Making a Splash

Brady Benson

AquaMedix Minneapolis, Minnesota

What prompted you to start volunteering with AWT?

When I first met Al Bassett, CWT, he suggested that the best way to take advantage of being part of AWT was to volunteer. Because I was so busy with our business at the time, I was not able to volunteer, but I always kept the idea in mind. So, a few years later, after one of the Learning Lounges at the AWT conference put on by the Special Committee, I approached Gary to see if I could help out. Al was right.

What has been the most rewarding thing about volunteering?

Getting to better know the people I work with on the project and seeing members utilizing the work we've done has been very rewarding. It is also an opportunity for me to give back to an organization that is helping me and my company. The best part of each committee meeting is catching up on what's going on with the other committees and other work AWT is doing; yes, the stuff that I didn't read about in an email someone worked so hard to put together.

How has volunteering improved your professional career?

My business is primarily focused on the filtration of water in domestic systems to control waterborne pathogens such as Legionella. This is only one small niche of what water treaters do. While working with other volunteers, I have learned what AWT members need to know about our filtration systems to meet the needs of their customers. In other words, how to KISS (keep it simple &^$*) and provide detailed expertise when needed. I have also learned more about the area of Water Treatment. Volunteering has definitely helped me and AquaMedix.

Why would you encourage others to become a volunteer?

I have found that I learned more working on a project then I ever would simply by reading the results, watching a presentation, or implementing the project. You will also see how your business ties into what other people are doing and how to collaborate and/or work together on business opportunities. It isn't just networking; It's putting everyone's expertise together. If you have a problem or an issue, someone on the committee will always have a solution or know who to talk to get the right answer.

Tell us about a current project you or your committee is working on?

Currently, we are working on putting together a list of the personal protection equipment (PPE) water treaters need to be safe and take care of themselves. It's such a simple thing, but there's no reference guide, SOP, or specific training already in place on it, and it can look like a lot of work to set it up.

What is a past project that your committee produced that you feel has had the greatest impact on AWT and why?

A lot of the work we do comes from requests of other committees or groups that need help with something they're working on. There's not necessarily a big impact on any specific project the committee works on as much as a lot of little things that help out the organization as a whole. You can see the impact for instance during a training program that has content that our committee provided to someone else to use.

How have you been able to utilize the expanded business connections you’ve made while volunteering?

I touched on this earlier; the networking we do is fantastic. If I don't have the time to work on a big project, I just let them know, but I also stay in contact with the rest of the committee and attend the conference calls. Inevitably, I might be able to answer a question during the call that the rest of the committee is working on, or another member brings up something that I end up being able to use right away. I want to say that it's always fun.