Patrick Ryan

How to Adjust a Kayak so You Can Sit Comfortably

Patrick Ryan is a former assistant director of the Village of Homewood. During his time at the Village of Homewood, he leveraged his years of experience in the public works sector to oversee a range of infrastructural projects. Now the vice president of Batista Group, Patrick Ryan enjoys kayaking during his free time.

Before using a kayak, you must make adjustments to make sure that you can sit properly and comfortably. First, place the kayak on stable ground and adjust both the backrest and footpegs so that you can get in. Once seated, adjust the backrest further until your lower back forms a 90-degree angle with your legs. Your chest should point slightly forward in this position.

Next, position your feet on the footpegs. The balls of your feet should sit comfortably on the pegs, with your heels angled towards the kayak’s center and your toes pointing outward. Your knees should also bend both outwards and upwards, as this gives you the room to manipulate the thigh braces as needed. If you’re unable to get into this position when seated, you may need to adjust the footpegs further.

APWA’s C4S Committee Promotes Sustainable Infrastructure

The current vice president of Batista Group, Patrick Ryan recently held the title of assistant director of Village of Homewood in Illinois. Prior to this, he spent several years as public works director for such municipalities as Village of Lake in the Hills and the city of Berwyn. Active in the professional community, Patrick Ryan, formerly of Village of Homewood, belongs to the American Public Works Association (APWA).

A not-for-profit organization with over 30,000 members around the world, the APWA supports people working in the public works and infrastructure sectors through engagement, advocacy, and education. To this end, the organization maintains several committees and groups, including the Center for Sustainability (C4S). This committee provides public works professionals with the education, resources, and advocacy they need for the implementation of economically and environmentally responsible services and products.

The APWA board of directors established C4S after realizing that increasing material costs, decreasing local budgets, and new regulatory mandates make public works professionals’ daily jobs more difficult. Members of the committee address these challenges by establishing a framework for sustainability, developing professional development training, advocating for sustainability principles at all levels of government, and finding strategic partners to leverage resources.

C4S is also a founding partner of the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI). The ISI created a tool for rating infrastructure sustainability known as Envision.

AWWA Membership Options

A longtime Illinois resident with 35 years of experience in the public works sector, Patrick Ryan served the Village of Homewood from 2012 to 2013. As assistant director, he supervised the crew responsible for managing and operating all infrastructure for the Village of Homewood. Now the vice president of Batista Group, Patrick Ryan has experience in water infrastructure and maintains involvement with organizations including the American Water Works Association (AWWA).

The AWWA is a nonprofit educational society for water supply professionals worldwide. The association’s membership comprises 51,000 people, including those responsible for public water and wastewater systems as well as people interested in the industry. There are three AWWA membership types: for individuals, utilities, and service providers.

1. The individual membership is for municipal officers, water utility employees, engineers, students, and other professionals interested in the sector.

2. The utility membership is for companies within the industry, including water wholesalers, water and wastewater systems, and more.

3. The service provider membership is for industry manufacturers, distributors, consulting and professional service firms, government agencies, and more.

Each AWWA membership includes benefits such as access to news and information resources and networking opportunities. Industry members also have access to technical resources such as white papers.

Criteria for ISA Arborist Certification

Public works director Patrick Ryan possesses more than a decade of experience managing maintenance and operations for municipalities, including the Village of Homewood, just outside of Chicago. While serving as the assistant director for the Village of Homewood, Patrick Ryan leveraged his background as a certified arborist to ensure that the town’s trees met safety and compliance standards.

Certified arborists are tree-care professionals who have been recognized by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA). ISA credential holders must abide by an industry code of conduct and demonstrate a high level of knowledge on tree health, environmental sustainability, and landscape architecture.

Prior to taking the ISA certified arborist exam, applicants must have at least three years of direct experience in horticulture or arboriculture. This includes work experience in a garden center, landscape company, or government agency. Candidates must also hold a degree in a related field.

The ISA exam covers 10 subject areas, such as safety procedures, soil management, and tree identification. After passing the exam, certified arborists must enroll in continuing education courses to maintain their status.

A Brief Overview of the ISA’s Research Mission

Based in Lombard, Illinois, Patrick Ryan serves as the vice president of Battista Enterprises, and is the former assistant director at the Village of Homewood. In his role at the Village of Homewood, Patrick Ryan supervised a team of 27 workers and led the maintenance and operations projects at the village. Mr. Ryan also maintains membership with a range of professional organizations, including the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA).

A registered, non-profit organization, the ISA exists to promote the value of trees and the wise stewardship of them as a natural resource. As an important component of the ISA’s mission, the organization is heavily focused on conducting research and supporting technology and education that promotes the arboriculture industry.

The ISA invites industry experts from around the globe to attend research summits and conventions that provide a venue for idea exchange and knowledge sharing. The organization also works to identify gaps in research by contracting literature review projects that examine trends within the industry.

The ISA is committed to disseminating knowledge to its members and certified arborists through a range of means, including regional and yearly meetings, e-learning programs, and the organization’s Arborist News Magazine. The organization also releases Arboriculture & Urban Forestry, a bimonthly publication focused on topics relevant to urban tree care.

Staying Balanced in a Kayak

A skilled public works leader who has worked for Illinois municipalities such as Village of Homewood, City of Berwyn, and Village of Lake in the Hills, Patrick Ryan currently leads Batista Group as vice president. When he’s not busy overseeing water treatment systems and remodeling projects, former Village of Homewood public works leader Patrick Ryan enjoys kayaking.

The narrow structure of a kayak helps you move through the water easily, but it also makes balancing in the boat more difficult. If you find yourself struggling to keep your kayak upright, check your posture when sitting in it.

A good posture consisting of a straight and upright upper body is essential for staying balanced in your kayak. This sort of posture requires that you engage your core muscles so that your lower back muscles stay relaxed. Maintaining this relaxed pose helps you move through the water freely without jerking your kayak to one side or the other.

In addition to good posture, make sure you’re sitting in your kayak correctly. Ideally, place most of your body weight on your feet and the bones you need for sitting. Doing so ensures your center of gravity stays low and centered over the middle of your kayak. Meanwhile, keep your head up and scan the horizon with your eyes instead of looking down at the bow of your boat.

If you find yourself losing your balance, resist grabbing onto the sides of your kayak. Rather, use your paddle and quickly slap the surface of the water with the paddle blade. This gives you some extra support so you have time to re-balance yourself.

Tours and Workshops at ACE20 in Orlando, Florida

Patrick Ryan has held public works leadership roles in various cities and villages, including serving as assistant director for public works at the Village of Homewood in Illinois. While working at the Village of Homewood, Patrick Ryan implemented systems improvements to maximize energy efficiency. He is a member of the American Water Works Association (AWWA).

With 51,000 members, AWWA is the world’s largest water supply professionals organization committed to offering comprehensive water solutions to ensure effective water management. AWWA will be hosting its Annual Conference and Exposition on June 14-17, 2020, at the Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Florida. The activities will include programs for professionals and public officials as well as tours and workshops.

Tours include visits to the Claude H. Dyal Water Treatment Plant, the City of Cocoa; Potable Reuse Pilot, City of Altamonte Springs; Orlando Wetlands Parks; and Surface Water Treatment Plant, Tampa Bay Water. Workshop topics include Calibrating Water Distribution Systems Models, The Gamification of Asset Management, and How to Renew Your Aging Water Mains Using Proven Cost-Saving Rehabilitation Methods. Around 12,000 participants are expected at this year’s convention. For more information, visit www.awwa.org/ace.

APWA Expresses Strong Support of the ATIA

For more than one year, experienced public works professional Patrick Ryan served as assistant director at Village of Homewood. During Patrick Ryan’s tenure at Village of Homewood, he provided oversight of the maintenance of 95 miles of roadways and right-of-ways as well as 80 miles of storm sewer and stormwater collection system. He is a member of the American Public Works Association (APWA).

APWA has expressed its strong support to the introduction of a surface transportation reauthorization bill in the US Senate. The bill, otherwise known as America’s Transportation Infrastructure Act (ATIA), was sponsored by Wyoming Senator John Barrasso (R).

When enacted, the bill will authorize funds amounting to $287 billion for five years to repair and maintain the nation’s roads and bridges and keep the American economy moving. The funds will also be used to provide for improved road safety, improved resiliency to disasters, accelerated project delivery, reduced highway emissions, and economic growth. The fund will be taken from the Highway Trust Fund.

The passage of the ATIA will also avoid rescinding the $7.68 billion highway funding contract that is scheduled to commence in July 2020 under the previous surface transportation law, the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. FAST will expire by September 30, 2020.

In a statement issued by APWA executive director Scott Grayson, APWA expressed its support of the ATIA including the increase in investments that accompany the bill. APWA has also emphasized its commitment to work with the Committee on Environment and Public Works and the entire Senate and House to ensure that this very important legislation will be passed in the months to come.

Based on the Senate’s records, ATIA was placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders on August 1, 2019, after it was introduced to the Senate assembly on July 29, 2019.

Explanation of Bioremediation

The recipient of a BS in political science from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Patrick Ryan is a former public works director of City of Hyattsville in Maryland. There, he conducted routine safety inspections on equipment and systems to assure compliance with state, local, and federal standards. He is also the former assistant director of the Village of Homewood and currently serves as the vice president of the Batista Group. Among his professional accomplishments, Patrick Ryan has successfully coordinated single and multifamily housing construction, including performing infrastructure upgrades and bioremediation.

A branch of biotechnology that uses living organisms such as bacteria and microbes to remove pollutants, contaminants, and toxins from soil and water, bioremediation offers numerous benefits over other cleanup methods. Reliant on natural processes, bioremediation minimizes damage to ecosystems. Bioremediation can be practiced “in-situ,” within the site of contamination, or “ex-situ,” away from the contaminated site. Depending on the temperature, soil density, contaminant concentration, and other variables, bioremediation processes may take months or years to complete.

Because it optimizes the efficacy of the process of natural biodegradation, bioremediation improves the condition of contaminated environments. Bioaugmentation and biostimulation are the two principal approaches utilized in bioremediation.

Kayak Events at the 2020 Olympics

Kayaking Photo by Nil Castellví on Unsplash

The recipient of a master’s degree in public administration from Northern Illinois University, Patrick Ryan worked 1.5 years as assistant director at Village of Homewood, and presently serves as vice president of Batista Group in Lombard, Illinois. When he isn’t providing oversight on behalf of the independent contractor, Patrick Ryan enjoys outdoor activities like hiking and kayaking.

The first official kayak races were held in the 19th century in Great Britain, and by 1936 kayaking and canoeing were part of the Olympic Games. Kayaking is part of the canoe sprint discipline, which involved 12 different canoe and kayak categories at the 2016 Olympics. The 2020 Olympics will again feature 12 different events, but with slight changes to foster gender equality.

Women will participate in six of the 12 sprint events, as opposed to only four of the 12 events in the 2016 Olympics. The Tokyo 2020 Games will mark the first time that women will compete for medals in the C-1 200 meter and C-2 500 meter races. Women’s kayak sprint distances also range from 200 to 500 meters. Men’s sprint distances range from 200 to 1,000 meters. All sprint events are contested on flat water.