On July 1, Nick DeBenedictis, Aqua America’s long-serving, community-minded and widely respected Chairman, President and CEO, yielded up the CEO seat, a post he held since joining the company in 1992, to Chris Franklin, his long-time friend. Franklin is Aqua’s former COO.

Bryn Mawr-based Aqua America, one of the nation’s largest publicly traded water utilities, supplies fresh water to thousands of families and businesses in thirty-four Chester County municipalities and eight states including North Carolina, Texas, and Ohio.

VISTA Today spoke with Chris earlier this year about his Philadelphia roots and his career path from leading West Chester University’s student government to brief stints working for a US Congressman, growing Delaware County’s Chamber of Commerce’s public affairs office, an SVP in PECO’s public affairs office before joining Aqua 23 years ago.

Where are you from, Chris?

I am a Philly guy.  I was born and raised and went to school in the Philadelphia area. I’ve always worked in the Philadelphia area. My mom and dad were both trained as teachers. My dad became a high school principal and my mother, later in life, a corporate executive. Both had a tremendous work ethic and showed me by their example, how to move up in an organization by working hard and being smart about things.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Lansdale, Montgomery County, and went to Catholic High School in Lansdale.

Did you play any sports in High School?

I ran track and cross country and then, as an upperclassman, I switched over and played on the golf team.

Why West Chester for college?

I applied and was accepted at three schools: Villanova, Penn State, and West Chester. I wanted the full college experience, including living away from home. Villanova and Penn State didn’t offer the option to live on campus my first year.  West Chester did.

Did West Chester turn out to be a good choice for you?

Yes. One of the things I learned at West Chester was the importance of government.  I became very active in student government at West Chester, eventually becoming the president of the university’s student government association.  That experience opened a lot of doors for me.

Had you been active in student government in high school?

No, I didn’t catch the student government bug until I was in college. At the time, I saw student government at West Chester as the big leagues.  First, I had to run and win a campus-wide election. Second, when I won, the office of president was a high-visibility opportunity.  Finally, because every student organization at West Chester had to come through student government for their funding, the head of student government controlled a big budget.  I enjoyed the experience and learned a heck of a lot about how to deal with politics and money.

You said the experience of being student body president opened a lot of doors for you.  How so?

As president of student government, I got close to then-University President Ken Perrin. Ken introduced me to Dick Schulze, the United States congressman from Chester County, who was one of the ranking members of the Ways and Means Committee.  Dick offered me a job when I graduated from West Chester and I went to work for him.

Had you had any part-time or summer jobs before you took the job in Schulze office?

In high school I worked on the sales floor at Sears and as a security guard.  During the summer while I was in college, I kept the Sears job but worked on the factory floor of a place called American Olean Tile in Lansdale during the day. It was a very difficult job and a great incentive to do well in college.

What lessons did you take from that job that stays with you today?

When I think back to that job, the concern for safety was not the same as it is today.  When I became chief operating officer (COO) at Aqua America, my number one priority was safety.  As COO, I always thought back on my summers on the factory floor at American Olean Tile and wished somebody had been thinking about safety back then the way I’m worrying about safety for my people today.

The other lesson I took from that experience was the value of education. Even though they didn’t have a college education, the guys on the line would warn us college kids not to get into the same slots.  These were genuine, good people and their advice left an impression on me.

So you’re out of college and working for Congressman Schulze, what was your big break?

Through my student government experience in college, I discovered I was pretty good at leadership.

When did you realize you had natural leadership ability, Chris?

Learning I could lead others was a distinguishing moment for me. I felt like I could articulate a vision that people could understand and around which they could coalesce.

How long did you work for Congressman Schulze?

Congressman Schulze agreed to let me join his DC staff, so I was looking forward to moving to Washington.  About that same time, WCU President Ken Perrin introduced me to Jack Holfelder who at the time was president of the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce.  The Delaware County Chamber was at its height in the late eighties and early nineties and Jack was looking for someone to start and run a public affair’s office for the chamber.  I didn’t know much about chambers of commerce at that point, but it was an opportunity for me to build something from the ground up. I took the job and went to work for Jack.

Was taking the job at the chamber a good career move?

Working for the chamber gave me an opportunity to get to know Delaware County politics and work with so many interesting people including, John Heinz and Arlen Spector, both United States senators at the time. I started figuring out what worked and what didn’t when it came to government. I learned a great deal about the challenges of running a business, big and small.

When did Nick DeBenedictis enter the picture?

It was through the Chamber that I met Nick.  At the time, Nick was the president of the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, and we worked together on regional causes and supporting different candidates. Eventually, Nick left the chamber and took a job as a senior vice president of public affairs at PECO.  I had been at the chamber about five years at this point, so when Nick asked me if I would consider joining him at PECO, I said yes.

So it’s 1991, and you’re working for PECO.  How did that work out?

I loved PECO! There were so many smart and interesting people working there. I thought I had found my home.

What happened?

I ended up staying at PECO for just a year.  The whole time at PECO I was working with Nick.  One day he says to me, I need you to take me out to Philadelphia Suburban Water Company in Bryn Mawr.  After several trips to Bryn Mawr I started to catch on that something was going on.  Nick told me he was going to be named Chairman and CEO of what was then called Philadelphia Suburban Water the following week and invited me to join him.

I remember asking Nick why he would consider leaving PECO—it was a much larger company and had interesting assets like nuclear plants—and go out to this tiny little $200 million market cap company.  I told my wife I was going to follow Nick because he was such a great guy, that I would give it two years and that if it didn’t work out I would go back to PECO or find another job at a larger company.   I’ve been with the water company ever since and it’s been a tremendous, tremendous experience.

As you look into the future, what are the opportunities and challenges as you take on this new role at Aqua America?

One of the challenges of any CEO is the evolution in culture and style as one CEO departs and another takes over.  No two CEOs ever run the company the same way. Nick’s management style was so distinctive. Adjusting to my style and vision as I assume the CEO role will be a little bit of an adjustment for the company.

As far as opportunities, I see the need to take the great work we are doing today and generate substantive growth. I go to work every day proud of the people who provide a high-quality product. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, my team provides a product to people’s homes they can put into their bodies.  We have nearly 100 percent reliability.  Even when the power goes out, water still comes out of the faucet.  I see us continuing to provide that reliable service at reasonable rates to even more customers across the country. We have the unique opportunity to offer our excellent water and wastewater service to municipalities that could spend their capital on other important municipal services by allowing Aqua America to acquire their systems.

Finally, Chris, what is the best piece of advice you ever received?

I’ve been so fortunate to have been surrounded by so many people who gave me good advice over the years, but it was my mom and dad who gave me the best advice.  They always emphasized honesty, ethics and integrity.  My parents told me if I always did the most honest and ethical thing and did it well, I would always be able to sleep at night and my children would be proud of me.

I live my life that way. I want to treat our employees, customers and shareholders with that same level of integrity.