New National Ground Water Association (NGWA) President Roger E. Renner of Elk River, MN is a fourth-generation drilling company owner, a Master Ground Water Contractor, and a man who believes in being involved.

Since taking the reins as NGWA president at the group's Convention and Expo in Las Vegas in December, Renner didn't waste any time beginning the job. "I think my highlight this year is going to be communication," he said. "I have directed the 16 directors on the Board with me to all attend one show this year other than their home-state show. I want us to have a lot of representation from NGWA in affiliated and un-affiliated states. We need more states to become affiliates of NGWA."

He is also preparing for a three-day mid-year planning session in Columbus, OH to help NGWA set its goals and objectives for the next three years. "It will be a three-day workshop for planning the direction we want National to go and help us make better choices on the things we want to do," he said.

He plans to visit up to 17 states to meet with their water-related groups during his term as NGWA president. "It looks like a pretty full year coming up," he said.

Renner, who serves as president of E.H. Renner & Sons, said drillers should be active in state water groups and get involved in state legislative and regulatory issues. "If we don't start letting the legislators and regulators know more about what we do, those are two entities that can run you out of business," he said. "We've got to get involved and we've got to get in front of them face-to-face because they're making decisions without us. We've got to be involved and we've got to be more serious about what we do."

Renner has taken an active role in his home state of Minnesota, where he has served nine years as an officer and is past-president of the Minnesota Water Well Association. He also is serving his third four-year term as a member of the Minnesota Department of Health's Water Well Advisory Council and is currently serving his fifth year as Council chairman.

The new NGWA President is a 27-year member of the National Ground Water Association, and a member of the American Water Works Association, the American Water Resources Association, the American Groundwater Trust and the Wisconsin Water Well Association.

As president of E.H. Renner & Sons, Renner is responsible for overall company management for the 35-employee company and is personally responsible for municipal, large well sealing, and monitoring markets served by the company.

The Renner family's involvement in well drilling began in Berlin, Germany in the 1800s. Max Renner relocated to South Minnesota and began a family-owned drilling business in the late 1800s. Renner's grandfather, Edwin Renner, established the E.H. Renner Well Company in 1932 and the company remains operational today as a full-service drilling company.

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