Unique pipeline programs connect our people with opportunities
The history and future of Northeast Ohio are in its water resources — and those who work to protect them.
Cleveland’s story began where the Cuyahoga River meets Lake Erie, meandering through the decades like the river itself. The 1969 Cuyahoga River fire that sparked a nationwide environmental movement kindled investment in clean water, including the establishment of what would become the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District.
The river’s rebirth is due largely to the programs of the Sewer District. Ensuring its future is sustainable will be due to the Sewer District’s people — and the career pipelines they’ve activated.
Utilities across the country face a common workforce reality: retirements outnumber recruits. But the Sewer District’s innovative programs are attracting and retaining talent that serves the organization and the region. We talked to some of the employees who are part of our programs’ stories and the success they are designed to deliver.
Technical Training Programs
The Sewer District designed its own technical training programs to develop wastewater plant operators and maintenance persons on-site and on the job over time.
Lamont Murph is a Maintenance Training Program graduate which led him into his current role, a Plant Maintenance Manager leading his own crew. “Starting as an apprentice, the MTP gave me tools to grow. More importantly, it taught me to lead, solve problems, and never stop learning.”
Cameron Nickson agreed. He’s in the latest Operator Training Program program class and saw potential in the opportunity. “We get to spend time in all different plant processes,” he said, walking between two large tanks of water that reflected the cloudless sky above him. “Day shift, night shift, I want to be able to experience and learn from all of it.”
His coworker Treyvon Washington has already earned his Class I and Class II Wastewater Plant Operator licenses thanks to the Operator Training Program and has only a few final requirements remaining before his certification is complete. “I’m a science-minded guy,” he said. “So when they first started explaining the program to me, I was interested and I knew I would have help along the way. The instructors want to see all of us succeed.”
Good Neighbor Ambassador and Job Training Program
The Good Neighbor Ambassador Program began in 2015 to better connect customers with the Sewer District while opening doors for unemployed and underemployed residents. The GNA Program served individuals and communities for a decade before expanding in 2025 as the Good Neighbor Ambassador and Job Training Program, furthering its impact.
Ambassador Supervisor Galen Adams, a former Ambassador himself, says the program helped him navigate a career change. “That’s where I got my start. The GNA program introduced me to public service, helped build my skills, and surrounded me with people who believed in my potential. Now I have the honor of leading the same program that helped launch my career.”
Clean Water Fellowship
The Clean Water Fellowship was designed as an innovative approach to career development within the Sewer District’s core services while incorporating socially and economically disadvantaged criteria for applicants.
Kevin Daniel is one of those fellows, a graduate of Ohio’s largest HBCU, Central State University, now in his second year of the three-year rotational program following two summer internships.
“I love my job,” he said. “I get to work alongside knowledgeable coworkers who make learning exciting and rewarding. I’m proud to be part of something bigger than myself, protecting the environment while representing people who look like me in this essential field.”
Louis Stokes Scholarship Program
The Stokes brothers, Carl and Louis, are woven into Cleveland’s infrastructure history. From Mayor Carl Stokes who rallied for environmental awareness and federal support in 1969, to Congressman Louis Stokes who led the charge for federal investment in water and sewer infrastructure in the 1970s, their example inspired a generation of public servants.
The Louis Stokes Environmental Studies Scholarship was established to provide scholarship assistance to deserving Water Resources Management, Industrial Technology, and Environmental Engineering majors at Central State. The program helped Denise Phillips who later joined the Sewer District full-time and is now an Industrial Compliance Specialist II.
“The scholarship and internship gave me valuable hands-on experience to complete my degree. I met mentors and co-workers who genuinely cared, they guided and trained me to become successful. I believe NEORSD has the best internship program.”
ACE and STEP
Career journeys can begin early, which is why the Sewer District has invested in efforts like the ACE Mentor Program and the Student Technical Enrichment Program (STEP), focused on middle- and high-school classrooms. Offering students real-world engagements helps participants see how varied technical careers can be — and helps mentors develop new skills and relationships.
Construction Supervisor Devonte Hopson is one of those mentors. “Coming from the same city as these young people I knew very little about programs like ACE and STEP before going to Ohio University to study engineering,” he said. “I realized the great impact these programs have on helping young scholars narrow down what they’re really passionate about. The District is able to raise awareness of their presence in the region and give insight into the vast opportunities they offer.”
