DENVER, Jan. 28, 2009 — CH2M HILL OMI’s president soon will become president of Water For People, too.

Elisa M. Speranza has been elected to a two-year term as president of the nonprofit international development organization that supports sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene education projects in developing countries.

When she assumes the role in July, Speranza will chair Water For People's 31-member policy-making board, which oversees development of the strategic plan, provides guidance to the organization's staff, and raises awareness and funds for Water For People.

"Elisa truly understands the needs of the thousands of communities worldwide that do not have access to safe water supply and sanitation facilities," says Ned Breslin, acting chief executive officer of Water For People. "Her interventions at Water For People have led to dramatic programmatic changes that have improved people's lives worldwide and made us a significantly better organization. Water For People is entering a new era, and we are thrilled that Elisa will lead us during this transformative period."

As president of Water For People, Speranza also will serve on the board and executive committee of the American Water Works Association, the largest organization of water professionals in the world. She has been on the Water For People board for the past eight years and previously served two terms on the AWWA board. CH2M HILL's support of employees who wish to participate in professional, industry and volunteer organizations was one of the reasons why the company earned a 2009 Catalyst Award and a spot on Fortune’s 2009 100 Best Companies to Work For list.

"It's an honor to serve organizations with goals and values that align with CH2M HILL's and with those of many of our water and wastewater clients," Speranza says. "Our company's passionate support for Water For People demonstrates the deep commitment we've made beyond our day-to-day work to transform lives around the world."

CH2M HILL will be active with Water For People once again in 2009. National Drinking Water Week is held May 3-9 in the U.S., marking the beginning of the company's seventh annual employee giving campaign. Raising more than $180,000, CH2M HILL's 2008 campaign was the most successful workplace giving campaign in Water For People's history. With cash and in-kind contributions, CH2M HILL and its employees committed more than $220,000 to advance Water For People's work. Since Water For People needs just $29 to provide clean water or sanitation services for a person's lifetime, that equates to helping more than 7,500 people.

Clients in government and industry rely on the people of CH2M HILL OMI to provide a range of custom-tailored operations and maintenance solutions. The company's services include water and wastewater system optimization; contract O&M of water, wastewater and other utilities; and complete municipal operations, including administration, public works and community development – all backed by a commitment to safety, quality, innovation and customer service. For more information, visit www.omi.ch2mhill.com.

Employee-owned CH2M HILL is a $5 billion global firm providing engineering, construction, operations and related technical services to public and private clients. CH2M HILL has more than 25,000 employees worldwide. For more information, visit www.ch2mhill.com.