Rick Meleski, who graduated from Kurn Hattin Homes in 1975, is today the superintendent of the wastewater treatment facility and the water department for the town of Winchester, New Hampshire. In many ways, the path he’s been on for decades, and the success he’s achieved, started at the Homes.
Since beginning his career at the water department in 2005, he has earned numerous kudos for his outstanding work. In 2013, Rick was awarded the Source Water Protection and Source Water Sustainability Award from New Hampshire’s Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) Drinking Water and Groundwater Bureau for providing “a pioneering example of how public water systems can better conserve groundwater resources in New Hampshire.” In 2018, Rick was named Operator of the Year by the Granite State Rural Water Association. That same year, under Rick’s leadership, the Winchester wastewater treatment facility was selected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to receive a Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant Excellence Award.
I believe that you can always move forward and improve yourself,.Always keep trying, always keep learning, and always keep up with technology and the growth of your chosen area. There’s always something new to learn, and you’re never too old to learn it.
Rick also deserves accolades for converting the wastewater facility to a completely solar-powered operation. Still, he doesn’t take all the credit. Rick says Winchester residents provided a great deal of support during the conversion project. Currently, not only does the array of on-site solar panels reduce the plant’s carbon footprint and make a positive impact on the environment, it generates enough power to operate the facility and eliminate electric bills.
Continually focused on making a positive impact, Rick’s strong work ethic drives him to do the best he can every day and always reach for more. “I believe that you can always move forward and improve yourself,” he says. “Always keep trying, always keep learning, and always keep up with technology and the growth of your chosen area. There’s always something new to learn, and you’re never too old to learn it.”
Rick attributes this philosophy to his family and to the lessons he learned as a boy living at Kurn Hattin, along with his sister Joy (see her story on page 22). He worked on the Kurn Hattin farm where he learned that there’s virtually nothing that can’t be fixed or repaired. He also learned not to rest on his laurels and to keep his eyes open to anticipate future needs.
His interest in water and water quality also began at Kurn Hattin. As Rick was often tasked with testing the water quality by the brook, he learned about the basic chlorination process and developed an appreciation for the importance of clean water. After graduating from Kurn Hattin, Rick went on to Vermont Academy in Saxtons River, Vermont, and then to Berlin Regional Vocation Technical Career & Technical Center and Plymouth State College in New Hampshire to pursue studies in water and wastewater.
When Rick is asked about his professional track record and his definition of success, he humbly explains that it’s all about paying it forward. Just as his parents and his mentors at Kurn Hattin instilled this attitude in him, Rick is instilling it in his son, Ricky, who also works at the Winchester facility.
Rick adheres to the belief that the earth, the air, the land, and the water were not an inheritance from our forefathers, but a loan from our children.
In the future, when he’s ready, he won’t be handing over the department and the water supply to the Winchester residents as good as it was, he’ll be handing it over much better than the way he found it. In fact, when asked what success means to him, Rick says, “It’s all about leaving things better than they were.”
