WAYNE, PA — The Women’s Resource Center announced that Colleen Arnold, president of Aqua, will serve as the featured speaker for the fireside chat at its 2026 Breakthrough Breakfast on Friday, May 15, at the Philadelphia Country Club, an event supporting programs for women and girls in the Greater Philadelphia region.
The event, titled “The Power of Flow: Women Engineering Change,” will focus on how women lead through complexity, adapt to change, and drive progress across industries and communities.
Arnold leads Aqua, the water and wastewater division of Essential Utilities, overseeing more than 1,500 regulated systems serving communities across Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, New Jersey, Virginia, North Carolina, and Texas.
She was promoted to president in 2020 after serving as deputy chief operating officer since 2015 and brings more than 25 years of experience in environmental engineering and utility operations management.
“The Power of Flow speaks to how women lead through complexity — by adapting, persevering, and creating momentum for meaningful change,” said Beth Monroe, executive director of the Women’s Resource Center. “Colleen Arnold’s career exemplifies this theme.”
Arnold said leadership grounded in adaptability can produce long-term results for communities.
“When women lead with courage and curiosity, we don’t just navigate change — we engineer it in ways that create lasting impact for people and communities,” she said.
Aqua employs approximately 1,600 people and serves about 5.5 million customers across eight states, delivering more than 86 billion gallons of water annually.
The company has invested more than $2 billion in capital improvements over the past five years, focusing on water and wastewater infrastructure.
Arnold previously held roles as Aqua’s director of water quality and environmental compliance and manager of treatment and water quality at Aqua Pennsylvania.
Her work has included overseeing compliance programs, leading safety and asset management initiatives, and advancing water system efficiency and treatment operations.
Before joining Aqua, Arnold worked as a consultant engineer supporting water and wastewater utilities in New York City, Philadelphia, and other locations nationwide.
She also served for more than eight years with the City of Wilmington, Delaware, where she held roles including water quality manager and assistant water director, working on infrastructure planning and system management.
Arnold is a licensed professional engineer in Delaware.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Massachusetts, a master’s degree in environmental engineering from Manhattan College, and an executive MBA from Villanova University.
She has been a member of the American Water Works Association for more than 25 years and serves on industry councils and committees.
Arnold also serves on the board of the Ridley Hospital Community Foundation and has been a board member for the Partnership for Delaware Estuary since 2016.
Proceeds from the Breakthrough Breakfast will support the Women’s Resource Center’s programs, including an information and referral helpline, counseling services, low-cost family law consultations, a leadership development program for girls, and financial stability services.
The organization has provided support to women and girls facing difficult life transitions for more than 50 years.
Event sponsors include Raymond James, The O’Connor Group, Comcast, and Graham Media Partners.
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