Get to know: Nathan Qualls
Incoming executive director, NEW Water
In Northeast Wisconsin, a region known for its abundant water resources, it’s easy to take things like running a load of laundry or flushing the toilet for granted. But Nathan Qualls, who will become NEW Water’s executive director Dec. 23, understands the heavy lift that is treating millions of gallons of wastewater daily.
“We use water every day, constantly. We rely on it so much,” the Waukesha native says. “When people get an opportunity to see our facilities — the size, the scale, the level of complexity, the amount of science and technology that goes into it — they are like, ‘Wow, I didn’t realize it took that much.’”
NEW Water, the brand of the Green Bay Metropolitan Sewerage District, is a wholesale provider of wastewater treatment and conveyance services to 15 municipal customers, serving approximately 238,000 residents throughout a 285-square-mile area. On average, the utility treats 41 million gallons a day between two facilities in Green Bay and De Pere.
Starting next month, Qualls will be leading the water resource utility, which employs about 100 people. Qualls moved to Northeast Wisconsin in 2000, shortly after graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering. He started with NEW Water in 2008 as a staff engineer before being promoted to director of technical services in 2013.
Under the leadership of his predecessor, Thomas Sigmund, Qualls has been involved in several key projects at NEW Water. He points to the Resource Recovery & Electrical Energy (R2E2) project, which recovers heat and converts wastewater into electricity at the Green Bay facility.
“That was our largest construction project, and it really changed the way that we treat wastewater as a resource,” he says. “We’re now able to harness the energy that is inherent within the wastewater itself. We can generate about 40% of our own electricity and use that on site.”
Qualls says NEW Water’s work is not only critical to public health and the natural environment, but it also lays the solid foundation for business activity in the area.
“We’re here to support economic development and ensure that our community and businesses can continue to grow,” he says, “and make sure that wastewater services aren’t a barrier to that.”
Manufacturing on the move
Lakeshore College debuted its mobile manufacturing lab — a state-of-the-art, self-contained training space that provides hands-on manufacturing-focused training. The lab was funded by a $1.64 million Workforce Innovation Grant to address pandemic-exacerbated critical labor shortages. “With manufacturing serving as the largest industry sector in our community, we understand how critical it is for Lakeshore College to not only provide the workforce education and training employers need to succeed but also to make it accessible,” said President Paul Carlsen. Lakeshore College provides instructors and delivers the mobile lab to an organization’s desired location. Individuals trained in the lab can become certified in 15 industry-relevant skills in welding, quality assurance, computer numerically controlled machine tooling and electro-mechanical systems.
Pitch perfect
New North, Inc. and 12 of its local partners will hold six local pitch events during Startup WI Week, Nov. 11-15. The local and regional entrepreneurial pitch contests are supported by the NEW Launch Alliance of New North, Inc. and WBD Inc. The top two winners from each local contest will receive prize money, with the top winners advancing to the NEW Launch Alliance Pitch Event on Wednesday, Dec. 4 at TitletownTech in Green Bay, where they will compete for additional funding for their business ideas and broad investor attention. Prize money at the regional event is $2,000 for first place, $1,000 for second place and $500 for third place. “New North believes that a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem is vital to the success of our regional economy,” said Barb LaMue, president and CEO of New North, Inc.
Spotlight on Sheboygan
Sheboygan hosted attendees of the annual Midwest Travel Network Writers Workshop, who gathered at Blue Harbor Resort Oct. 8-11. The group of 11 travel
writers visited area restaurants, outdoor recreation and attractions in the Sheboygan area. The workshop was led by Emmy-winning author and content creator Theresa L. Goodrich, who runs the travel blog thelocaltourist.com. Workshop participants will use their experiences in Sheboygan to create stories and multimedia content showcasing the area. Midwest Travel Network Co-Founder Sara Broers said the writers workshop helps attendees improve their craft while spotlighting their destination to increase tourism.
