Ed Gerak, August 2010, Mover
Posted on 17. Aug, 2010 by trish in West Valley 24
As general manager of Buckeye Water Conservation & Drainage District, Ed Gerak oversees the overall business of a 22,000 irrigation district with the power of drainage. The BWCDD supplies irrigation water and power to assist agricultural projects within the district boundaries. It also provides a variety of services such as flood irrigation to homes and construction water to contractors in the area. Under Gerak’s leadership, BWCDD has placed an emphasis on eco-friendliness. He spearheaded the organization’s use of hydroelectricity – utilizing energy captured from the flow of water. “We were the first commercial installation of a new hydro-electric engine,” said Gerak. “The significance is that we completed most of the work ourselves, which required some culture change. The crew was used to more of a maintenance role instead of capital improvement. We have since built on these early successes and tackled other projects.” Gerak has hosted interested visitors from a variety of industries and countries to see how BWCDD has implemented hydroelectric technology. Despite impressive career achievements, Gerak makes his family and faith his top priorities. He and his wife Amy have 3 year-old twins, Moses and Lancey. “My personal goal is to spend quality time with my family,” he says. “I was in a Fortune 300 company for eight years and saw marriages and families suffer and fail because people placed their jobs ahead of their families. That kind of culture is consuming, and I am glad to be out of it.” Gerak also manages to find time to be active in the West Valley community. He is in the current class at Leadership West, resides on the board at Westmarc as well as several industry organizations, and he volunteers at his church. His associations in the region have made a strong impression on him. “Through Westmarc and Leadership West, I have been exposed to multiple examples of regional cooperation and have been inspired by how the West Valley communities often are tackling these projects for the greater good of the region,” Gerak says.
Years in West Valley? 8
Name a project in which you took a leadership role in that you are particularly proud of and why? We were the first commercial installation of a new hydroelectric engine. The significance is that we completed most of the work ourselves, which required some culture change.
Favorite quote: Jeremiah 9:23-24, it’s on my wall in my office.
What are your favorite books? The Bible and Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
What are your favorite musical groups? Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd
What you miss most? My family back in Michigan
What’s your biggest inspiration and why? The Holy Spirit, because I’ve committed my life to Christ.
What is your favorite cause? Habitat for Humanity
Most overrated virtue: Tact
What’s your nickname? Phys Ed
One phrase you wish people wouldn’t say: “That’s the way we’ve always done it.”
What’s your favorite food? Southern comfort food
What is your biggest pet peeve? Being interrupted while speaking
What would you choose to do, career wise, if you weren’t in your current career? Food and Travel Journalist
Something about you that perhaps the average person wouldn’t know? I do most of the cooking in my family. Cooking and landscaping are my two creative outlets.
What originally drew you to the West Valley? My wife, she is a native of Buckeye.
How did you get into your current career field? We relocated back to Phoenix after the kids were born, and I was approached by a family friend to see if I would be interested in taking over when he retired in a year.
What is the secret to your success? The biggest secret to my success is having a loving and supportive family. This includes my parents, sister, wife and wife’s parents. Another reason for my success is having a great team at BWCDD that can accomplish anything we ask of them.
Who was an influence in your life/career, and how did they affect what you do? My family. My dad taught me how to work hard and modeled a steely resolve, and my mom modeled a compassion and generosity, not only for our family but for others. They also taught me to be a life-long learner.
What do you see as the biggest challenges facing the West Valley, and how does what you do help ease those challenges? The biggest challenge that the WV faces is to shift away from being a group of
bedroom communities via the creation of skilled labor jobs. Secondary to that would be the preservation of open space and agriculture as the West Valley develops.
