Past P3S Chair Theo Higgins at the 2022 P3S Conference with past chair Jennifer Peet to the left of him and past chair Shannon Simmers to the right of him. (Sal Ochoa)
Theo Higgins at the 2023 P3S Conference in Monterey
It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Theodore Higgins, a valued member of the California Water Environment Association (CWEA) community.
Theodore Higgins began his career with the City of Los Angeles LA Sanitation & Environment, Industrial Waste Management Division (IWMD) in October 2001. Over the years, he advanced to the position of Chief Environmental Compliance Inspector in IWMD’s Fats, Oil & Grease (FOG) Inspection Group, where he managed an extensive inspection program.
“Theo Higgins’ unwavering commitment and exceptional volunteerism to our industry have left an indelible mark on CWEA and the entire water environment community,” said Gilbert Barela, CWEA’s President. “His leadership, passion, and contributions will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege of working alongside him.”
Theo was a Past Chair of our Pretreatment, Pollution Prevention, and Stormwater Committee during the 2021-2022 timeframe and chaired the highly successful 2022 P3S Conference and Expo in Long Beach, the first conference back after the pandemic.
He was featured as a CWEA Emerging Leader in 2018; Pretreatment, Pollution Prevention & Stormwater (P3S) Person of the Year within the LA Basin Section in 2019; and represented LASAN on the SCAQMD Environmental Justice Inter-Agency Task Force. Theo was also an active leader for the City of LA’s internship program for engineering students from historically black colleges. Theo’s dedication and contributions to environmental protection will be remembered and honored. He will be greatly missed.
The Memorial Services for Theodore Higgins were held on August 14th at Forest Lawn in Cypress.
Stories, thoughts and memories from CWEA members about Theo…
“I truly appreciated the opportunity to collaborate with Theo on conferences. I will always remember him as a humble chair with a great sense of humor who was well liked and supported. Theo’s laugh was loud and infectious, and he added an element of fun to the conference planning meetings. Theo was enthusiastic about planning an exceptional conference that highlighted the 50th anniversary of the Clean Water Act. We had a great event and turnout that year in Long Beach after the pandemic. The P3S Community has lost a wonderful leader that will be greatly missed, and I know he’ll be with us in spirit at next year’s conference.” – Amy Lai, CWEA’s Director of Education
“Theo was so much fun to work with on CWEA events. He was kind, generous, and that smile and distinctive laugh would make you laugh as well whenever he walked into a room. I’ll miss him terribly. One of the last conversations we had was an inspiring phone call about diversity, equity, and inclusion projects within the water profession. He said he was looking forward to our continued efforts together on the HBCU internship programs. We have incredibly big shoes to fill and a big legacy to fulfill on behalf of Theo.” – Alec Mackie, CWEA’s Director of Communications and Marketing
Theo and Berlinda
“Theo! I cannot find the words. You my friend are a treasure. Thank you for being kind. Thank you for caring. Thank you for bringing your expertise to the industry. Your P3S meetings always had laughter. I can’t wait to see the dividends from your efforts of being a mentor the next generation. Rest well.” – Berlinda Blackburn, P3S Committee Past Chair, BGB Environmental
“I met him years ago when working on the P3S Conference. He was so kind and generous with a wonderful smile.” – Monica Myhill
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