BRYN MAWR, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aqua America, Inc. (NYSE: WTR) announced that, as of Oct. 1, 2016, Marc Lucca will be promoted to president of its Pennsylvania subsidiary, Aqua Pennsylvania, which provides drinking water and wastewater service to a population of 1.4 million people in 32 counties throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Lucca will succeed Steve Tagert, who is set to retire in December after more than 45 years with the company.

Lucca, who is currently vice present of network, has been with Aqua Pennsylvania since 2007.

According to the company’s chief operating officer, Lucca brings more than 25 years of water and wastewater operations and management experience to his new role. These decades of diverse experience will serve the state’s customers and employees well.

“Marc is an industry veteran with expertise in both network and production, making him well- qualified to lead Aqua Pennsylvania,” said Rick Fox. “Marc and Steve will work together throughout the fall to ensure a seamless transition of this critical role. I am confident Marc’s strong leadership skills, coupled with his passion for creating a collaborative and unified environment, will contribute to customer satisfaction and continued growth of our company’s largest subsidiary.”

Among his experience, Lucca previously worked in management positions for the Coast Water District in Marina, Calif., the Santa Clara Water Valley District in San Jose, Calif., and American Water’s California subsidiary.

Lucca earned a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering Technology from Temple University. He holds a Master of Engineering degree from The Pennsylvania State University, and he completed his MBA at Drexel University in 2015. Lucca is an active member of the American Water Works Association, and serves on the board of the Main Line Chamber of Commerce.

Aqua America is one of the largest U.S.-based, publicly traded water utilities and serves nearly 3 million people in Pennsylvania, Ohio, North Carolina, Illinois, Texas, New Jersey, Indiana and Virginia. Aqua America is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol WTR. Visit AquaAmerica.com for more information, or follow Aqua on Facebook at facebook.com/MyAquaAmerica and on Twitter at @MyAquaAmerica.