The Maryland-based Center for Watershed Protection, a national leader in stormwater management and watershed planning, has announced a new program director in Pennsylvania to get clean water projects in the ground based in Lancaster County.

The Center has hired Ruth Ayn Hocker, a highly respected stormwater professional engineer with experience in all technical and policy aspects of stormwater management, to lead efforts in Pennsylvania.

“Protecting our nation’s water quality and natural resources has never been so important, especially in states like Pennsylvania, which contributes significant nutrient loads to the Chesapeake Bay,” said Hye Yeong Kwon, the Center’s Executive Director. “We are thrilled Ruth Hocker has joined our team and brings her vast network of partners and contacts across the state to make a bigger impact on stormwater management in Pennsylvania communities.”

Hocker, who began her work at the Center this week, has a strong background in helping local governments manage stormwater work. She served as the head of the city of Lancaster’s municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) program for the past six years.

“My family has lived on the headwaters of the Susquehanna River for generations and I appreciate how water contributes to life — how people gather at local rivers and streams to spend time together as a family, fish, gather freshwater mussels, head out on boats,” Hocker said. “I care deeply about watersheds and the dangers of pollution. I am excited to leverage my experience and knowledge of watershed management for the Center for Watershed Protection and to continue working for clean water across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for future generations.”

In Hocker’s previous role in Lancaster, she worked with all municipal departments to direct and coordinate collaborative capital improvement projects to cost-effectively achieve multiple goals such as stormwater management, smart transportation, bike access, and walkability.

She also worked with water and wastewater treatment bureaus to coordinate integrated projects, including green infrastructure and energy conservation, that offer multiple benefits to employees and customers and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and Lancaster City and County’s initiatives.

A self-proclaimed “Susquehanna River Rat,” Hocker believes the Susquehanna is the lifeblood of Pennsylvania, along with all of the other creeks and “cricks” that sustain people and their ways of life.

This upbringing inspired her to work in watershed management — with expertise in civil and environmental engineering — her entire career.

Hocker previously worked at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the Department of Environmental Protection.

She holds a Master of Engineering in Environmental Engineering from Pennsylvania State University and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering Technology from Pennsylvania College of Technology.

“The timing is perfect for Ruth to join our organization,” Kwon added. ““There is a tremendous need to increase clean water projects in Pennsylvania particularly in light of the sediment infill behind the Conowingo dam, which makes it critical to reduce even more of the pollution coming from the Susquehanna River basin.”

To combat pollution issues, the Center’s work has grown in Pennsylvania. The nonprofit is working with the EPA, a steering committee of state representatives to develop a comprehensive approach to solve these issues in a cost-effective way, and private foundations to help Pennsylvania tackle these issues.

Working on the Conowingo Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP), providing direct technical assistance to municipalities, and providing training have been some of the ways that the Center has helped to make progress in Pennsylvania. 

The Center staff possess the skillset and experience working with both regulatory bodies and organizations that implement nutrient reduction strategies and are ideally suited to tackle the complexities and challenges of working in Pennsylvania.

The Center works across the country to package applied science, watershed research, practical application, and training together into best practices for communities so they can advance watershed protection.

Ruth Ayn Hocker can be contacted by sending email to: rah@cwp.org.

For more information on programs, initiatives, assistance and educational opportunities available, visit the Center for Watershed Protection website.

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[Posted: Sept. 11, 2020]

9/14/2020