How ‘Mission Monday’ became a member favorite in Illinois

Five years ago, when members of the Illinois Section (and much of the country) were wrestling with new regulations under the Lead and Copper Rule, section leaders came up with an fairly simple idea: Host a virtual lunch-and-learn with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to allow utilities to ask questions and better understand the new requirements.

“It was one of the most attended webinars that the Illinois Section has ever seen,” said Kali Spain, education and government affairs specialist.

Leaders took note and made it a habit. Today, that lunch-and-learn has evolved into what is now known as “Mission Monday” — a monthly webinar series that carries much of same goal as they had five years ago: to connect AWWA members with subject-matter experts to gain clarity on fast-moving changes to standards, regulations, and more.

It’s a win-win: Members get real-time and face-to-face guidance from state regulatory partners and other experts, and the Illinois Section has a consistent platform for delivering timely education without adding cost barriers. (Mission Mondays are free for members and $25 for non-members. “We want it to be low-cost for non-members because a lot of this information is information that is essential for their jobs,” Spain said.)

Each webinar is recorded and available to members afterward, too.

Spain calls it “the hottest series we offer,” drawing up to 160 members each month. “It is something that our members look forward to every month. It’s very well received,” she said.

Topics have evolved with industry needs. Lead, PFAS, and cybersecurity remain staples, but programming also expands into emerging contaminants and operational challenges. Recently, Mission Monday conversations covered 1,4‑dioxane, Consumer Confidence Reports (CCRs), and boil orders.

“It’s not just industry impacts as it relates to lead and cybersecurity and PFAS, but it’s also things that, every day, are impacting operators in the industry,” Spain said. “For example, what does a boil order look like? These are the kinds of topics where there are information gaps within our state, and we want to provide that education in this format so that it gets to everybody that it needs to within the state.”

While the initiative originated from a single regulatory challenge, Mission Monday now advances key goals of the Illinois Section’s strategic plan: staying ahead of emerging issues, strengthening relationships with state regulators, and ensuring members have reliable access to expert guidance. “The Mission Monday concept really compiles all of those things,” Spain said.

For other Sections interested in starting a similar initiative, start with one topic, Spain says. And in addition to tapping state officials, rely on AWWA for guest speakers and presenters. An expert in 1,4-dioxane who recently presented came from an AWWA event. “Be resourceful and know your network,” she said.