Draft:Jeff Gerken
H2GO commissioner and chairman (born 1949)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jeffrey David Gerken (born August 4, 1949) is an American public official who served as a commissioner and chairman of the Brunswick Regional Water and Sewer H2GO utility district in Brunswick County, North Carolina.[1] He was elected to the H2GO Board of Commissioners in 2015 and later served as chairman from 2017 to 2019. During his tenure, Gerken opposed a proposed reverse osmosis water treatment plant intended to serve the Leland area in North Carolina. The proposal became the subject of extensive regional political debate and litigation.
August 4, 1949
Jeff Gerken | |
|---|---|
| Chairman of Brunswick Regional Water and Sewer H2GO | |
| In office 2017–2019 | |
| Commissioner, Brunswick Regional Water and Sewer H2GO | |
| In office 2015–2019 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Jeffrey David Gerken August 4, 1949 Logan, Ohio, U.S. |
| Spouse | June Gerken |
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Gerken was elected as commissioner for Brunswick Regional Water and Sewer H2GO in the 2015 election as a political newcomer alongside Trudy Trombley. Gerken won one of two open seats on a platform opposing a proposed reverse osmosis plant. In 2017, he was appointed chairman of the H2GO Board of Commissioners. Gerken lost his seat in the November 2019 general election to challengers Steve Hosmer and Barry Laub.[2]
Early Life and Education
Jeff Gerken was born in Logan, Ohio, U.S. on August 4, 1949.
Gerken graduated from Harvard University in 1971 and has a Bachelor of Arts in chemistry.[3] He later earned a master's degree in industrial engineering from Ohio University. Prior to entering politics, Gerken worked for approximately 35 years in scientific and engineering leadership roles.[2]
Political Career
Gerken entered politics in 2015, running for a seat on the Brunswick Regional Water and Sewer H2GO Board of Commissioners. Running as a political newcomer alongside Trudy Trombley, he campaigned in opposition to the construction of a proposed $30-million reverse osmosis (RO) water treatment plant intended to supply drinking water from deep aquifers.[4] The issue had become one of the most prominent infrastructure debates in Brunswick County at the time.
In the November 2015 election, Gerken won one of two open seats on the H2GO Board of Commissioners. His campaign focused on halting the planned RO plant, which he and other critics argued was unnecessary and potentially costly for ratepayers.[5] After taking office, Gerken became a vocal critic of the project and of efforts to proceed with construction, arguing that purchasing treated water from regional suppliers could remain a viable and less expensive alternative.
Gerken and allied board members were involved in a series of policy disputes and legal disputes surrounding the utility. These included disagreements over the RO project’s financing and environmental permitting, the relationship between H2GO and Brunswick County utilities, and litigation involving an attempt by the H2GO board to transfer the district’s assets to the nearby town of Belville in 2017.[6]
In 2017, Gerken was appointed chairman of the H2GO Board of Commissioners. As chairman, he participated in negotiations and public discussions concerning regional water supply planning, wastewater capacity, and potential compromises over the future of the RO plant.[7] During this period he also commented on operational issues affecting wastewater treatment capacity and coordination with county utilities.[8]
In the November 2019 election, pro‑reverse osmosis plant candidates Steve Hosmer and Barry Laub won two open seats on the H2GO Board of Commissioners, defeating incumbent Jeff Gerken and shifting the majority toward supporters of the standalone project.[9] According to reporting by WECT, the outcome came after several years of contentious local politics over the RO proposal, litigation involving H2GO and neighboring towns, and competing visions for regional water supply. Gerken released a statement expressing disappointment at the results while reiterating his opposition to a standalone plant.[10]
During the 2019 election campaign, Gerken discussed the H2GO dispute and his role in opposing the reverse osmosis plant in an interview with WHQR. He argued that he and allied commissioners Bill Beer and Trudy Trombley had worked to reverse decisions made by a previous board and said he did not intend to seek elected office again after his term.[11]
Political disputes
Before the 2019 commissioner election, claims were made about Gerken by his political opponent, Steve Hosmer, who claimed that Gerken had “illegally tried to destroy partially completed H2GO wells” and that Gerken had “considered illegally selling H2GO assets.” Gerken had denied these claims but has said that they contained “no political messages.” Gerken then directed Bob Walker to assign H2GO’s spokesperson, Tyler Wittkofsky, to “lay out the true facts about the assets.”[12]
Gerken was criticized by the environmental advocacy group Clean Cape Fear, which published a Facebook post accusing him of “blocking Leland’s access to toxic-free water.” Gerken responded by describing the claims as “inflammatory statements.”[13]
In 2018, chairman Gerken and the other H2GO commissioners were given packets with photos of schoolchildren from Brunswick County Schools captioned, “Gaze on the faces of those you are hurting commissioner Gerken.” Gerken condemned the action for involving schoolchildren without consent from parents and said to “take shots” at him but not to “involve the kids.”[14]
Personal Life
Gerken moved to Leland, North Carolina with his wife, June Gerken, in 2013.[11] He has described himself as semi-retired while remaining involved in local community and public policy discussions related to water infrastructure and utility governance. He has also acted as a math and chemistry substitute teacher when other teaching positions are vacant.