Make Plans to Attend TRWA's Summer Conferences By Lisa Gallo, Meeting and Events Planner, Texas Rural Water Association
TRWA's 2020 Office Professionals Conference is Going Virtual
R
egistration is now open for TRWA's first virtual conference — our 2020 Office Professionals Conference!
As the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve, our board made the decision in mid-April to cancel our in-person event in San Antonio for the safety of our guests and our staff. Instead, we will be bringing the same top-quality educational programming directly to you! The conference will now be held the mornings of June 1-4 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The program will consist of two educational sessions each day, followed by a choice of two 30-minute interactive roundtables, for a total of eight educational sessions and four roundtables by the end of the week. All attendees will also receive a link to a full recording of the conference and written responses to questions once the event is over. The Office Professionals Conference has been specially tailored to provide training in areas that will directly benefit water and wastewater utility office staff. Topics were requested by prior attendees, so we are confident our sessions will bring you the relevant and timely information you need to get the job done. This years topics include legal hot topics, social media for utilities, TCEQ compliance inspections, handling delinquent customers, and more! We will also include a session on cybersecurity that satisfies the new House Bill 3834 cybersecurity training requirement for districts and cities. For a full agenda with topic descriptions, please visit www.trwa.org and click on the "Conferences" tab. We hope to see you there!
On the Galveston Horizon — Training & Technical Conference
W
hile our board continues to evaluate the COVID-19 situation and the well-being of our guests, TRWA’s Training and Technical Conference is currently on course to be held in Galveston on July 15-16. If this remains a live conference, TRWA will ensure protective measures are in place including social distancing measures in the classroom set-ups, wrapped and pre-packaged food and beverages, requiring masks and offering hand sanitizer stations. We also plan to include virtual learning and engagement opportunities for those individuals who are more comfortable participating remotely this year. This conference has been specifically tailored to provide training in areas that will ensure water utility operators are up to date on the latest technical issues, while also including sessions that are relevant to directors, managers and other staff. There is something for everyone, so you don’t want to miss these informative and timely sessions! Pre-conference courses include three operator trainings, Customer Service Inspections & CrossConnection Control, Water Utility Safety, Water Utility Management and Public Funds Investment Act (PFIA) Training. These trainings will be held at the Hilton Hotel beginning Monday, July 13. Operator training courses range from 16 hours to 20 hours each, and Public Funds Investment act initial and renewal courses range from four to six hours. These sessions each require separate registration fees. The conference begins on Wednesday, July 15, and offers a wide range of courses. Topics include the use of drones in the water industry, variable frequency drives and soft starters and digital solutions for daily operations. There will be an Information Security Awareness Training that satisfies the training requirement mandated by H.B. 3834 for districts and cities, and participants will obtain a certificate of completion documenting their attendance. Water and wastewater operator certification credit has been requested from TCEQ for the conference topics. The full agenda can be viewed on our website at www.trwa.org. 26
Quench — 2020 - Issue 2
