The Cape Fear Public Utility Authority Board has named Kenneth Waldroup as CFPUA’s new Executive Director.
Mr. Waldroup has 27 years of experience in the water industry and is currently an assistant director at the City of Raleigh Public Utilities Department (Raleigh Water), which is North Carolina’s second-largest public water system and serves about 600,000 residents in Raleigh and six other Wake County communities. He will begin as CFPUA’s Executive Director at the end of June.
His selection is the culmination of a months-long nationwide recruitment effort. Mr. Waldroup will succeed Jim Flechtner, who has been CFPUA’s Executive Director since 2013 and announced his retirement in August 2020.
“I and the rest of the Board are pleased to have Ken joining us as CFPUA’s next executive director,” said Wesley P. Corder, CFPUA Board Chair. “Ken’s background and skillset are particularly well-suited to the tasks of continuing the important, substantial progress accomplished under Jim’s leadership and leading our organization in the years ahead as we continue to improve our service to our customers and the community.”
A licensed professional engineer, Mr. Waldroup holds a bachelor’s degree in nuclear engineering from N.C. State University and will earn a master’s degree in public administration this fall from N.C. Central University. He is a former member of the N.C. Environmental Management Commission and is the 2020-21 chair of the North Carolina Section of the American Water Works Association & the North Carolina Member Association of the Water Environment Federation.
“CFPUA is a high-performing organization staffed by talented individuals who are obviously dedicated to serving their customers and the community,” Mr. Waldroup said. “I am frequently in touch with many of CFPUA’s peers in the water industry, and I can tell you that CFPUA is very well-regarded. My work in Raleigh has been consistently rewarding and fulfilling, and I would only leave it for an even more rewarding and fulfilling experience.
“I look forward to working with CFPUA’s Board and staff, meeting our customers and the community, and working with our partners at New Hanover County and the City of Wilmington.”
As CFPUA’s Executive Director, Mr. Waldroup will oversee an organization with a $92 million FY22 operating budget and more than 300 employees providing reliable, high-quality water and wastewater services to about 200,000 people in Wilmington and New Hanover County.
CFPUA was created in the 2007 merger of the water and wastewater operations of the City of Wilmington and New Hanover County. It opened its doors in 2008. CFPUA is governed by an 11-member Board, whose members are appointed by the Wilmington City Council and New Hanover County Commissioners.