Peter Ginaitt has been elected chairman of the Warwick Sewer Authority (WSA). The reorganization of the WSA board followed the appointment of a new board member, John Justo and the resignation of former chairman Aaron Guckian after nearly a decade of service. Justo’s appointment was unanimously approved by the City Council in July as the fifth member of the WSA Board.

“Peter has long been an advocate for the environment,” said Mayor Scott Avedisian. “He is a true asset to the community and I know he will continue to follow in the footsteps of his predecessor leading the Board to the best of his ability. As a former firefighter/EMT and state representative and current member of FEMA’s Regional and National Advisory Councils, Peter has worked in a variety of settings and I know his transition to chairman will be a seamless one.”

Throughout his career, Ginaitt has worked in a variety of environmental and emergency preparedness settings. In addition to his role on FEMA’s Regional and National Advisory Councils, Ginaitt currently serves as the environmental health and safety officer and emergency manager for the Rhode Island Public Transit Agency. Ginaitt was formerly on the Board of Directors of the Narragansett Bay Commission for many years.

Justo brings a new perspective to the board. As a businessman with an accounting background, he will play an important role in examining how to recoup the costs of constructing new sewers as well as other ongoing financial improvements at the WSA.

“We always strive to have a diverse group of people with different backgrounds and strengths sitting on the board for this vital City service,” said Avedisian. “John offers a new perceptive as a business owner, and we are excited to utilize his knowledge going forward.”

In addition to the new chairman, Gary Jarvis, the longest-serving member of the WSA Board, was re-elected as Secretary. As the chair of a WSA subcommittee back in 2010, Jarvis played an instrumental role in initiating changes to the way the WSA assesses its customers for the cost of constructing sewers. The other two WSA board members are Steven Sylven, P.E., who has served since 2008 and Gary Marino who was appointed in 2013.

“We have a great Board of Directors,” said WSA Executive Director Janine Burke-Wells. “They are really engaged and want to do the right things to ensure the long-term viability of the City’s sewer infrastructure. They also appreciate the environmental and economic impacts of our work which will no doubt continue with the “new” board.”

Ginaitt and Justo started in their new roles at the July 28 WSA Board meeting.