Former Board Chairman Pete McQueen

McQueen’s Love for Clayton County and CCWA Was Known to All

Morrow, Georgia – Pete McQueen’s love of Clayton County and the Clayton County Water Authority (CCWA) was known by everyone who met him as he was often heard telling others, ‘CCWA has the best employees and the best water system in the state of Georgia.’ His death on February 19, 2019 leaves the Clayton County community missing a leader who served the county with respect and dedication.

McQueen was appointed to the CCWA Board of Directors in 1997 and served as Chairman from March 2001 to November 2012. In recognition of his commitment and dedication, CCWA’s Board Room was dedicated in his honor in August 2015.

“Today is a sad day for our CCWA family. I am thankful for the privilege of getting to know Mr. McQueen and experiencing his positive influence. We will no doubt miss his smile and compassionate leadership in the community,” says CCWA General Manager H. Bernard Franks. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Gwen and the rest of their family.”

McQueen led the Water Authority through its Water Resources Initiative 2000, the most aggressive ten- year master plan in the Water Authority’s history designed to upgrade and expand all water reclamation facilities; transitioning from spray irrigation to constructed treatment wetlands; implementation of a unified stormwater utility and completion of a $10 million meter replacement project.

During McQueen’s leadership, the Water Authority’s fiscally conservative approach enabled it to use a ‘pay as you go’ approach to fund capital improvement projects while saving more than $7 million in future bond debt payments and having its bond rating increased from AA to AA+. This approach allowed rates to remain lower than most in the metro Atlanta area.

He was extremely proud of CCWA being named Clayton County Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year in 2010, earning the WateReuse Award of Merit and being designated one of the country’s ‘Top Water Wise’ communities by American Rivers.

CCWA Board Chair John Chafin had the pleasure and honor of serving with McQueen on the Board of Directors.

“The life and times of Pete McQueen are filled not with sadness or regret, but as a man who enjoyed life and was always ready with a good joke,” adds Chafin. “He was a great leader and led the Water Authority through progressive times and furthered the reputation and quality of the Clayton County Water Authority,” adds Chafin. “Pete McQueen had a love for people and served the citizens of Clayton County with respect and dedication. He will be sorely missed.”
Retired General Manager P. Michael Thomas was promoted to General Manager in 2006 under McQueen’s leadership.

“Mr. McQueen’s wisdom and knowledge of the community was invaluable to me as a new General Manager. He was a great mentor. He had the ability to be an encourager but to also guide us away from doing something that might not be the best for the community,” Thomas adds.