The ACWA Foundation, now in its second year of operation, is continuing to grow and set the stage for success by adding three new members to its Board of Trustees, preparing to hire an Executive Director and defining how it can be most valuable to the water industry.
John Varela, Chair
Director, District 1, Valley Water
The nonprofit 501(c)3 foundation was created by the ACWA Board of Directors, under the leadership of then-ACWA President Pamela Tobin, to advance workforce and leadership development in the water industry by promoting diversity, equity and inclusion. The Foundation’s Board of Trustees held its inaugural meeting in December 2022 and within its first year raised more than $360,000 and awarded $50,000 in scholarships to first-generation college students around the state.
“It’s really been an adventure. The progress we made in our first year was really astounding,” said Board Chair John Varela.
Building upon that success, the focus this year has been on increasing awareness about the Foundation among ACWA member agencies and others in the water industry; strengthening partnerships that have been created with California State University-WATER, Water Education for Latino Leaders, California Urban Water Agencies and California Municipal Utilities Association; and raising more funds.
Varela and Foundation Vice Chair Jennifer Persike said that as the trustees have worked through different projects and partnerships, it’s become clear that the Foundation’s future focus must be building a workforce for the water industry.
“We need to focus on the youth, and that’s what I’m considering a priority as chair of the Board,” Varela said.
Persike noted the Foundation has met with several groups with various projects supporting workforce development and sees the ACWA Foundation as becoming a statewide umbrella organization for these efforts to connect the future workforce to the water industry. She said the data shows that between 20-50 % of water utilities are having difficulty hiring.
“We’re going to be coordinating with all of the partner groups to build awareness that the water industry is a great sector to build a career. We want to reach out to Gen Z, veterans and those communities who are less familiar with the industry,” Persike said. “We want to help folks ‘find their future in water’ by maximizing those connections and building the water workforce through mentorship, internship and apprenticeship, and certifications.”
The Foundation recently appointed Allison Febbo, Victoria Johnson and Jessi Snider to serve as trustees.
“All the trustees are wonderful,” he said, noting that they have dedicated countless hours getting the Foundation up and running.
The Foundation is also currently reviewing proposals for an Executive Director, which will mark a major milestone in its growth.
“We want to bring somebody in with experience leading nonprofits and raising funds who can keep us growing and take us to the next level,” Varela said. The ACWA Foundation operates separately and independently from ACWA. For more information about ACWA Foundation, including how to donate, visit www.acwa-foundation.org.
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