From staff reports
Beaufort-Jasper Water & Sewer Authority (BJWSA) has named Michael Hansen as its new Chief of Engineering, according to a Dec. 18 news release.
Hansen is a licensed professional engineer with more than 22 years of experience in civil engineering. Before joining BJWSA, he served as a private engineering consultant, working for firms ranging from eight to 11,000 employees and managing capital projects valued up to $500 million.
Hansen joined the Authority in October 2023 as the Director of Engineering where he oversaw the Authority’s capital improvement, development, and construction activities. His new role will add infrastructure planning, and system design responsibilities. He will supervise a team of 40 people.
The Engineering Department has grown over the past few years as the organization strives to meet service needs spurred by regulatory changes and the area’s booming population. The Chief of Engineering position was vacated by Paul Vincent, who was promoted to the position of Deputy General Manager for Operations and Engineering in October.
“(Hansen) has proven himself as a valuable member of the BJWSA leadership team,” BJWSA General Manager Verna Arnette said in the news release. “He has demonstrated the qualities of being capable, collaborative, and competent when it comes to both technical engineering and people skills. I’ve come to depend on him and look forward to his continued service to the Authority.”
“I’m inspired by the challenge ahead for our organization, and I have confidence in my team’s ability to deliver,” Hansen said in the news release. “We’re making improvements at a faster pace than ever before. The BJWSA team is continually evolving to better serve our current and future customers through enhanced reliability, and protection of our environment and public health. I’m proud of the team we’re actively building and the level of service we provide.”
Hansen holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Southern Illinois University. He and his wife Sindy reside in the Town of Bluffton. Their daughter Olivia is a freshman at the University of South Carolina.
