Message from the Chair

Recognizing Excellence and Hard Work

By Shanna Czeck

There is so much I love about summer – the warmth and sunshine, the vibrant colors, the sweet smell of flowers. I feel like things slow down and speed up simultaneously. The pace can be slower when gathering with family and friends or taking in a concert or a game. This can feel really refreshing and helps me recharge. The pace can also be much, much faster when the construction season arrives and planning for budgets and next year’s project begins. With all the busyness, it can be a challenge to find time for it all. I hope that you all have been able to find a good balance and are moving towards fall feeling like you got to check things off your bucket list, both professionally and personally!

The Minnesota Section has been busy in a really great way. There have been gatherings and planning is underway for several events like the Conference on the Environment and the 99th CSWEA Annual Meeting. The Minnesota Exchange (MNX) was held in June. Attendees learned about the section budget, committee chairs gave updates, and upcoming section business was discussed. We were able to fill several committee chair spots and now the Section is operating with all positions filled – both among officers and committee chairs. This is excellent news, and we are looking forward to progressing initiatives that were discussed during the meeting.
Sometimes it’s hard to keep the momentum going through the summer and into the fall. With so much happening in our day to day lives – it seems that we are constantly doing more with less. Managing limited resources, juggling multiple priorities, and staying focused under pressure are required to make progress towards completing projects and initiatives. It takes creativity, efficiency and resiliency to make this progress. Professionals in our industry exhibit these characteristics every day. We do work that is behind the scenes, and often underappreciated, but the services that we provide are critical to the communities we serve.
Each year, we have an opportunity to recognize professionals in our industry for the outstanding work they do. Recognizing individuals by nominating them for an award is a powerful gesture. It not only celebrates their achievements but also reinforces a culture of appreciation and excellence within our organization. There are awards that recognize all areas of our field and they are available at the CSWEA and WEF levels. The nomination process is straightforward and is available on the CSWEA website. I encourage you to reach out to myself or any of the section leadership if you want to learn more about the nomination process!!