Patekka Pope Bannister has worked twenty years protecting natural resources. She has experience in wastewater, drinking water, air, hazardous materials, emergency planning, and stormwater programs. Since August 2017, Patekka has been providing oversight to the City of Toledo Collins Park Water Treatment Plant and Bay View Water Reclamation Plant, as the Commissioner of Plant Operations. Her prior assignments included oversight of stormwater and industrial pretreatment water quality programs, for the City of Toledo, in that capacity she developed policies and programs for environmental compliance, actively encouraged green infrastructure projects, and supported efforts to engage the community. Patekka continues to work to advance regional sustainability and climate adaptation efforts.   

Collins Park Water Treatment Plant is currently in year 8 of a 10-year, $500 million Ohio EPA-approved, critical drinking water improvement program. Major investment has significantly improved operations and marks the first plant expansion since 1956. In addition, Patekka participates in the final construction and compliance phase of the 18-year $527 million Toledo Waterways Initiative. All 45 TWI projects were designed to reduce pollution from entering the waterways.  

Under the direction of Patekka, the City of Toledo has received an Ohio EPA principle forgiveness loan from the Water Pollution Control Loan Fund-Green Reserve combined with funding from US Department of Agriculture-NRCS, Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding for Scrap Yard programs, OEPA Surface Water Improvement Fund for green infrastructure projects, NOAA Economic Impacts of Flooding Study, and University of Michigan Great Lakes Adaptation Assessment for Cities (GLAA-C) resources and grant funding, and over $200,000,000 in Ohio Water Development Authority, and State Revolving Loan Authority funding. 

Patekka holds both a bachelor and masters degree in Environmental Management from the University of Findlay.