Texas Section Level Awardees

TAWWA nominated several members for national awards and we'd like to recognize these SectionLevel awardees.

Diversity and Inclusion Award: Recognizes an individual, group or organization that has created, promoted and maintained diversity and inclusion by establishing an environment that recognizes, encourages and effectively utilizes each individual’s talents.

Stephanie Corso and Rogue Water boldly demonstrate how curiosity, authenticity and empathy can create diverse and inclusive connections to share the universal stories of water, build relationships and grow the water community for all. Corso and Rogue Water have created a fresh landscape for water communications. Their focus on human-centric solutions works to rebuild the trust, support and buy-in necessary for a resilient water future. Corso respects and promotes diversity both personally and professionally and demonstrates and promotes how different backgrounds and experiences can blend together for better solutions and decision making.

The City of Sugar Land’s initiatives around diversity, equity and inclusion are a testament to the community, leadership and their employees. The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion program was created to develop and manage the city’s DEI initiatives and serve as both a resource and advocate for the values of diversity, equity and inclusion for all city employees. The program promotes and supports the organizationalwide understanding of diversity, equity and inclusion as a strategy for employee empowerment, development and success. Additionally, a critical component of DEI is to establish a long-term cultural shift to recognize and celebrate staff diversity and ensure that equity and inclusion principles lead daily operations and foster an open dialogue.

Dr. John Leal Award Nominee: Recognizes an individual for distinguished service to the water profession in commemoration of the sound medical/ public health expertise and the courageous leadership advancing public health that characterized the life of Dr. John L. Leal.

Stacy Walters, with the City of Fort Worth, has continued to strive to increase the awareness of public health through the advancements of water innovations made by trailblazers like Dr. Leal. While working with Fort Worth Water, Walters has worked as a chemist, quality supervisor, water quality manager, and currently as regulatory and environmental administrator. Her various roles have played an integral part in the maintenance and support of public health for the utility.

John Lechner Award of Excellence: Recognizes a Section Service Provider Member who has demonstrated exemplary service to the drinking water community and to AWWA’s mission and goals.

Cliff Avery is recently retired from GCP Association Services, LLC, the successful enterprise he founded in 1990. The company continues to provide service — conference planning and support, newsletter publishing, electronic media curating, back-office operations, and day-to-day management — to several statewide associations in Texas, including the Texas Section of the American Water Works Association.

Five Under Five Nominees: Recognizes and honors young professional members of AWWA who have demonstrated outstanding service to their Section or Association through leadership and active participation in AWWA YP programs.

Andrew Swirsky has been a strong contributor to the water industry and AWWA since joining in 2017. He was initially involved in the young professionals group, including fundraisers and giving technical sessions for other young professionals. He supported the Texas Water conference as the finance chair in 2019 when it was hosted in Houston. He is regularly involved in current local AWWA events including leading the annual Larry Kelm fundraising golf tournament to support Southeast Texas AWWA activities all year round. At the association level, he is on the AWWA Digital Twins committee to advance his passions of merging data and water for helping utilities around the county.

Stefanie Massey has been volunteering with AWWA since the beginning of her career in the water industry. She has made numerous contributions in the Texas Section and North Central Texas (NCT) Chapter and is dedicated toward benefiting the YPs through AWWA YP programs. She has been very active in the NCT Chapter of TAWWA for over ten years. She has served as the communications, arrangements and programs committee chairs prior to serving as secretary, vice olsson.com president, president, past president and now, competitions committee co-chair. Currently, she serves as the regional activities chair at the Texas Section level assisting the growing number of chapters in the section. Massey has also been active in planning the annual NCT TAWWA Pipe Tapping Invitational since its inception in 2017, currently serves on the NCT Drinking Water Seminar committee and supports the NCT Scholarship Committee chair in reviewing Texas Section scholarship applications.