DIPRA Adds New Regional Engineers

Technical Advisors Serve Utilities in Five North American Regions

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – With a strong regional engineer program in place to provide technical advisory services to North American water utilities and their consulting engineers, the Ductile Iron Pipe Research Association (DIPRA) has added two new regional engineers and promoted a third, according to Patrick J. Hogan, president of DIPRA. 

“Our technical program is a key component of DIPRA’s mission to provide advisory services to utility managers, engineers, operators and field crews,” says Hogan. “These advisors work on-site with utility personnel to provide industry updates, offer insights on best practices, and aid in resolving issues.”

Advisor Updates

DIPRA announces that Josh Blount, P.E., was recently promoted to Senior Regional Engineer. He serves DIPRA’s Region 3, the western and midwestern states. Blount joined DIPRA in 2015 as a staff engineer and project manager. His earlier experience includes work at the North Carolina Department of Transportation on the engineering training program, inspecting and recording work performed by contractors on projects, and working with government officials on both state and private road applications and specifications. Blount has a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from North Carolina State University.

Jeffrey Butters will serve DIPRA’s Region 4 – the southwestern states. His experience includes work for the Golden State Water Company in California as an associate water quality engineer; the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Engineering as a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit writer; and nearly nine years in the U.S. Air Force.  He has a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering from Pennsylvania State University.

Houssam (Sam) Ghosn will serve DIPRA’s Region 5 – Canada. His experience includes work for Clean Water Works in Ontario as a production engineer in the pipeline rehabilitation division; for Marathon Drilling Co., Ltd, in Ontario as a field drilling engineer; for Lebanese International University as an engineering lab instructor, and for United Machinery Trading and Services in Lebanon as a maintenance engineer. He has research experience at the Memorial University of Newfoundland, NL, Canada, where he earned a Master of Oil and Gas Engineering. Ghosn also has Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the Lebanese International University in Beirut.

About DIPRA: Founded in 1915, the Ductile Iron Pipe Research Association (DIPRA) has served as a resource and technical advisor to the water industry. DIPRA also provides representation on standards-making committees as well as technical research on a variety of applications-based topics. While DIPRA member companies have different names and locations, they share a common commitment to produce and deliver the finest quality water and wastewater pipe material in the world, Ductile Iron Pipe, and at the greatest possible value to its purchasers.

SOURCE Ductile Iron Pipe Research Association (DIPRA)