2023 AWWA Water Equation Donor Impact Report

Water Equation Investing in the Water Workforce

Meet Our Team

2023 Donor Impact Report Water Equation Standing Committee Members • Ari Copeland • Bob Willis • Elizabeth Carter • Jay Madigan • Jennifer Elms • Jon Shellhorn • Katie Richardson Viranya

Katie Richardson Viranya Chair

Michelle Hektor Sr. Manager of Development

Claire Moffitt Sales & Development Associate

• Kelly Comstock • Kevin Bergschneider • Kristin Kihs • Michael Brown • Stephanie Hubli • Tim Wilson

AWWA Water Equation wrapped up its strongest year ever, raising $520,000 for the water workforce!

Entering our seventh year, we still get questions about our mission. Put simply, Water Equation is committed to ensuring that the water sector has the necessary workforce to allow water systems to provide clean, safe water to communities across North America by funding workforce advancements, scholarships, student programs and expenses, young professional leadership opportunities, and Community Engineering Corps.

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For the water community, the need for focused talent attraction, development, retention, and succession planning strategies— simply to maintain utility service levels—is intensified by the fact that, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency, 30%–50% of water workers are anticipated to retire in the next 10 years. This underscores the importance of elevating the awareness and perception of careers in water, energizing the next generation of water professionals, promoting a diverse water workforce reflective of the communities they serve, and ensuring that the workforce has the appropriate skills and training it needs.

A 2018 Brookings Institution report observed that “there is a notable lack of diversity in certain water occupations,”

both in gender and race/ ethnicity, noting that “people of color tend to be underrepresented in high-level, higherpaying occupations involved in engineering or management.” By 2050, that will change. As an AWWA young professional noted, “The workforce is going to be more diverse not only in race and gender but in skill sets and experience.”

Water Equation donors helped to advance this mission with gifts to each of the funded programs and affected thousands of lives in communities across North America.

Thank you for your support of water professionals in all areas of the community.

Michelle Hektor Senior Manager of AWWA Water Equation

SCHOLARSHIPS/ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIPS Highlights: • A new scholarship to honor Dr. James K. Edzwald was initiated by Dr. James Malley and was 90% funded by the end of 2023. Fifty-three donors made generous gifts to fund this $3,000 annual scholarship to a graduate student, with the first award planned for ACE24.

• The Dr. Philip C. Singer Scholarship endowed fund received an additional $100,000 in 2023 from the ACE23 Golf Tournament, donors, and a matching gift from Mrs. Ellen Singer to increase the 2024 scholarship award to $6,000 for a graduate student in water research.

• Two scholarships for students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) were created by the family of Dr. Joe Jacangelo and Mueller Water Products.

• Over 750 applications were received for the $200,000 in scholarships awarded to 25 undergraduate and graduate students from 13 regions at Water Industry Luncheon at ACE23.

2023 Top 10 Donors

How does a donation to Water Equation benefit the next generation?

Visit https://youtu.be/hxveiHt2vDo

• • • • • • • • • •

Mrs. Ellen Singer HDR Foundation Minnesota AWWA Section Pacific Northwest AWWA Section Mr. Tom Holland, Holland Company Dr. James P. Malley Dr. James K. Edzwald Ride With Purpose Florida Section of AWWA Indiana Section of AWWA

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HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES $6,000 raised for HBCU scholarships

Water Equation partnered with the City of Los Angeles to fund two scholarships for HBCU students to attend the Public Works Conference in San Diego, Calif. Donald Foulcard, Southern University System, and Opeyemi Fadipe, Morgan State University, won the essay contest and were selected for the awards.

“The Public Works Conference was a transformative experience that provided a platform for learning, collaboration, and inspiration. The collective energy and commitment of all participants, combined with the wealth of knowledge shared, made this event an invaluable opportunity for personal and professional growth.”

—Donald Foulcard, Southern University System

Left to right: Michael Simpson, mentor from Los Angeles Public Works; Donald Foulcard, Southern University System; and Opeyemi Fadipe, Morgan State University

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS $16,000 in scholarships awarded

Eleven utility employees received scholarships to attend the AWWA Leadership Day and Young Professionals Summit in Sacramento, Calif. These award recipients added to the conversation with their experiences and created relationships that will last throughout their water careers. The fourth annual WE Walk event donations made this possible for these young professionals!

Back row—left to right: Terrian Tyler, Michael Fontanez, Ori Miller, David Oguah, Cody Weddon, Nicole Barber, Skylar Reed Front row–left to right: Chareen Hsai, Courtney Trivett, Nicole Martindale, Tigist Yedako

ONE AWWA OPERATOR SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS

2023 One AWWA Operator Scholarships awarded

This scholarship is a partnership with AWWA Sections and provided 50 awards to water and wastewater professionals to use for continuing education and conference attendance.

Water Equation also collaborated with the AWWA Partnership for Safe Water Committee and funded one operator to attend ACE23 in Toronto.

Shawn Tew from the City of Roseburg, Ore., received a travel scholarship to the AWWA Water Smart Innovations Conference.

Ryan Decker from the City of Westminster, Colo., received a travel scholarship to ACE23, AWWA’s biggest event of the year!

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WOMEN FOR WATER CIRCLE OF GIVING K–12 AWARDS Women for Water Circle of Giving Members donate $1,000 each annually to fund K–12 activities in their communities. In 2023, this group awarded $14,000 in funding to these projects: • • • • • • • • •

Rivanna Conservation Alliance, Virginia Broward P3 Eco-Challenge, Florida Pinellas County Education, Florida STEAM Park, New Jersey Seminole High School STEAM Academy, Florida Groundwork Denver, Colorado Prince William Service Authority, Virginia Women’s Foundation of Arkansas Vector Space, Virginia

TRANSFORMATIVE WATER LEADERSHIP ACADEMY (TWLA) Water Equation added funding of this leadership program in the fourth quarter of 2023, and donors responded to it! This 10-month program addresses leadership for drinking water, wastewater, stormwater management, and water reuse.

Participants will learn to balance short- and longterm priorities while creating value for all water stakeholders. The program requires tuition fees and travel, which some participants can’t afford.

TWLA scholarships are available to offset these costs. Giving Tuesday and end-of-year donations raised $5,800 to pay travel costs for these future leaders in 2023.

“Through this academy . . . we’re doing transformative work to help leaders all around the country emerge. I’m excited that the academy will provide me with the tools and resources to grow as a leader, and then to give that back to my community through our programs and resources, as well as to my colleagues who are young professionals.”

—Lily Lopez, Director of External Affairs and Sustainability, Walnut Valley Water District

COMMUNITY ENGINEERING CORPS $25,000 raised by Water Equation donors

Our donors recognize the need for safe water for the 2.2 million people in the United States without access to it. Over $24,000 was raised this year, with major contributions from Ride With Purpose and the Indiana AWWA Section to fund projects managed by AWWA and Engineers Without Borders-USA members. Currently, 60 volunteers are working on 10 water and sanitation projects, (see map above) that will benefit over 61,000 residents. Donations to this program have a positive impact on everyone’s public health.

A better world through better water.

Give a gift today to a water professional.

Water Equation Investing in the Water Workforce