Award

John Lechner Award of Excellence

Awards

Award

2026 Recipient

Alex Mofidi

Award Criteria

Purpose of the Award:

An individual award of excellence to recognize a Service Provider Member (SVP) who has demonstrated exemplary service to the drinking water community and to AWWA’s mission and goals.

This award honors the legacy of John Lechner and is given annually to a Service Provider member who has demonstrated exceptional service to the drinking water community in support of AWWA’s mission and goals. John Lechner was Chair of the MAC when it became an AWWA Council, and he was exemplary of an individual dedicated to service and support within the AWWA community.

Nomination Deadline: January 31

Eligibility for the Association-Level Award

Any active AWWA member who is part of the Service Provider membership category—including manufacturers, consultants, distributors, sales representatives, contractors, contract operators of water utilities, and partner agencies—is eligible for consideration for the Association-Level Award. Eligible individuals must be nominated by an active AWWA member.

Entry Requirements for the Association-Level Award

Any eligible Service Provider member may be nominated for the Association-Level Award by an active AWWA member.

Selection Committee for the Association-Level Award

The MAC shall use the MAC Awards Committee for the purpose of selecting the Association-Level Award recipient. The Awards Committee shall review all eligible entries and identify the top candidates for consideration by the MAC Executive Committee. In the event of a conflict of interest, the applicable MAC member shall recuse themselves from the review and voting process. The MAC Executive Committee shall select the award recipient. AWWA Executive Committee approves recipient.

Method of Selecting the Award Recipient for the Association-Level Award

Each year, the MAC will select an eligible Service Provider member who has made a significant contribution to the water community and to AWWA’s mission and goals to receive the John Lechner Award of Excellence.

Criteria used to evaluate nominations may include:

AWWA membership and contributions to membership
Involvement at the Association level of AWWA
Involvement in water-related organizations outside of AWWA