John Young is chief operating officer (COO) of American Water. Reporting directly to the chief executive officer, as COO, Young has direct responsibility for company-wide operations and delivery of financial and operating performance, while establishing a balance between the company’s immediate business goals and long-term vision. He is additionally responsible for all activities related to the Company’s National Customer Service Center and Process Performance.
Young previously served as vice president of Operations and Investment Performance. The responsibilities of that role, which continue to remain under his leadership, include identifying and implementing operational improvements; managing the company’s capital program; and directing risk management in the areas of health and safety, security and event management. Additional responsibilities are environmental compliance and stewardship, engineering, research and technology, and assessment of commercial and growth initiatives.
Young began his career with American Water in 1977 and has held a variety of operations, engineering and executive positions, including vice president of Engineering and vice president of Technical Services.
Young is an active member of several professional organizations, including the Design/Build Institute of America (Board Member), the American Water Works Association (Board Member, Section Chair and Fuller Awardee), and the American Society of Civil Engineers. He also serves on the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Drinking Water Advisory Council and several EPA working groups.
Young is a frequent speaker at numerous water industry conferences, nationally and internationally, presenting papers on a variety of topics pertaining to water management and technology.
A registered professional engineer in a number of states, Young holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Duke University, and an M.S. in Environmental Engineering from the University of North Carolina, where he also served as a student research and teaching assistant.