SECTION NEWS
FROM THE NEW CA-NV CHAIR
Our Mission and Passion is YOU
By Heather L. Collins
MY INTRODUCTION TO AWWA came from a magazine with
Water Association in its title that I grabbed from a stack of plans
and engineering design reports. It was notable for the fact that many
of its authors were my co-workers. Years after asking, How can I get
involved? I find myself standing on stage at the Opening General
Session of the CA-NV AWWA 2016 Annual Fall Conference. What a
humbling honor to stand as Section chair in front of my colleagues
and friends, and you, the people who make the Section what it is.
I look forward to your support as we begin to implement CA-NV
AWWA’s 2016-2017 agenda.
Our mission and passion is to support you, the professionals who
provide water to millions of people throughout California and Ne-vada.
This year we will be focusing on the Section’s organizational
structure, volunteer leadership, engaging our members, communica-tion,
and philanthropy, and we will continue to advance our efforts
on behalf of the Water Loss Collaborative and the Advanced Water
Treatment Operator certification.
n Organizational Structure. To better address the changing needs
of our industry and expand our reach in matters of technical content,
education and communication, the Governing Board has voted to ap-prove
the restructuring blueprint that has been under development
since 2014. The transition will be effective as of CA-NV AWWA’s An-nual
Spring Conference in Anaheim, April 10-13, 2017. A transition
team is helping to organize this effort, melding the old structure with
the new and then communicate these changes via a new roadmap to
the Section’s committees, divisions, and volunteer leaders. Look for
updates in Tapped In (the Section’s biweekly e-newsletter), on the
CA-NV AWWA webpage, and here in SOURCE.
n Volunteer Leadership. Supporting and empowering our volunteer
leaders through improved access to resources is essential. The restruc-turing
will better facilitate updates of our core governance reference
materials to help members understand how the Section’s business is
conducted, how issues of concern are addressed, and how projects
are developed and accomplished. The Section’s Strategic Plan is being
updated and streamlined to sharpen its focus and vision. Revitalizing
the Section’s Bylaws, Rules and Regulations, Operational and Staff
1100 SOURCE winter 2017
Policies, Division and Committee Leadership and other guidance doc-uments
will facilitate involvement of our members in issues the Sec-tion
and the regional water industry are concerned about. Important
priorities include accessibility for members to information and trans-parency
for Section initiatives and business operations. Look for more
information as the year progresses. The first enhancement will be our
new Online Community, a web portal that will house information on
Section committees, their initiatives, and priorities.
n Member Engagement and Communication. The Section will
continue to expand our regional member networking opportunities
in both California and Nevada, building on the success of events
we’ve held over the past two years in greater Los Angeles and San
Diego. To keep current on Section communications, news, highlights,
and events be sure to connect with the Section social media (Twitter:
@CANVAWWA, Facebook: @CANVSectionAWWA and on the web at
CA-NV-AWWA.org).
n Philanthropy. Concurrent with the launch of AWWA’s Water
Equation Campaign, the Section is expanding its role as a philanthropic
organization. Adding philanthropy to CA-NV AWWA’s culture helps
us provide student and young professional scholarships to help sustain
workforce advancement, enable us to grow and expand our community
and educational outreach, and address present and future workforce
needs for operators by providing training and educational funding
through the One AWWA Operator Scholarship, which is made through
a matching fund from AWWA’s The Water Equation Campaign.
n Water Loss Collaborative. Funded by a grant from the California
State Water Resources Control Board, the Section’s Water Loss Tech-nical
Assistance Program is providing a comprehensive program of
training, technical assistance, and water loss validation to over 450
California utilities as they work to comply with SB 555 requirements
for a validated annual water loss audit. Keep an eye out for the un-veiling
of a Qualified Water Loss Audit Validator certificate in 2017.
n Advanced Water Treatment Operator Certification. CA-NV AWWA,
in concert with the California Water Environment Association (CWEA)
and other industry partners, is committed to delivering a new volun-tary
certification for advanced water treatment operators. We have es-tablished
an ad hoc committee to consider the implications and merits of
a new certification available to drinking water, wastewater, and recycled
water operators. Preliminary feedback indicates support for such a pro-gram,
and the committee will continue to move forward in 2017.
CA-NV AWWA has a lot on its plate this year, and I look forward to
working with each of you to advance our organizational and personal
goals. There are so many ways to participate, learn something new
and access the resources you need for your professional development
and enhance your daily work. Please contact me and we’ll work
together to find an opportunity that’s fulfilling and rewarding for
you. Prepare yourself to be challenged, excited, and inspired!
Thanks to all of you for all that you do for our communities and for
the water profession. S
— Heather L. Collins, CA-NV AWWA Chair
hcollins@mwdh2o.com