MABA celebrates 2025 Biosolids Champions!

MABA is proud to share highlights from the third annual MABA recognition awards ceremony. These awards helped to celebrate individuals in the biosolids community who exemplify the role of a champion for the wastewater and biosolids sector. The award winners have demonstrated commitment, ingenuity, leadership and service to MABA, to the biosolids profession, and to the community at large.  

Nick joined the Material Matters team in the summer of 2021. Nick came to the team to support in leading biosolids master planning work – supporting clients with making an informed decision on multi-million dollar technology investments, by making sure the final biosolids product was of the best quality for the local market.  

He jumped into his role feet first and has never looked back – his curiosity allows him to uncover the intricacies of biosolids management – the regulatory hurdles, public perception, and biosolids characteristics that inform how, where, and who can use these products in a responsible manner. He has unraveled regulations surrounding biosolids management in over a dozen states – connecting all of the regulatory pathways associated with managing the wide array of biosolids products.  

Nick proactively looks for solutions to problems and craves to learn more about biosolids management – and relaying detailed, unique information to clients to help make informed decisions. 

He is an active member of the MABA PFAS Focus Group, Communications Committee and Reg-Leg Committee. Nick embodies the definition of a Biosolids Young Professional Champion.

Stephanie’s contributions over more than two decades have not only transformed how utilities approach biosolids processing, but have also inspired a shift in the way our industry views sustainability, public engagement, and technical excellence.  

Few professionals demonstrate the level of dedication that Stephanie brings to every project, client, and challenge. With more than 21 years in the industry, and over a decade serving Mid-Atlantic utilities, she has become a cornerstone of biosolids planning and delivery in our region. Her work is driven not by routine, but by an enduring passion for improving public health, environmental outcomes, and operational resilience. 

Stephanie leads with vision, precision, and empathy. She is at the forefront of next-generation infrastructure planning. She is a visionary engineer, a steady and trusted leader, and a servant to the mission of improving environmental infrastructure for future generations. 

Stephanie is a leading force on the MABA Programming Committee and MABA Board.  She is not only a seasoned expert in the field—she is a trailblazer who has redefined what it means to lead, innovate, and serve in the biosolids profession.

Chris Peot is an exemplary leader in the field of biosolids, consistently championing our industry even when it means going against the grain or putting himself in the hotseat, and has consistently done so across his career both as head of resource recovery for DC Water and now also as interim President of Blue Drop, overseeing Bloom. 

His leadership and ingenuity are both behind Bloom's success, standing up the first CAMBI system in North America that has now been replicated by many others. 

Chris cares deeply on a personal level about our work and connecting the public with it in ways large and small, including building and sustaining a greenhouse at Blue Plains that grows seedlings for school and community gardens using biosolids. His enthusiasm and earnest care for this work is infectious. 

Rather than the model of "flush and forget," Chris is constantly introducing others to his refrain of "no waste, only wasted resources" and "treating biosolids as the asset it is." Chris' approachable way of speaking to stakeholders at every level, patiently listening to their concerns, and finding ways to turn adversaries into allies is the kind of leadership this industry needs now. 

He's an eternal optimist with a "get things done" attitude that makes the impossible possible. As a leader of people as well as projects, he hires passionate, capable employees who believe in his vision and mission of the "beauty of biosolids", and then empowers them to do their best work and generate ideas without micromanaging their methods, and always making sure to give credit where credit is due. 

Chris has also been instrumental in MABA’s work from its inception to present day, and is now mentoring the MABA volunteers and leaders of the future.