April 23, 2018 - WEF President Jenny Hartfelder blogs about appreciation for volunteers and their contributions to WEF programming and services.
Committees and the volunteers that work in these committees are the backbone of WEF. Currently, WEF has 30 committees that provide an opportunity for volunteers to use their technical knowledge to improve our profession and the water sector. WEF members who are not already engaged in a committee, either on the national or local level, should consider participating. Think of an area of the water sector that interests you, and I am sure you will find a committee in this area. WEF’s committees focus on everything from management to design to operations to biosolids to stormwater to collection systems.
Our volunteers also plan and deliver technical content for WEF events, including the
- Utility Management Conference, Feb. 20–23, San Antonio, Texas;
- Water Resource Recovery Modelling Seminar, March 10–14, Lac Beauport, Quebec, Canada;
- Membrane Technology Conference, March 12–16, West Palm Beach, Fla.;
- Odors and Air Pollutants Conference, March 25–28, Portland, Ore.;
- Collection Systems Conference, April 8–11, Virginia Beach, Va.;
- The Resilience of the Water Sector, May 15–18, Munich;
- Residuals and Biosolids Conference, May 15–18, Phoenix;
- Nutrient Removal and Recovery Conference, June 15–21, Raleigh, N.C.; and
- Disinfection and Reuse Symposium, July 29–31, Portland, Ore.
- WEFTEC 2018, Sept. 30=Oct. 3, New Orleans, La.
Another great way to get involved with WEF is to volunteer at the local level for your Member Association (MA). MAs also have technical committees that help them meet their strategic goals, and these committees need volunteers. Thriving MAs with solid volunteer involvement is critical for the overall strength of WEF.
I cannot thank all our volunteers enough for their service and commitment to WEF and our MAs. We would not be able to deliver such high-quality and varied programming and services without the hard work and dedication of our volunteers and WEF staff. Volunteers work through WEF’s committees, the WEF House of Delegates, and MAs to help WEF achieve its mission and vision. Thank you for your energy and hard work.