Biography

Born in DuPage County, and raised in Southern Illinois next to the Shawnee National Forest, David Clearwater understands the need to balance the use our natural resources with the requirement of managing our resources to preserve the planet for future generations. His earliest recollection of this belief and commitment began in high school. While in high school, David spent most of his available time enjoying the beauty of the outdoors; hiking in fields and forests, fishing the lakes, streams and Ohio River of southern Illinois. In that time, he gained a profound understanding of the effects of pollution on the environment and the environmental impact of careless human intervention.

David earned a Bachelor of Science with majors in Environmental Biology and Zoology from Eastern Illinois University. While participating in a study to determine the effectiveness of a test for E. coli contamination in water, David was first introduced to the concepts of waste water treatment; a lesson that would serve him well later in life. David was also able to further his understanding of the economics of ecology as well as the “real life” ramifications of resource management while engaged in an internship with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service. David’s internship, in part, was to assist with surveys of the habitat for the Northern Spotted Owl as well as surveys for Salmon, Trout and other wildlife in the mountain waterways of Northern California; in the Marble Mountain Wilderness Area of Siskiyou County, California.

Upon completion of his undergraduate work at EIU, David found employment with a local company that provides environmental monitoring services to commercial and industrial water users. Working as a Field Service Technician, David’s primary function was to collect and process samples from waste water, ground water and rain water run off to provide customers with an understanding of the water consumption of their facilities, as well as the volume of water and contaminates found in their effluent waste water streams that would eventually be treated by the Metropolitan Water Reclaimation District before final return to the environment. This work essentially included some of the same basic responsibilities of the MWRD field personnel. It was during this time that David gained an understanding of the waste water treatment process.

From there, David was employed by a local Coca-Cola bottling company. Amoung his responsibilities as a QC Supervisor was the management of the incoming water treatment system and the waste water treatment process. While at Coca-Cola Bottling, David learned about the use of Reverse Osmosis to provide pure water for the beverage fill industry, as well as some hands on, practical experience with waste water treatment and management.

David is currently employed with CIBA Vision, a local color contact lens manufacturer where he has held a number of management positions of increasing responsibility. As a Manufacturing Process Specialist, he is responsible for the management of a multi-million dollar manufacturing process and process improvement iniatives to increase quality, decrease waste and decrease cost; with the ultimate goal to provide internal and external customers and consumers with high quality, low cost color contact lenses on time, every time. He and his teammates employ concepts of 5S, TPM, Lean and Six Sigma to drive sustainable improvements to achieve that goal.

David still likes to persue his life long love of nature and the environment. He lives with his wife Deval and three children; Serena, Jessica and Nicholas in Arlington Heights. He is teaching his children the values and beliefs about nature and taking care of it. He enjoys camping and fishing with his children.

David will work hard to improve government efficiency, encourage the development and use of green initiatives and find innovative ways to eliminate pollution throughout Cook County. David will help protect our water supply from threats and ensure that everyone has access to clean drinkable water.

"We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children."
Navajo Proverb