GALION — The City of Galion welcomed a new water superintendent this spring when Josh Keeler brought his talents over from Mansfield.
The northern Ohio native has worked in the industry at several levels since he graduated from the University of Toledo with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Biology.
Hailing from the town of Metamora, about 25 miles west of Toledo, Keeler began his water treatment odyssey with a part-time summer job as an operator — and the rest is history.
Starting full-time in 2008, he worked in various stops across the region as a plant operator, including the Cleveland area and two roles in suburban Detroit, before coming to Richland County late in 2019 to join the managerial ranks. His entire professional career has involved working with water safety.
In his first weeks on the job, Keeler’s been busy overseeing a team of four others — Crew Chief Tim Krueger, along with Operators Todd Davis, Joey O’Brien and Terry Tupps, while a maintenance mechanic will come on board soon — and learning the ropes of Galion.
“I am from a town of under 1,000, so I like the aspect of a smaller community,” he explained. “You can make more of an impact, especially with less bureaucracy.”
While no day, of course, is typical, Keeler’s standard duties are all-encompassing; they include reviewing operating data, processing invoices, overseeing his team and, with his extensive lab technician background, he can also help out the plant with laboratory duties and sampling.
He’s proud that Galion is off the TTHM list, as of last week. The next goal is become compliant with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.
Keeler’s wife hails from Egypt, and they enjoy traveling with their 3-year-old son. Outside of work, he likes to golf and follow Ohio and Michigan sports, particularly basketball and football.
“I hope my experience is needed here, and I’ll be a good fit,” Keeler said.
