The National Ground Water Association (NGWA) has granted a Life Member Award to Richard Henkle of Garden City, Kan.

He is being honored for his special service in furthering the groundwater industry and NGWA. He will receive the award in December at the annual NGWA Groundwater Expo in Las Vegas.

Henkle began his 60-year groundwater industry career as a driller’s helper while he was in junior high school. His business, Henkle Drilling and Supply of Garden City, served a multistate region before it was purchased by Hydro-Group. He has led several groundwater delegations to Costa Rica, a nation of particular importance to him.

Henkle served as NGWA Board president in 1987, after serving the association in various capacities for many years. He attended his first NGWA annual meeting in 1956. It was then named the National Water Well Association.

He is also a founding member of the American Ground Water Trust and served on its board. He and his firm have been donors to the National Ground Water Research and Educational Foundation (NGWREF) and were long-term members of the Ground Water Institute.

NGWA is a nonprofit that supports responsible development, management and use of water resources. It’s comprised of groundwater professionals ranging from contractors to equipment manufacturers to scientists and engineers. For more information, visit www.ngwa.org.