Texas H2O Winter 2023

TEX Sh2o | Winter 2023 |



The Official Newsletter of the Texas Section AWWA | Every Drop, Every Day, Everywhere©

Remembering John Burke Page 3

Update on Water 2050 Page 9

Apply for a Conservation & Reuse, Watermark Award Pages 13 & 14

CAC Clean Up Events | Water Conservation License Plate | And More!

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| john burke |

Remembering John Burke

J

ohn Edmund Burke, Sr., a past Texas Section Chair and Honorary Member of AWWA, passed away in the early hours of Thursday, November 17, 2023.

John was born October 5, 1941 in Oklahoma City. He graduated from Texas A&M University in 1963 with a Petroleum Engineering degree. This led to many years in the oil business. In the 1980s he moved to Bastrop, Texas, where he was the General Manager for Aqua Water Supply for 23 years, transforming the utility and local water supplies in Bastrop through his leadership and engagement with elected officials, community leaders, boards, professional colleagues, and employees. Locals and travelers alike

can still see his well-known smiley faced water tanks as they travel through Bastrop County.

After September 11, 2001, the potential threat of attacks and heightened security became issues for utilities. John worked closely with Mike Howe and Cliff Avery to help produce the Texas Section AWWA’s satellite teleconference, "Hardening Targets." He allowed the video crews unlimited but controlled access to Aqua Water Supply Corporation facilities to help illustrate how to reduce CONTINUED PAGE 23 | john burke

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| letter from the texas section chair |

Events Across Texas Texas Section American Water Works Association P.O. Box 80150 Austin, Texas 78708 www.tawwa.org Amy Middleton, Chair 210-510-0888 Karen Menard, Chair-Elect 817-493-5195 Marisa Vergara, Vice-Chair 210-494-8004 Drew Molly, Imm. Past Chair 361-826-1853 Mike Howe Executive Director/Secretary-Treasurer 512-238-9292 Fax: 512-238-0496 mikehowe@tawwa.org This publication is distributed bi-monthly to the more than 4,500 members and friends of the Texas Section – American Water Works Association.

Contributing writers can contact the editor: Elizabeth Rose GCP Association Services, LLC PO Box 676 Pflugerville, TX 78691 512-251-8101 Fax: 512-251-8152 TXh20@tawwa.org

BY AMY MIDDLETON texas section chair

F

all has passed us by, and the holiday season is upon us! The Section has been very active in the last couple of months. I have attended several events, and below are a few highlights.

On October 27th, the North Central Texas Chapter held the 22nd Annual Robert F. Pence Drinking Water Seminar. This was a sold-out event with a great technical presentation lineup.

AMY MIDDLETON Thank you to the Seminar Committee volunteers 210-510-0888 who planned this event, led by the Seminar amiddleton@plummer.com Chair, Andre Garces.

November 3rd was the Texas Section semiannual Board meeting at the Wells Branch MUD Community Center in Central Texas. Our Council, Division and Committee Chairs came together and shared their progress initiatives, and the Executive Committee voted to combine the Panhandle and West Texas Regions into the High Plains Region.

The South Texas Chapter Young Professionals and WEAT Young Professionals co-hosted the Clearing the Water – Career Growth & You CONTINUED PAGE 34 | letter from the texas section chair

The publication name, TexasH2O: © 1996-2023 Texas Section – American Water Works Association, Inc. © 2023 Texas Section – American Water Works Association, Inc.

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| executive director report |

Critical To Our Infrastructure

BY MIKE HOWE tawwa executive director

I

n late November, I had the opportunity to meet with members of the Sam Houston State University Institute for Homeland Security at the City of Horseshoe Bay northwest of Austin. Elston Johnson and Dean Sharp, both former Section Chairs and members of the SETH Project development team, were also at the meeting, along with several folks from the TCEQ and the City of Horseshoe Bay. The team from Sam Houston State conducted an open discussion to assess what were the most important issues currently facing water utilities to determine how they could support existing utility

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Among the many issues we discussed, including continuing supply chain delays, cybersecurity and workforce were two of the MIKE HOWE top issues.

512-238-9292 mikehowe@tawwa.org The discussion on cybersecurity was specifically on point as recent news stories were recounting the attacks on specific Israeli-made system control equipment used in utilities and the effects of ransomware attacks on all critical infrastructure.

One of the universal points made in the discussion was the difficulty in convincing some medium and smaller utilities that they are at risk of hackers gaining access to steal data, disrupt operations, and even cause changes to the water’s chemistry. One of the biggest emerging threats is that once hackers are in, CONTINUED PAGE 30 | executive director report

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| water 2050 |

AWWA Water 2050 - All Think Tank Reports Available

W

ater 2050 is a collaborative initiative to envision the future of water and chart a course for future success and sustainability.

This effort brought together diverse voices to address long term challenges and opportunities in the water sector. AWWA has hosted a series of think tanks, each focusing on a unique driver of change: Sustainability: The first think tank in September 2022 brought together experts from various fields to explore sustainability. Their recommendations included implementing a new water utility paradigm, achieving water circularity, and establishing a climate-resilient water future.

Technology: In December 2022, thought leaders delved into technology's role in the future of water. Recommendations emerged to accelerate innovation, transform water services with next-gen tech, and ensure a secure cyber future.

Economics: January 2023 saw influential voices gathering in New York CONTINUED PAGE 29 | water 2050

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| license plate |

Texas Water Conservation License Plate

N

eed a gift idea for the holidays? Purchase a unique "Save Water, Texas!" conservation license plate! Not only will you share the message of water conservation every day, but you’ll also be helping support future water professionals.

Through our partnership with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, out of the total fee for the specialty plate, $22 comes back to the Section to fund scholarships for families of Texas AWWA members like you. Your small investment helps shape the future of water conservation and the future of water professionals. Go to www.txdmv.gov to purchase yours today!

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| conservation & reuse awards |

Conservation & Reuse Awards Now Open

S

pread the word about your efforts in preserving Texas’ precious water resources by applying for a TAWWA Conservation/Reuse Award! The Water Conservation and Reuse Division of the Texas Section AWWA is seeking applicants that have implemented new or innovative methods for water-use efficiency, water reuse projects, rebate programs or other water saving projects.

Eligible projects must have been conducted or achieved substantial completion by Dec. 31, 2023. You and/or your entity must be a current TAWWA member to apply for this award.

Successful award entries have implemented activities that best support or promote efficient water use. Entries will be judged on innovation,

implementation/execution, transferability, and benefits/results. Water reclamation and reuse projects are eligible for an additional award, the Bob Derrington Reclamation Award.

In preparing your award application statement (no longer than 4 double-spaced pages), please include the following information, as able: • Criteria used to determine the need and potential benefits of the project.

• Planning objectives, strategies, techniques, and resources.

• Implementation methods, difficulties encountered and overcome CONTINUED PAGE 27 | conservation & reuse awards

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| watermark award |

Submit Your Entry for a Watermark Award

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et recognized for effective communication with a Watermark Award! The award is sponsored by the Texas Section AWWA and WEAT and awards will be presented in person at the Texas Water Conference, April 9-12, 2024, in Fort Worth. There are two main award categories: the Watermark Member Award and Watermark Media Award.

Member Award: The Watermark Award for communications excellence recognizes Texas Section AWWA and WEAT members who have produced top quality communications. Effective internal and external communication is essential to a member’s ability to provide excellent service. Today’s water resource professionals must communicate with a variety of audiences to achieve success. Through these

awards, Texas Section AWWA and WEAT hope to heighten awareness among all water resource professionals about the importance of effective communication.

Media Award: The Watermark Award for media excellence is designed to recognize Texas media who have raised the public’s level of understanding of water issues in Texas. Texas media have advanced community understanding and support for water resources significantly by interpreting issues affecting water in our state.

Submit your entry online at https://texaswater. awardsplatform.com. The submission deadline is February 5, 2024.

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| competitions |

Sign up for a Competition at Texas WaterTM 2024

T

exas WaterTM 2024 will be held April 9-12, 2024 at the Fort Worth Convention Center. If you're feeling competitive, don't miss out on signing up for a competition!

Texas AWWA hosts several competitions at Texas Water, and the winners will continue on to represent TAWWA at the AWWA ACE24 competition in Anaheim, California in June.

TAWWA competitions include: • Best-Tasting Drinking Water • Hydrant Hysteria

• Meter Challenge • Pipe Tapping • Top Ops Registration for competitions is free and available online at www.txwater.org.

If you're not participating in a competition, please stop by to cheer on your fellow TAWWA members at the conference! The competition schedule can be found in the online conference preview posted at www.txwater.org when registration opens in January.

We hope to see you in April in Fort Worth!

Keep up with the latest events at www.tawwa.org www.tawwa.org

TEXASh2o WINTER 2023 | 17 |

| cac creek adoption |

CAC Adopts Section of Creek in Austin

A

s part of Keep Austin Beautiful, the Capital Area Chapter of TAWWA, in collaboration with WEAT's Central Texas Section, has adopted 0.41 miles of Tannehill Branch West within Bartholomew Park in Austin. Over the next two year, they will have a creek clean-up event once a quarter to pick up trash and potentially clear out invasive species. For each event, the Chapter will provide trash bags, grabbers, gloves and bug spray.

The next clean-up dates are scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024 from 9 am-12 pm and Saturday, March 23, 2024. Registration will be available on www.tawwa.org closer to the event dates.

| 18 | WINTER 2023 TEXASh2o

During the second clean-up held on Saturday, Nov. 11, volunteers picked up 37 bags of trash, in addition to a wooden pallet, tires and an air mattress.

www.tawwa.org

| awwa subscription |

AWWA Discounted Annual Webinar Subscription

A

ccess a wealth of webinars all year long and stay in-the-know about water industry trends and advancements with AWWA's 2024 Webinar Subscription. With two subscription options available, you or your organization can take advantage of this valuable training opportunity. All webinars are recorded, so if you miss a live session or want to rewatch a favorite, you'll have access to the recordings.

AWWA is offering a limited time opportunity for members to purchase individual webinar subscriptions at a discounted price of only $195 per person. Sign up today to get this $1,500 value for less than the cost of 3 webinars! While the subscription is available year-

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round, the discounted offer expires January 31, 2024.

AWWA member prices: • $195 per person (Individual subscription) • $2900 (Group subscription, access for everyone in your organization) To see the list of tentatively schedule webinars and to register, visit https://www.awwa.org/webinars/ subscribe.

TEXASh2o WINTER 2023 | 21 |

| idww |

NCT Shares Message of Imagine a Day Without Water

N

orth Central Texas Chapter Education and Outreach Chair Helen Dulac and TAWWA Education Division Competitions Committee Chair Gabe Trejo recently visited 42 fifth graders at Rosemont Elementary School in Dallas.

These dual language students entered the Imagine a Day Without Water art contest. In support of IDWW, the duo talked about how people, plants and animals all need water. The students learned about the value of water, secrets of water and wastewater treatment and all the careers available in the water industry.

There was an extended Q&A session in each class and Gabe was able to converse with the students in English and in Spanish. WEAT supplied a gift package for the teacher and decals, pens and water conservation literature for everyone. The students also took home an NCT TAWWA reusable straw.

| 22 | WINTER 2023 TEXASh2o

TAWWA's Gabe Trejo and Helen Dulac visited fifth graders at Rosemont Elementary School in Dallas in support of Imagine a Day Without Water.

www.tawwa.org

| john burke |

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 | john burke intrusion risks at utilities. The program was distributed nationwide and recognized as one of the few training programs to directly help utilities during uncertain times. John’s willingness to help produce "Hardening Targets" provided utilities unmatched information and the program was the recipient of an AWWA Education Award John served through the offices of the Executive Committee of Texas Section AWWA from 2006 through 2010, serving as chair of the Section from 2008-2009. He also served as a member of the Water Utility Council (2003-2018), a member and chairman of the Small Systems Committee (1998-2000) and a member of the Legislative Committee (2000-2018).

Throughout his career, John participated in Texas statewide legislation on behalf of TAWWA to help shape and impact municipal water supply regulation, by serving as an advisor to legislators and testifying before the Senate and House Natural Resource committees on water legislation issues. He had direct impact on shaping Texas water supply planning, from inception of original legislation (Senate Bill 1 in 1997) in which he testified to the Texas legislature, advocating for the process.

He was the Chair of the Lower Colorado Regional Region K Planning Group for over 22 years. He also served as Chair on numerous other boards: Lost Pines Ground Water Conservation District, Legislative Water Conservation Implementation Task Force, Colorado River Alliance, Austin Area Research Organization, Boy Scouts of America, Bastrop Chamber of Commerce and was a vestry member at his church.

His lifetime was undoubtedly well-lived, and his accomplishments have had a positive impact on Texas, leaving behind a legacy that is truly worthy of honor. He was particularly proud of his work for water conservation in the state of Texas and protection of our aquifers.

John’s contribution to the Texas Water Community is clearly unmatched. We will all miss his grand sense of humor and his infectious laugh.

Mike Howe TAWWA Executive Director

www.tawwa.org

TEXASh2o WINTER 2023 | 23 |

| yp summit |

Registration Open for AWWA's YP Summit

T

he annual AWWA/WEF Young Professionals (YP) Summit is the premier water and wastewater industry workshop for young professionals. Join other young leaders by exploring your role in water and discussing how you can best serve the water sector at large.

The 2024 YP Summit will be held Feb. 11-13, 2024, in Portland, Oregon. The YP Summit is co-located with the 2024 Utility Management Conference. YP Summit and UMC registrations are both located at the Oregon Convention Center.

This is a skills development workshop that provides supplemental training and networking opportunities to

| 24 | WINTER 2023 TEXASh2o

emerging leaders and students in the water sector.

All students and young professionals in waterrelated roles are encouraged to join.

Find out more information and register today at https://www.awwa.org/Events-Education/YoungProfessionals-Summit.

www.tawwa.org

| cac seminar | CP&Y is doing business as

Capital Area Chapter Seminar February 9, 2024 8 am to 4:30 pm

City of Austin Permitting and Development Center 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Dr Austin, TX 78752 Early Bird Registration through Jan. 5: $100 Student/Retiree Registration: $25 Sponsorship opportunities available

Making Communities Better •Treatment, Pumping, Distribution and Collection •Mechanical, Structural and Architectural •Electrical and SCADA Programming •Survey, SUE and Environmental Permitting •Construction Management and Engineering Inspections

For more information and to register visit: www.tawwa.org/event/ cacseminar2024

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| cac monster trash pick up |

CAC Annual Monster Trash Pick Up

O

n the weekend after Halloween, twelve young professionals (including two visiting from WEAT San Antonio Section!) paired up in kayaks to clean up Lady Bird Lake. A total of 68 lbs of trash was recovered from the shores after a rained-out Halloween weekend flushed debris along the waterway.

Participants enjoyed coffee and breakfast tacos before getting on the water, and afterwards awards were given out for the categories of Largest Volume of Trash, Most Unique Piece of Trash, and 1st Place and 2nd Place Best Costumes.

Thank you to Freese & Nichols for sponsoring this cleanup event.

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| conservation & reuse awards |

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13 | conservation & reuse awards • Extent to which project objectives were met, results • For DIRECT (quantifiable) projects – volume of water saved or reused, and (if applicable/available) savings in water purchase costs or treatment costs.

• For INDIRECT (nonquantifiable) projects – description of program’s success measures.

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Also include a summary of the project, not to exceed 250 words, to be used in the printed awards program.

Awards will be presented in person at the Texas Water Conference, April 9-12, 2024, in Fort Worth.

Submit your entry online at https://texaswater.awardsplatform.com.

The deadline to submit your entry is February 5, 2024.

www.tawwa.org

TEXASh2o WINTER 2023 | 27 |

Registration now open at www.tawwa.org SAVE THE DATE

HALF-DAY SEMINAR

HOSTED BY:

February 15, 2024 8:30 AM to 2:00PM

Norris Conference Center 816 Town and Country Blvd Houston, TX 77024

REGIONAL WATER AUTHORITY KEYNOTE PANEL Venus Price, PE Moderator City of Houston

SPONSORSHIP CO-EVENT SPONSOR - $3,000 2 available Acknowledgment as title sponsor on the program and all other signage. 8 tickets & 1 table (8 seats)

GOLD - $2,000

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8 tickets & 1 table (8 seats) reserved with corporate logo display

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| water 2050 |

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9 | water 2050 City to reimagine the water economy, embrace innovative economic models, and mobilize the water community for economic sustainability.

Governance: In February and March 2023, experts in Washington, D.C. discussed governance principles for a successful and sustainable water future. Their recommendations span the implementation of a "One Water" governance approach, optimized utility models, and collaboration focused on governance innovation.

Social/Demographics: The final think tank in April 2023 in Birmingham, Alabama, engaged industry experts and academics in an exploration of social and demographic shifts. Participants proposed a community-centric water management approach, sustainable services through collaboration, and innovative solutions for equitable water access. Thank

you to everyone who put a lot of hours into the think tanks and the resulting reports!

For more information, additional resources, and to download the think tank reports, visit the Water 2050 page: https://www.awwa.org/Resources-Tools/ Water-2050

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TEXASh2o WINTER 2023 | 29 |

| executive director report |

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 | executive director report they can then target systems using Artificial Intelligence to generate the codes to seize control. Our discussion revolved around developing sound and easily delivered training to help utilities conduct regular assessments, train staff, and develop protocols to operate during an event and restore operations more quickly. We are planning on meeting and working with the group from Sam Houston State after the New Year.

We also discussed the ongoing utility workforce issues. This gave us the opportunity to update all on the status of the SETH Project. SETH stands for ScienceEngineering-Technical-Health and is our unique project to present the TEEXs Basic Water training via a series of well-crafted videos to high school students statewide.

As of this writing, nine of ten chapters are complete.

TCEQ recently added the requirement for a tenth chapter on Utility Resiliency, so we developed our

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own additional chapter, which is in final editing/postproduction. Currently, TCEQ has approved all but chapters number nine and ten. As we enter the New Year, production on all chapters is nearly complete.

We are currently building the online Learning Management System for high school educators to manage the training in their respective high schools.

We have added part-time staff to manage the system buildout and work with the educators once we are ready to launch. We are also working with numerous school districts to bring SETH into their curriculum, as well as local utilities to help connect with local school district staff.

THE ASK We need all our members to help us connect with more school districts. If you are interested in helping us launch the SETH project or to learn more about SETH, please go to https://www.tawwa.org/page/SETH and scroll down to the form at https://www.tawwa.org/ page/SETHProjectInterest Your help is needed!

We are CLOSE!

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| 30 | WINTER 2023 TEXASh2o

www.tawwa.org

| texas water 2024 |

Save the Date!!

Texas WaterTM 2024 April 9-12, 2024 Fort Worth Convention Center Attendee registration and the Conference Preview will be available in January 2024

www.txwater.org

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| new members |

TAWWA Welcomes New Members Joining Oct. 1–Nov. 30, 2023 Kamran Abbas San Marcos, TX

Jack Bedell Fort Worth, TX

Steve Daniels Itasca, TX

Ran Gao Austin, TX

Jessica Hester Trinity, TX

Christa Lopez Arlington, TX

Abdullahi Abdulsalam El Paso, TX

Dustyn Berkowski Dallas, TX

Brooke Dominici Bryan, TX

Rafael Garcia Carrollton, TX

Dylan Hightower The Woodlands, TX

Elena Lundeen College Station, TX

Mina Aghababaei San Antonio, TX

Megan Boneck Brock, TX

Harrison Duban Dallas, TX

Robert Garza Rosenberg, TX

John Himanen Dallas, TX

Sean Macphee Richardson, TX

Christopher Angel Dyess AFB, TX

Laurie Brewer Georgetown, TX

Jennifer Dussor Dallas, TX

Jose Gonzalez Euless, TX

William Hines Dallas, TX

Eric Martinez Lewisville, TX

Rory Ashurst Corpus Christi, TX

Brian Cancino Seguin, TX

Geoffrey Espineli El Paso, TX

Joseph Grano Austin, TX

HK Dredging LLC The Woodlands, TX

Annika Maynard The Woodlands, TX

Belinda Balderas Corpus Christi, TX

Hector Chacon El Paso, TX

Rafael Fabela Grand Prairie, TX

Alan Guerra San Antonio, TX

Will Hobbs Longview, TX

Elyse Melton Houston, TX

Anthony Bangs El Paso, TX

Zehao Chen College Station, TX

Vincent Fenlin Fort Worth, TX

Homa Hadi Lewisville, TX

Yifan Huang Austin, TX

Brister Merritt Grand Prairie, TX

Moise Baraka Lubbock, TX

Maximilian Cobos Houston, TX

Susann Fortney Westlake, TX

Warren Harding Addison, TX

Trevor Jennings League City, TX

Virginia Montier-Burke College Station, TX

Crystal Barrera Boerne, TX

Billy Coffelt Fort Worth, TX

Daisy Fuentes Corpus Christi, TX

Hank Harrington Houston, TX

Scott Kisner Dallas, TX

Martin Noriega El Paso, TX

Samuel Baucom Kyle, TX

Enrique Cuarenta San Marcos, TX

Enrique Fuentes El Paso, TX

Julie Herrera Keller, TX

Jason Little Crane, TX

Estela Ornelas Dallas, TX

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| 32 | WINTER 2023 TEXASh2o

www.tawwa.org

| new members |

TAWWA Welcomes New Members Shwetha Pandurangi Austin, TX

Jocelyn Saucedo Katy, TX

Glenda Sylvien Houston, TX

Peter Purdy Fort Worth, TX

Hector Sepulveda El Paso, TX

Mickey Tucker Grand Prairie, TX

Jennifer Reyna Houston, TX

Jacob Silva San Marcos, TX

Connor Turan Fort Worth, TX

Casey Roberts Spring, TX

Raheem Simpson Fort Worth, TX

Emmanuel Villegas San Antonio, TX

Klade Rodriguez Satin, TX

David Smith The Woodlands, TX

Jenny Vu Houston, TX

Raine Rosprim Amarillo, TX

Ryan Stubbs El Paso, TX

Kirk Winter Denton, TX

Katia Sanchez McAllen, TX

Kristian Sugrim Kennedale, TX

Soren Zomorodi Dallas, TX

Want to see your ad here?

Advertise in TEXASh2o!

Contact Tracy at 512-251-8101 or tracy@gcptexas.net today!

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NEW TANKS (270) 826-9000 ext. 2601 EXISTING TANKS (270) 826-9000 ext. 4601

TEXASh2o WINTER 2023 | 33 |

| letter from the texas section chair |

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 | letter from the texas section chair Fall Forum on November 13th. The focus of the forum was to promote informed decisions on expectations within the workplace and individuals’ priorities, and to increase transparency and communication between supervisors and employees regarding compensation and role responsibilities.

A pre-forum survey was conducted that raised a very engaging discussion with the attendees. Realtime polls were conducted, including the development of a word cloud to depict the responsibilities and priorities of a good leader. Citali Martinez, Anissa Calamaco, Imaya Farrell, and Eric Kong—congratulations on a fantastic event!

| 34 | WINTER 2023 TEXASh2o

I will continue to enjoy visiting Chapter events and looking forward to see you all soon. Texas Water is just around the corner, and the conference committee is putting together a great event.

Happy New Year, and I wish you the best 2024!

www.tawwa.org

| calendar |

What’s Happening Across Texas DATE

ACTIVITY

TIME

LOCATION

INFORMATION

FEB 9

Capital Area Chapter Seminar 2024

8 am-4:30 pm

City of Austin Permitting and Development Center

www.tawwa.org

FEB 15

2024 Southeast Half Day Seminar

8:30 am-2 pm

Norris Conference Center Houston

www.tawwa.org

FEB 21

NCT Tappin' it in Texas Pipe Tapping Event

5:30-8:30 pm

TBD

www.tawwa.org

MARCH 1

2024 Bingo for Bags

5:30-9 pm

Aggie Park San Antonio

www.tawwa.org

APR 9-12

Texas WaterTM 2024

Fort Worth Convention Center

www.txwater.org

Want to share your event with the Texas water community?

Contact Mike Howe, 512-238-9292, or mikehowe@tawwa.org.

Check the Section’s website, www.tawwa.org, for the latest information on Section activities.

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TEXASh2o WINTER 2023 | 35 |

TEXASh2o

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