After 28 years of service, Hopkinsville Water Environment Authority (HWEA) President & CEO Derrick Watson will retire on December 31.
Watson has served in multiple leadership roles since joining HWEA, including Director of Technical Services, Director of Operations, Assistant General Manager, and General Manager. Under his leadership, HWEA produced more than 62 billion gallons of drinking water and 46 billion gallons of clean water, earning numerous state and national safety and water quality awards.
He oversaw more than $250 million in infrastructure projects, including the Lake Barkley Raw Water Intake and Transmission project, the McKenzie T. Moss Drinking Water Plant expansion, the Southpark Industrial Park Natural Gas project, and the Hopkinsville Clean Water Expansion and Renovation project.
Beyond his work with HWEA, Watson has been active in the community, serving on boards with the YMCA, United Way of the Pennyrile, Jennie Stuart Health, and several local development and housing organizations.
Watson expressed gratitude to HWEA employees, the board of commissioners, and the community, saying his accomplishments were the result of teamwork.
He is married to former NewsChannel 5 morning anchor Amy Watson, and together they have three adult children and three grandsons. Following retirement, Watson plans to spend more time with family, travel, and pursue music and songwriting.
For more information, contact HWEA at 270-887-4246 or dwatson@hwea-ky.com.
