John V. Ballun, P.E., is president and CEO of Val-Matic Valve & Mfg. Corp., headquartered in Elmhurst, Illinois. A mechanical engineer with over 40 years of valve design experience, Ballun has developed valve standards for AWWA and Manufacturers Standardization Society. He may be reached at jvb@valmatic.com. For more information, visit www.valmatic.com.