Leaders gather at Asilomar Conference Center for the annual CWEA leadership retreat in June. We hosted a record number of attendees this year. (CWEA)

CWEA’s Mission Possible: Empowering Wastewater Professionals

Annual program of work kick-off letter to members.

From CWEA President Chuck Greely and Executive Director/CEO Jenn Jones, Announcements

Dear CWEA Members,

As we embark on a new fiscal year for CWEA, it’s an honor to share with you an update on our association’s ambitious program of work and goals for the year. The theme we have chosen for the 2024 Annual Conference and Expo in Sacramento is “MISSION: POSSIBLE.”

This theme embodies both the challenges the wastewater community faces in California and the determination and creativity demonstrated by CWEA members in solving clean water issues, no matter how big or small.

Mark your calendars for April 9-12, as the Annual Conference promises to be another fun, informative, and inspiring event for water pros. We’ve grown the conference to become one of the largest wastewater events on the West Coast, and we are eager to break our attendance record in 2024. With your support, this mission is definitely possible.

WHAT WE ACCOMPLISHED TOGETHER

Let’s take a moment to reflect on what we have accomplished together. CWEA members and volunteer leaders rapidly shook off the pandemic in 2022 and continuously increased the number of valuable training events. Attendee numbers continued to rise, and our new crop of specialty training workshops attracted sell-out audiences.

Some highlights of our achievements:

• Successful launch of CWEA’s new Mentoring Program
• Successful introduction of the revalidated Laboratory Certification exams, grades 1-4, marking our fourth certification to undergo a comprehensive update
• 84 new classes added to OWEN
• Growing CWEA’s annual leadership retreat, which saw 43 participants
• Collaboration among collection system members in navigating the revised Sanitary Sewer Systems WDR requirements
• Laboratory professionals supporting each other through the new ELAP TNI regulations
• Accomplishing 95% of the goals outlined in CWEA’s strategic plan, “A Vision that Holds Water“
• And much more

WHAT’S POSSIBLE

Looking ahead, CWEA remains committed to empowering, educating, and connecting wastewater professionals to protect public health and the environment. In the 2023-2024 fiscal year, our focus is once again on putting members first. We are excited to provide you with a sneak preview of what’s to come:

1. A new community platform for members, facilitating small group online discussions and keeping you updated on the activities of the CWEA committee in your practice area..
2. Certification preparation modules for the Collection Systems Maintenance grade 1 exams will be available on OWEN very soon, providing in-depth training materials.
3. Increasing Local Section training sessions, made possible by our Education Team’s new speakers database, with hundreds of trainers available.
4. Expanding our event partnerships with CASA, Central Valley Clean Water, Bay Area Clean Water, and SoCal Clean Water Associations.

To support CWEA’s ambitious program of work and keep up with rising expenses for conferences and educational projects, the Board voted on June 23rd to modestly raise dues and fees. The Board also voted to support a request from CWEA’s 17 Local Sections to increase our local dues by $8 per member. These changes went into effect on July 1.

If you have any questions regarding the budget, program of work, or goals, please don’t hesitate to reach out to any CWEA Board member. We are here for you.

CWEA is built by wastewater professionals for wastewater professionals. Our association’s success is driven by the passion and dedication of over 200 hardworking volunteer leaders who manage the 45 different programs and services CWEA provides.

If you’re a CWEA leader, here’s a shout-out to you. Thank you for all you do!

For those interested in getting more involved and helping make CWEA’s mission possible, we encourage you to connect with any Board member, committee or local section leader to explore opportunities. Alternatively, you can visit volunteer.cwea.org on the CWEA website.

Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to get involved in CWEA and share what you know to empower the next generation of wastewater pros!

Sincerely,