On behalf of the Stewards, Board and our staff, I want to thank Steve Raabe for his tremendous gift to WSA- the gift of time, leadership and passion. Steve has been one of the most important mentors to me- not only has he taught me everything I know about behavior change (a skill that has not yet worked on my husband, so clearly I still have more to learn), but also about leadership and bringing people together.

Steve often talks about WSA’s “secret sauce” that special blend of physical restoration science with social science and community engagement. As I reflect on Steve and what he has brought WSA, I can tell you that Steve has a little secret sauce of his own. First, when you are with Steve, your glass is ALWAYS half full. No problem is insurmountable, and there is no issue that can’t be turned into an opportunity. When it's raining, there is always a blue sky with Steve.

The second part of Steve’s secret sauce is his humility. Whenever someone vehemently disagrees with him, or is visibly upset, Steve’s response is ALWAYS “Tell me more about that, I want to understand.” Steve is never defensive or dismissive. This has served him and WSA so well over the last 9 years as he has brought together many diverse voices and deftly navigated some challenging situations. I have learned so much riding alongside Steve.

The last ingredient in Steve’s secret sauce is commitment. Steve is honestly the busiest person I know, and he ALWAYS has time for me and for WSA. Whether it was mentoring me through leadership development or steering the Board through a difficult issue, Steve always makes the time for the causes he is committed to, and he urges others to do the same. I don’t know too many people who can say “no” to Steve because his answer is always “yes” when others need him.

Steve, thank you so much for nine years of dedicated service as the chair of the WSA Board.

Cheers to clean water,

Suzanne