HDR’s Kihs Receives AWWA’s John Lechner Award of Excellence

HDR’s Kristin Kihs was honored with the 2025 American Water Works Association’s John Lechner Award of Excellence during AWWA’s Annual Conference and Exposition in Denver, Colorado. This award recognizes an AWWA Section Service Provider Member who has demonstrated exemplary service to the drinking water community and AWWA’s mission.

AWWA is the largest nonprofit, scientific and educational association dedicated to managing and treating water. With approximately 50,000 members, it provides solutions to improve public health, protect the environment, strengthen the economy and enhance quality of life.

Kihs is HDR’s Oregon business development manager based in Portland. With 40 years in the water industry, Kihs is known for uniting people and advancing the drinking water profession through collaboration and inclusivity.

Kihs served on AWWA's Board of Directors and Executive Committee from 2019 to 2022 as chair of the Manufacturer/Associates Council. In this role, she amplified the voice of service providers and enhanced AWWA’s initiatives, including the Annual Conference & Expo Water Industry Luncheon, which provides substantial scholarships and industry recognition. In AWWA’s Pacific Northwest Section, Kihs chaired the Manufacturer, Supplier, and Consultant Committee, developing a sponsorship program that generated 40 percent of the annual conference revenue and significantly contributed to the section’s scholarship fund.

Kihs also received the Pacific Northwest Section’s highest volunteer honor, the Powell-Lindsay award, for her positivity, smart ideas and dedication to the section. She created the section’s first sponsorship package — platinum, gold and silver. As past chair of the Water For People and Philanthropy Advisory Council Chair, she formed the Wine For Water and Beer for Water fundraisers.  

These 2025 awards add to her previous accolades: the 2015 Kenneth J. Miller award for Water for People and the 2013 Heart and Soul Award from AWWA’s Pacific Northwest Section.

“Kristin reflects the best of HDR internally and externally,” said Jenna Scholz, HDR’s Northwest region water business group director. “The impact of her years of service with AWWA has been honored at both the section and national levels. These awards are a testament to Kristin’s unwavering dedication, leadership and impactful service to the drinking water community and AWWA’s mission.”