Following a nationwide search, the Lisle, Ill.-based Water Quality Association (WQA) has selected its new executive director – Dave Haataja.

Haataja brings more than 30 years of business development and operations leadership experience to WQA, a not-for-profit international organization representing the water treatment industry. With him comes in-depth knowledge of global standards, testing, inspection, certification and regulatory acceptance.

Haataja's career spans a four-year posting in Washington, D.C., working with regulatory agencies, trade associations, the Department of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative. Afterwards, he moved to South America. Over a period of almost seven years, he lived first in Argentina and then in Brazil, while building operations there.

 "I look forward to working with the WQA membership and staff as we tackle one of the most important issues facing the entire world – clean water. There are a number of very pressing issues to be addressed, including water scarcity, sustainability, regulation and demands for new technology. I am anxious to lend my experience to advancing the WQA as the number one go-to resource for members and consumers seeking information on water treatment," Haataja says.

 Prior to joining WQA, he was the vice president for North America Operations for Consumer and Health Sciences at Underwriters Laboratories.

"Dave is the leader we need as our industry faces some of its biggest challenges and opportunities," WQA president Dar Watts says. "Pete Censky and the staff of WQA brought us a long way. With Dave's leadership, we all expect to make our industry even more responsive, ethical and strong, as we offer the public what they deserve and want."