This quarter, we will take a look at Benton County representative David Short, who has been serving on the board of directors longer than any other current member. He has been serving since 2002.
Why did you initially want to serve on the BWD board?
In 2002, Ernie Lawrence, former mayor of Bentonville and a civic leader, passed away unexpectedly. His death left a vacancy on the BWD board, and I was asked to consider filling his unexpired term. At that time, I knew very little about BWD, but I knew Ernie very well, and I knew Clayton Little, who was on the original BWD board. Both of these men were key leaders in the area and very well-respected. I knew that if they were involved with BWD, it had to be worthwhile. Serving on the board these past 24 years has helped me to appreciate just how important BWD is to the success of Northwest Arkansas and to its growth.
“Providing adequate drinking water for a fast-growing area like Northwest Arkansas could never have been possible without a regional approach.” —David Short
What has been most fulfilling to you personally about being on the board?
There are two areas that make me proud to be a BWD Board member. First is the regional focus of the board that began when BWD was first formed and continues to this day. Providing adequate drinking water for a fast-growing area like Northwest Arkansas could never have been possible without a regional approach. When the four customer cities come together, so much more can be accomplished than when they operate independently.
Second, I am so proud of the commitment that BWD makes to protecting the watershed. John Lewis, former chair of BWD, was a strong advocate of this, and it has now become a part of who we are. Spending money to protect the watershed means that we spend less money to treat the water, and we improve the overall quality of Beaver Lake … a win-win situation.
Is there something that has really surprised you about the water treatment process that you didn’t know you would have to deal with as a board member?
Since I’m not an engineer and have no background in water treatment, literally everything about the process was new to me. Fortunately, the BWD staff does an excellent job of educating the board about the water treatment process and the challenges they face. In addition, we are regularly exposed to many on the BWD team. What I have learned is that there is an incredible group of people at BWD armed with years of experience and strong work ethics. As a board member, I don’t have to know how to treat the water, I just need to know how we can continue to support the people who work there to provide Northwest Arkansas with an adequate supply of clean, affordable water.