Annual Meeting

57th Annual Meeting of Customers
Wednesday, March 13, 2024
Hanover Reserve
1905 Millville Oxford Rd
Hamilton, OH  45013

6:00 PM Dinner
7:00 PM Business Meeting 
Entertainment Provided by DeJaVu, Cincinnati's 60s Band
Door Prizes

(There is no cost to attend the business meeting.)

Tickets to the pre-meeting dinner are available at $15.00 each.  Dinner will be buffet style, which includes: Roast Beef in Gravy, Chicken in White Wine Sauce, Tossed Salad, Roasted Vegetables and Parsley Potatoes.  Please call your reservation to 513-896-3341 or e-mail fackeydr@swwater.org. Tickets will be charged to your account. Due to limited seating, only two (2) tickets per customer are available until March 6, 2024.  After that date, additional tickets may be purchased while they last.

Customers may vote either in person at the Annual Meeting or via absentee ballot.  Absentee Ballots are sent to owners of active accounts in good standing via mail.  If you choose to vote with an absentee ballot, please keep the following in mind.  We are unable to accept ballots that are unsealed or unsigned. Mail-in ballots must be received in the “Ballot Enclosed” envelope at our office no later than March 11, 2024.  DO NOT MAIL YOUR WATER BILL WITH YOUR BALLOT.

AGENDA
Call to Order

Approval of previously unapproved minutes
Management Reports
Unfinished Business
New Business
Election of Trustees (3)
Adjournment


Candidate Information

CHAD CHENOWETH: Bio: Mr. Chenoweth is a Hanover Township resident and graduate of Talawanda High School and the University of Kentucky.  He is married to Kelli (Adams) Chenoweth, a lifelong resident of Hanover Township.  They have two children, Lilly and Finn.  Mr. Chenoweth commissioned as an Army Infantry Officer immediately after college, serving 11 years on Active Duty with three total deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. Mr. Chenoweth continues service in the Army Reserves, holding the current rank of Lieutenant Colonel.  Mr. Chenoweth owns LJ Stone Buildings, LLC. in Trenton, OH and works as a Purchasing Manager for Premier Portable Buildings.  Mr. Chenoweth serves as the board Secretary, and serves in the community as the Administrative Council Chair at Grace United Methodist Church in Hamilton.  Mr. Chenoweth enjoys time at the gym with his son, watching his daughter perform as a competition dancer, and as much time outdoors hunting and fishing as possible.
Personal Statement: As a member of the board of trustees and board secretary for the last several years, I have appreciated and valued being a part of such an important organization for our local community.  Our current board members have done an amazing job helping guide the decision-making process and way ahead for this District’s most valuable asset; our water.  From board specific training with our General Manager and staff, to collective regional and national water conferences I feel I have gained and will continue to gain the additional knowledge necessary to be a great board member moving forward.

JOHN COCHRAN: Bio: John is a Hanover Township resident and has been a District customer for twenty-two years. Married to Angela for twenty-three years with two children: Jacob, a student at Hocking College, and Ben, a Senior at Ross High School. John has resided in Hanover Township for most of his life and currently resides on his family’s farm which they have owned since the 1800’s. John graduated from Talawanda High School and has a Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics and Statistics from Miami University. John is currently a Parole Services Supervisor with the State of Ohio with over twenty-eight years of service as a public employee. John was active as a coach for his children when they participated in youth sports and supported his children in their 4-H and FFA projects at the Butler County Fair.
Personal Statement: John looks forward to the opportunity to further serving his community as a Trustee. John feels it is important to ensure the community has a safe and affordable water supply now and in the future.

DOUGLAS B. DRAKE: Bio: Mr. Drake was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2015 and is in his third year as Board President. He is an Oxford Township resident for 37 years and a life-long resident of Butler County. He is the owner/co-founder at Shademakers Nursery & Landscape since 1991 with a Nursery on the family farm and a Garden Center in Oxford. Mr. Drake graduated from Talawanda High School in 1986; Received his bachelor’s degree in Agriculture from Eastern Kentucky University in 1990 in horticulture and landscape design. He is Past President of the EKU Horticulture Club; Past Chair of the Church Leadership Team, and 8 years on the Board of Trustees at the Oxford United Methodist Church. He has served as Past Committee Chair for Boy Scout Troop 930 and coached Youth Softball for 12 years. Mr. Drake is deeply involved in the community with sponsorships and outreach programs through Shademakers.  
Personal Statement: I would like to continue serving as Trustee for Southwest Regional Water District. In my 3 years as Board President, I have had the pleasure to work with a group of Trustees and staff that is second to none in the water industry. We have collaborated through uncertain times to deliver safe, reliable, quality water to our customers. Government regulations and the economy can change quickly; we must have strong leadership to stay ahead of those demands. SWRWD has been a model for Rural Water systems in Ohio, and I hope to continue to be a part of this organization.

CLARK KELLY: Bio: After 31 years in the military and 17 military moves, Mr. Kelly and his wife were looking for a friendly community with four seasons. Butler County fit the bill perfectly. After six months living in Hanover Township, they knew that Southwest Ohio was the perfect place to start the second phase of their lives. When Mr. Kelly retired from the Air Force in 2010, he went to work for Miami University and is currently an Assistant Dean in the College of Engineering and Computing.  Mr. Kelly announced his intent to resign from his position at Miami this past June and is leaving the University June 30th, 2024.  Mr. Kelly is looking forward to having time to get even more active in the Butler County community.  Clark and his wife have two adult children and 5 grandchildren split between New York and Virginia but all of them call Hanover Township heaven.
Personal Statement: It is an honor to serve the community as a member of the Southwest Regional Water District (SWRWD) Board of Trustees (BOT). During my first three years on the BOT I witnessed the professionalism of our SWRWD staff and management.  The work they do to keep clean water flowing into our homes is critical and they do an outstanding job.  If elected to a second term on the BOT, it is my intent to assist and provide oversight to our SWRWD General Manager to ensure we maintain our critical infrastructure in top condition and retain our outstanding SWRWD workforce.

DEBORAH J. LACEY: Bio: Deborah has been a Hanover Township resident for twenty-nine years. She graduated from Taft High School and attended Hamilton Miami University. She’s been married to Dale for twenty-eight years with one son and daughter-in-law and 1 granddaughter whom live and help on their family farms. Deborah was employed at Champion International Papers for twenty-seven years, then for the Butler County Coroner’s office for fourteen years. She continues to work in a part-time capacity for the Coroner’s office. In 2014 she achieved certification for The American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators. Deborah also served on the Hanover Township Fire Department with Fire/EMT certification. If elected she looks forward to utilizing her past experience as a public servant to become a stronger asset to the community.
Personal Statement: Deborah would like to serve as a Southwest Regional Water District Trustee to continue her involvement in the community after retiring from full-time public service. She is interested in the development of the future needs of our community and how we can progress with clean, safe, good-tasting drinking water at a reasonable price. The hydrant system is a very important requirement for our rural area fire departments. She believes the Board of Trustees should focus on continuing to provide excellent customer service and high-quality water, while keeping rates affordable. She knows this can be accomplished with knowledgeable staff.


Finance Report