverage this important tool to enhance business and bring value to clients.

University of Michigan Civil/Environmental Engineering Professor Glen Daigger, Ph.D., returns to talk with hosts Tim O'Rourke, PE, and Dave White, PE, about the evolution of engineering, tools various stakeholders bring to the decision-making process, and the advancement of AI and automated processes in the industry.

Co-hosts Tim O'Rourke, PE and Dave White, PE are joined by Melissa Meeker, Chief Executive Officer at The Water Tower for a discussion on The Water Tower's mission and vision for creating a thriving ecosystem of water innovation fueled by imagination, informed by research, and powered by pioneers. Melissa shares the history of The Water Tower, and how The Water Tower supports workforce development, and innovation, and discusses how companies can be involved in the cutting edge research being led by The Water Tower experts.

Co-hosts Tim O'Rourke, PE and Dave White, PE are joined by Chris Impellitteri, Ph.D., Director of Research and Development at The Water Tower for a discussion on the critical drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, and water reuse research and innovations happening at The Water Tower. Dr. Chris also shares his expertise on PFAS, the impact these chemicals are having on humans and the environment, and The Water Tower's focus on tracking PFAS throughout the entire water treatment process and development of better sampling methods. 

Water Resources Client Services Director Andy Franosz and St. Johns County Florida Utilities Director Colin Groff, PE, join podcast host Tim O'Rourke, PE, to continue their discussion of  the collaborative delivery project delivery model. They address the benefits of collaborative delivery, as well as lessons learned, funding challenges and how utilities work together to learn from each other.

Water Resources Director of Client Services Andy Franosz, and St. Johns County Florida Utilities Director Colin Groff, PE, join podcast cohosts Tim O'Rourke, PE and Dave White, PE, to discuss the concept and evolution of the collaborative delivery project delivery model. They also address challenges, pros and cons, methods for managing risks and the future of the project delivery method.

Tim O'Rourke and co-host Dave White are joined by Wade Trim's Water/Wastewater Treatment Practice Lead Vin Rubino and University of Michigan's Glen Daigger to continue the discussion  of One Water.  They discuss the evolution of water and wastewater systems and how communities identify the best ways to manage their systems. They also address the issues of water equity, water reuse, and the importance of how utilities communicate the value of water.

Tim O'Rourke and co-host Dave White are joined by Wade Trim's Water/Wastewater Treatment Practice Lead Vin Rubino and University of Michigan's Glen Daigger to discuss the concept of One Water.  They cover the evolution of One Water and how it has become the transformation of a long-standing paradigm of silos. They also address water equity, and how different geographies see the issues of water equity, and resiliency and sustainability.

Wade Trim's Chief Business Development Office, Tom Brzezinski, PE joins host Tim O’Rourke, PE for a discussion about applying existing technologies to projects in innovative ways, how they team with technical staff to spark innovative solutions and their approach to showing the value of new technologies to clients. 

As cyber attacks become more sophisticated it is more important than ever to  keep pace with new technologies and how attackers use them to access data. Tim O'Rourke and special guest host, Wade Trim's CFO, Ralph Picano, talk  with cyber security experts Jason Sting and Brandon Pritz about the latest developments in cyber attacks, the biggest threats companies face, and their innovative approach to cyber security, including user training.

In this episode Tim and Dave are joined by Reality Capture experts Brian Gombos and Jason Yoscovits. They discuss the tools used to capture data and how the data can be used by engineers, planners, contractors, and owners throughout the lifecycle of a project to better plan, design, construct, and manage assets.

This month, AEC technology expert Marcus Quigley, partner at industry business consulting firm EFCG, joins us to discuss eight key technology focus areas and how they can apply to the life cycle of a project.