'Keep telling the story': DRBC honors Clarke Rupert upon his retirement

If you have ever dealt with the Delaware River Basin Commission, you undoubtedly know Clarke Rupert, who has been handling media here for nearly two decades. Before he came to work at the commission, Clarke’s work background included handing media for a member of the U.S. Congress, the City of Allentown, Pa., and the Pa. Department of Environmental Protection. Throughout his 19 years with the commission, he has become a valued counselor to our commissioners and staff alike.
Clarke recently announced that he will retire, effective April 1. He was recognized in a resolution by the commissioners at their quarterly business meeting on March 14. His expertise on all things DRBC-related will be sorely missed.
Kate Schmidt
Communications Specialist
Delaware River Basin Commission
A resolution honoring Clarke D. Rupert for his noteworthy career in public service and two decades of distinguished service to the Delaware River Basin Commission:
Whereas, Clarke’s nearly 40-year career has been marked by his dedication to public and government service at the national, regional, state and local levels, his personal integrity, love of history, and skill at his craft; and
Whereas, during the early 1980s and again in the 1990s Clarke served as a key aide to U.S. Representative Peter Kostmayer of Bucks County, PA, handling constituent matters, special projects and external and staff communications for the Congressman; and
Whereas, Clarke served the Allentown City Council as a legislative analyst in the late 1980s and handled community and media relations for the southeast regional office of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection from 1994 to 1999; and
Whereas, Clarke joined the Delaware River Basin Commission as Assistant Public Information Officer in 1999 and held positions of leadership in Communications at the DRBC since 2005; and
Whereas, as the Commission’s primary spokesperson under two executive directors, Clarke performed the difficult task of translating complex science, policy and fiscal information for diverse audiences, including the media, concerned stakeholders, elected officials and the general public; and
Whereas, Clarke also kept DRBC staff and Commissioners informed of important federal and state legislative processes, faithfully chronicled the Commission’s actions through DRBC’s annual reports, and oversaw the development and maintenance of a DRBC website packed with valuable data and information; and
Whereas, Clarke was extraordinarily careful and accurate in his work and was a valued writer and editor of DRBC communications of all kinds; and
Whereas, Clarke became the in-house expert on DRBC history, and if the answer to a question was not at his fingertips, in most instances he tracked it down quickly in his well- organized files; and
Whereas, Clarke performed valuable research on state and federal legislative actions and was the go-to staffer for latest developments of significance to the DRBC in state houses and Congress; and
Whereas, Clarke created and maintained on the DRBC website a trove of information on the Commission and the basin’s water resources for diverse audiences, including materials specially developed for teachers and students; and
Whereas, Clarke enjoyed telling the DRBC story to colleagues, Commissioners, reporters, elected officials, stakeholders and audiences of all ages, and particularly enjoyed audiences of school children, representing the next generation of water resource managers and stewards; and
Whereas, Clarke D. Rupert will officially retire from DRBC on April 1, 2018 after nineteen years of faithful and valued service; now, therefore
Be it resolved that the Commissioners and staff extend their deepest appreciation to Clarke D. Rupert for his professionalism, integrity, commitment, friendship, steadiness and outstanding service to the DRBC and the Delaware River Basin. We wish Clarke and his wife Alisa excellent health and much happiness as they embark on a well-deserved retirement. Keep on rooting for those Phillies and keep telling the story!