| Municipal water “boot camp” fosters exchange of knowledge and solutions
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Municipal water “boot camp” fosters exchange of knowledge and solutions

To strengthen local governments’ understanding and management of water resources, the American Water Works Association (AWWA) recently co-sponsored an online “boot camp” focused on community water system challenges and opportunities.

ELGL Local Gov CohortsThe six-week cohort, offered through an association called Engaging Local Government Leaders (ELGL), also was supported by Raftelis and Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment. The three organizations supplied participants with learning materials and insights into various aspects of water management.

Amanda Jones“The resources gathered by AWWA, Raftelis and Duke University were a wonderful snapshot of each topic we covered, from affordability to communications,” said cohort participant Amanda Jones (pictured left), an AWWA member and business services coordinator with Marana Water in Arizona. 

“Everyone in the cohort brought a unique perspective on how to approach issues facing the water sector, which provided a wealth of knowledge to bring back to my own utility,” Jones added.

ELGL members work in all aspects and levels of local government, including public works, management, finance and libraries. The association shares best practices and timely, relevant information through a variety of online and in-person formats, providing members the opportunity to build strong professional relationships.

“We select topics for our cohort programs that are important for local government leaders to understand and reflect upon, so it was important for us to offer a cohort focused on water issues,” said Kirsten Wyatt, ELGL’s co-founder and executive director.

For the 2020 Water Resources Cohort, AWWA contributed two reports produced by in collaboration with Raftelis – The Financial Impact of the COVID-19 Crisis on U.S. Drinking Water Utilities, and Trending in an Instant. Other AWWA materials included the 2020 State of the Water industry Report, the AWWA Briefing on PFAS, and the Source Water Protection Justification Toolkit.

Cathy BaileyAWWA member Cathy Bailey (pictured right), executive director of Greater Cincinnati Water Works and an ELGL board member, addressed a cohort session to discuss her career path from chemist to director and share her experience with issues such as removing lead lines and increasing diversity in local government. 

In another cohort session, Melissa Elliott, AWWA president and director of strategic communication services with Raftelis, shared her priorities and perspectives for leading the Association during the coming year. Barb Martin, AWWA director of engineering and technical services, provided an overview about the Association’s contributions to the water sector.

Martin Doyle From Duke UniversityMartin Doyle (pictured left), director of the Water Policy Program at Duke’s Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, discussed with the cohort the top trends in water management for the coming decade. As part of the curriculum, the cohort read Dr. Doyle’s book, “The Source: How Rivers Made America and America Remade its Rivers,” to gain a historical perspective on U.S. water management.

Duke University’s Laura Lipps, assistant director of executive education, said the university is a leader in sustainability and environmental policy and was thrilled to collaborate with ELGL, AWWA and Raftelis on the ELGL Water Resources Cohort. 

“This cohort provided a great platform for government leaders to learn together and prepare for current and future challenges in water resources management, whether it be shifting demographics, aging infrastructure, affordability and water equity, or the financial future of utilities,” she said.
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As an upcoming opportunity for water leadership development, Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment is offering 15 full scholarships for its 2021 Water Innovation and Leadership Development (WILD) Program.  

Designed for early- to mid-career water managers, the program enables participants to explore their personal leadership style, improve their capacity to advance equity within water utilities and increase their awareness of new tools and resources for individual and team use. Fellows will also join an expanded network of partners and allies across the country. 

To accommodate work schedules, much of WILD’s curriculum will be taught through two weekend workshops and online through six hour-long evening sessions starting in February 2021. Emerging leaders from small or mid-sized utilities, and minority candidates, are especially encouraged to apply. Applications are due Oct. 15, 2020. 
 

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