Federal
Oregon:
The Leadership Development Committee is excited to announce a book club discussion series coming in January 2023. We’re starting with Designing Your Work Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans. The book introduces design thinking to living, learning, and succeeding in our work lives. The concept is thinking like a designer. What exactly does that mean?
Design thinking includes:
There are several proposed updates to the WEF Bylaws which have been reviewed and approved by the Bylaws Subcommittee, the Governance Committee, and the WEF Board of Trustees. These changes are related to the Board Committees, including formalizing the Ethics Committee, removing the WEFTEC Advisory Committee, and shifting existing Subcommittees to Committees; as well as adjustments to the text related to the Member Engagement Transformation (MET). As is stated in the House of Delegates (HOD) Policies and Procedures, these changes are to be shared with Member Associations prior to the vote and approval of these changes by the HOD. The HOD will officially vote to confirm these changes at a virtual meeting later this Fall. See attached to review a markup and clean copy of the WEF Bylaws.
Questions? Please contact WEF Staff Kelsey Hurst.
Who doesn’t want a good sense of well-being? In life, most everyone does, which necessarily means feeling good at work too. Yet, according to a recent national survey, most employees say their workplace well-being has worsened in the last year. Therefore, when the Leadership Development Committee saw this, they wanted to find out if it was true for us in PNCWA as well.
A survey probing this question was sent out in July to all PNCWA members. Unfortunately, the responses indicate we are not too different than the national trend. Answers to the questions asked are summarized below, followed by some insights on how to improve workplace well-being, gained from reviewing narrative comments that were included in the survey responses.
This fall PNCWA is launching Communities of Practice (CoP). CoPs are affiliated groups of committees, formed to spark collaboration and engagement among our committees and members. Each CoPs will be led by an association board member liaison that will coordinate quarterly meetings and facilitate CoP activities. Formation of the CoPs was a strategic priority of 2022-2023 Association President Lara Kammereck. Development of the CoP concept and structure is a result of committee collaboration during the joint Board and Committee Chair meeting in January 2023. Based on this work, PNCWA has formed the following CoPs:
Join us for a tour and social on October 5th at the Liberty Lake Sewer and Water District WRF! Starting at 3 pm, we’ll tour the facility then we’ll head over to Snow Eater Brewing Company at about 5 pm for a social gathering. If you’re interested, please register here – it’s free for everyone! This event is hosted by the Students and Young Professionals Committee, but everyone is welcome to attend.
Federal:
The House Appropriations Committee is proposing to eliminate funding for the Clean Water and Drink Water State Revolving Funds by more than half in the FY24 budget. It’s critical that your Senators and Representative hears from you about the need to maintain federal funding for critical local water infrastructure investments. Use WEF Water Advocates call-to-action to send a message today!
Registration Open for 2023 PNCWA Fall Communications Camp Engaging Your Community in Your Agency’s Water Story
Location: City of Bend’s Kerri Training Facility, 22395 McGrath Rd
Cutting-Edge Technical Session: The conference schedule includes an impressive lineup of technical sessions where you can learn from experts and industry leaders. Discover the latest advancements in wastewater treatment, stormwater management, and water quality improvements. Whether you are a seasoned professional or a newcomer, these technical sessions are designed to enrich your knowledge and equip you with valuable insights.
In case you missed it! EPA has taken the following actions on PFAS in the last three months:
2023 Fall Communications Camp is happening 8:00 am to 4:30 pm on Thursday, October 26 in Bend, Oregon. A big thanks to the City of Bend for graciously hosting at their Kerri Training Facility, 22395 McGarth Rd. The Camp will include a tour of the City of Bend’s Water Reclamation Facility and presentations by staff from the cities of Bend, Boise, and Prineville plus others. More details including the full agenda and registration details will be published in early August. This event will provide 0.625 CEUs, pending approval. The Communications Camp is a one-day specialty conference focused on how to communicate about water, strengthen communications skills, and effectively tools of the trade. Proceeds from the Communications Camp go towards PNCWA’s Adopt-a-School grant program, managed by the Communications and Outreach Committee, which funds K-12 educational projects focused on water and the environment.
We’re excited to have double the size of the cohort compared to 2022! Please look out for these early career professionals at the upcoming conference!
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Juliana Andrade |
If you’re looking to learn more about wastewater treatment for Spokane County or meet other water professionals in the Spokane area, please join us for a tour of the Spokane County Regional Water Reclamation Facility followed by a social gathering at the nearby No-Li Brewhouse on July 27, 2023. Enjoy a complimentary beverage of your choice, courtesy the PNCWA Students and Young Professionals.
The tour will begin at 3 pm and the social will start around 5 pm. Feel free to come to both or just stop by for either part. If you’re interested, please sign up here – registration is free for everyone!
By: Tarelle Osborn, Principal & President, Osborn Consulting, and Deepa Mungasavalli, Practice Lead, Transportation Drainage, Osborn Consulting
Will my Roadway or Bridge Project require more Stormwater Treatment Facilities than planned?
I am passionate about assuring a healthy environment for future generations. I want my children’s children to enjoy Larsen Lake in Bellevue, Washington, on the Lake Hills Greenbelt Trail, as much as I have for the past 25 years with my own family.
I am beyond thrilled this year for the PNCWA2023 Technical Program, where we will be Catalyzing a Sound Future for Water together in Tacoma, WA through site tours and over 140 technical presentations. We are also excited to continue our partnership with WateREuse, who will be hosting a full day of Water Reuse focused presentations on Monday! While some things are far too great to change, like the caliber of people you’ll interact with at PNCWA each year, I’d like to share some of the exciting changes our team has been working toward to shape a more positive experience related to the PNCWA2023 technical program.
Abstract Review and Selection. For the first time, we implemented a double-blind review process for abstracts, removing the authors and represented companies for the scoring process. We did this to support a more equitable process for scoring and selection of abstracts, and we believe it made a positive impact on the diversity of speakers and content in our Technical Program!
The PNCWA Annual Conference is less than 10 weeks away and registration is officially open! Early bird pricing ends on July 27th, so be sure to take advantage of the discounted registration fees if you are a PNCWA member. Not a member? Now is a great time to consider joining! Click here (link to: https://pncwa.memberclicks.net/about-membership) to find out more about becoming a member.
PNCWA2023 has a lot to offer in addition to the incredible technical program assembled by Kristi Steiner and her team! For those of you who arrive on Sunday, the PNCWA Water for People Committee will be hosting a fun run in the late morning and the Stormwater Committee is organizing a service project that will start shortly after the conclusion of the run. What a great way to enjoy the beautiful late summer weather in the Northwest alongside your water colleagues! Register for the 5K and/or service project here.
