About WRWAC
Our Mission
The mission of the Whippany River Watershed Action Committee (WRWAC) is to preserve, protect and maintain the land and water resources of the Whippany River Watershed.
Our History
The Whippany River Watershed Action Committee was established in 1999. In 2019, the group celebrated it’s 20th year of serving as the steward of the Whippany River Watershed. Every year, the Whippany River Watershed Action Committee organizes the collection of hundreds of pounds litter from the watershed and sponsors dozens of educational and outreach programs.
Our Team
Siva Jonnada, Chair
Siva Jonnada is the current Chair of the Whippany River Watershed Action Committee. Previously, he was the Education and Outreach Chair where he spoke about WRWAC to local schools, community groups, and town councils. In addition, he is a member of the Morris Township Environmental Commission and the Burnham Park Association of Morristown.
Siva worked for over 30 years as a Data Analyst for the New York Power Authority, a state-owned public electric utility. He started his career as an Intern in the Environmental Division where he worked at power plants from fossil to hydro to nuclear. He is now involved in community volunteer efforts including environmental issues.
Jenifer O’Neill (administrator@WRWAC.org)
Jenifer currently serves as Facilitator for the WRWAC in addition to her position as Administrator — which she has held since February 2018.
She is a creative and highly resourceful marketing professional with an entrepreneurial spirit and a passion for mission-driven organizations. She has significant skills and experience in building and expanding small businesses and non-profits through marketing communications, event planning and public relations.
Following her fifteen-year corporate career in marketing and business development with AT&T and ten years in agency marketing, she focused her skills on smaller organizations that drive impact to communities and sustainable living.
In partnership, she launched a multi-media company devoted to sustainable living featuring TheGreenDivas.com blog drawing over 95,000 visitors per month; co-hosted and produced The Green Divas Radio Show; and served as managing editor and publisher of Relevant Times – a 52-page glossy bi-monthly magazine with a distribution of 75,000+.
Her degree in English Communications and Business Management from Fairleigh Dickinson University has provided the foundation for her to excel in any environment, but especially in an organization that requires someone with business savvy and excellent communication skills.
Jenifer has spent much of her personal time dedicated to volunteerism with local non-profits focused on the environment, children, education, and the arts. She founded and ran the Morris County Chapter of Holistic Moms Network for four years. She has also held committee positions in multiple organizations to leverage her skills with fundraising, event planning and communications. A lifelong resident of New Jersey, she resides in Boonton Township on The Rockaway River with her husband and two sons.
Our Partners
- Bethel AME Church, Morristown
- BSA Troop #173, #72, Parsippany
- BSA Troop #128, Hanover
- County of Morris
- Hackelbarney Chapter Trout Unlimited
- New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
- Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Morris County
- Rutgers Water Resources Program
- St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church, Parsippany
- The Watershed Institute Watershed Ambassador, WMA6
Board Of Trustees
The Whippany River Watershed Action Committee (WRWAC) is comprised of twelve member towns within the watershed and the County of Morris. Our Board of Trustees are the member municipalities and are represented by their designees
- Town of Boonton
- Township of East Hanover
- Township of Hanover
- Borough of Florham Park
- Borough of Madison
- Borough of Morris Plains
- Township of Morris
- Town of Morristown
- Borough of Mountain Lakes
- Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills
- Borough of Mendham
- Township of Mendham
- County of Morris
Executive Committee
- Siva Jonnada, Chair, Outreach Chair & Morris Township Committee Representative
- Larry Gindoff, Vice Chair & Treasurer and Morris County Representative
- Jenifer O’Neill, Secretary
- Dennis Dittrick, Hanover Township Committee Representative
Contact Us
Whippany River Watershed Action Committee
PO Box 223
Morristown, NJ 07963-0223
Web: www.wrwac.org Email:info@wrwac.org
Our Annual Reports
Our Actions
The Action Committee has worked with its members and hundreds of volunteers over thousands of hours to:
- Provide wildlife management workshops to reduce fecal contamination in our water;
- Conduct clean-ups to remove trash, downed trees and branches, shopping carts, tires and other objects that contaminate our water and block the river’s flow to cause flooding;
- Restore lake shores, stream corridors and river banks with plantings;
- Engineer retention and detention of storm water to reduce pollution to our waterways and to encourage recharge of our groundwater; Monitor the quality of our streams, river, lakes and ponds and identify trends and sources of pollution;
- Design model ordinances for storm water management and headwaters protection;
Our Awards
With its partners, the Action Committee has been recognized for its accomplishments. The 2001 Environmental Quality Award for Region 2 was presented to the Action Committee by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection presented the committee with its 2002 Environmental Excellence Award.
The Action Committee was recently presented with another NJDEP Environmental Excellence Award in November 2013. The award was in the Water Resources Category for implementation of clean water best management practices funded by a 319(h) grant. Partnering with Morris County, WRWAC retrofitted detention basins on West Hanover Avenue at both Morris View Healthcare Center in Morristown and Morris County Public Safety Training Facility, across the street in Parsippany.