Boston, Massachusetts – United States, October 31, 2022 – The International Desalination and Reuse Association (IDRA) has announced the appointment of Antonella de Luca, (Omya, Switzerland), Daniele Strongone (American Water Chemicals, Spain) and Rory Weaver (FEDCO, UK) as co-chairs of the organization’s Young Leaders Program (YLP).

The YLP was launched in 2009 at the IDRA World Congress in Dubai to provide networking, mentoring and learning opportunities to IDRA members under 35. Since then, hundreds of desalination professionals have passed through YLP events and activities. The co-chairs are excited to build on the previous success of the YLP in bringing together young professionals for opportunities to learn and network together.All active IDRA members aged 35 or under are invited to take part in the YLP, and should contact membership@idadesal.org to register their interest.

IDRA Secretary General Shannon McCarthy stated, “We congratulate the incoming co-chairs of the IDRA YLP program and look forward to working with them to create new opportunities and exciting collaborations among our YLP members and longstanding experts in the sector.”

Antonella de Luca is the Head of Competence Center, Environmental Solutions at Omya, and is based in Switzerland. “Our main goal this term is to create a strong synergy between the IDRA targets and the young leaders’ commitment. The idea is to actively connect the leaders of tomorrow to the focused initiatives of the IDRA board, aiming for an enhanced contributions from, and professional growth for emerging desalination professionals. Teamwork makes the dream work, here we go!”

 

Daniele Strongone is the Business Manager EMEIA & APAC at American Water Chemicals, and is based in Barcelona, Spain. “During this term, I would like to make the YLP a real asset for the IDRA, becoming an arm that the Board of Directors can rely on. My key goal for this term is to increase the number of active and committed YLP members and work together to create several initiatives: from IDRA talks, to improving our social media presence, and preparing valuable sessions for each IDRA conference.”

 

Rory Weaver is Director of Marketing and Business Development at FEDCO, and is based in London, UK. “We are aiming to improve engagement in YLP activities across the board, including both virtual and in-person activities, and to build on the success of the IDRA mentoring program. These initiatives build connections between the IDRA YLP and more general membership, and can transform the careers of desalination professionals through the sharing of knowledge, contacts and experiences.

Reflecting on over a decade of YLP activity since he co-founded the initiative, H2O Innovation COO Guillaume Clairet said, “When we were brainstorming about the IDRA YLP back in my San Diego apartment in 2008 we had no idea what it would become, or whether it would make any sort of difference. It’s amazing to see that 15 years later it has become so well organized and is making such a positive impact in integrating young professionals into the global desal community!”