Rob Linke is the new water resources engineer for the Kane County Division of Environmental & Water Resources.

Cecilia Govrik is the new resource management coordinator for the Kane County Division of Environmental & Water Resources.

The hiring of two new employees in the Kane County Division of Environmental & Water Resources might not make a headline that grabs you out of your seat, but the hiring of these two probably should.

Because the work Cecilia Govrik and Rob Linke do in the coming years will impact the quality of the water you drink, the floodplains around your home and the streams and rivers that make Kane County such a beautiful place to live, work and play.

Govrik was hired in April as a resource management coordinator for the Environmental Division, replacing Karen Kosky, who went on to a job with Argonne National Laboratory. Linke was hired in May as a water resources engineer with the Water Resource Division, in the wake of the retirement of Paul Schuch, the near-legendary director who literally wrote the book on Kane County’s stormwater management.

These hires continue the division’s efforts to save taxpayers’ money and provide the high level of services they expect, Division Director Kenneth Anderson said.

“These two staff members bring their respective talents and experiences to enhance the county’s abilities to serve the public and protect the natural resources of Kane County,” Anderson said. “We look forward to the difference they will make.”

Govrik will be responsible for implementing the Kane County Operational Sustainability Plan, a coordinated strategy that focuses on protecting the triple bottom line — the environmental, social and economic aspects of division operations.

“As a Kane County resident, I’m invested in seeing the Sustainability Plan carried out to protect our local resources and make wise use of taxpayer dollars,” Govrik said. “And implementing the energy and water conservation measures in this plan over the next five years will have a positive and lasting impact on our natural resources, while reducing county operational costs.”

Govrik earned a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota, and a master of science degree in Environmental Policy & Management from the University of Denver. She has more than 10 years’ experience managing environmental projects for nonprofit organizations and government agencies.

Linke brings 19 years of consulting engineering experience to the county, and is both a licensed professional engineer and certified floodplain manager. His expertise in stormwater and floodplain management, watershed planning, green infrastructure design and stream and river restoration will be used in a number of programs and services the division provides to the citizens of Kane County.

The Kane County Division of Environmental & Water Resources serves the citizens of Kane County by enforcing county ordinances and developing sustainable policies and procedures.

“The county’s water resources serve as the backbone of our region’s natural environment,” Linke said. “We depend on those resources for the water we drink, for disposal of our wastewater and stormwater, as well as recreational opportunities such as paddling and fishing. I’m looking forward to serving the public by working with residents and officials to solve existing drainage issues while protecting the water resources that we all depend upon.”
SOURCE: Kane County Division of Environmental & Water Resources Department