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The ASDSO: Advocating for Dam Safety Nationwide
ASDSO’s 2018–2019 board of directors at the Johnstown Flood Museum in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
T
he Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO) was founded in 1984 after a string of high-profile dam failures to aid each state in improving its dam safety regulatory program. Since then, it has helped state dam safety agencies communicate with one another and adopt best practices, conducted training, and engaged in awareness raising and legislative advocacy. In this interview, ASDSO Executive Director Lori Spragens speaks with Municipal Water Leader about the organization’s history and activities and about the prospects for increased dam safety funding on the federal and state levels.
Lori Spragens: I have been the executive director of ASDSO for about 30 years. When I was in grad school, I had an internship with a national nonprofit organization
Municipal Water Leader: Following the 1979 executive order, how did dam safety coordination change? What role did ASDSO play?
28 | MUNICIPAL WATER LEADER
PHOTOS COURTESY OF ASDSO.
Municipal Water Leader: Please tell us about your background and how you came to be in your current position.
headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky, called the Council of State Governments (CSG), which conducts research to support all three branches of state government and has a number of affiliate associations. ASDSO emerged in the wake of a 1979 executive order issued by President Jimmy Carter that mandated dam safety coordination throughout federal agencies and departments. The CSG was engaged to help support the launch of the new organization. As an intern, I was assigned to help with this initiative. Eventually, ASDSO matured to the degree that it was able to move from under the umbrella of the CSG, and I chose to stay with it. In the ensuing years, we received a great deal of support from the University of Kentucky, including office space, and our headquarters have remained in Lexington, Kentucky.
