Join CSWEA
By Patrick McNamara
Do you ever feel rejuvenated and totally exhausted at the same time? I do, and I think that is the tell-tale sign of another fantastic CSWEA Annual Meeting. There’s a flow of energy you feel when you get to interact with familiar faces, and it feels like yesterday that the previous meeting occurred. Former CSWEA President, Tracey Hodel, noted that this is the best conference around and it feels like one big family. I agree, and family takes a lot of work and energy. The energy we all get out of attending the annual meeting and being a part of CSWEA is due to the enormous amount of energy that so many people put into it. We all reap the rewards of the collective input, and the joy so many people feel is the result of seeing the fruits of their efforts.
I remember my early events years ago and how nervous I was to walk into a room full of people that were so well connected, knew so much, and clearly felt like they belonged. It takes time to feel comfortable, and it takes people who welcome and mentor you to get that family feeling. If you are reading this, chances are you have been to an event, which now means you are a person who can invite and welcome others into the group. The mantra I’m following for this year is “Let’s Grow Together.” It’s very likely someone brought you into this organization. If each of us found two new people to bring into the organization we could triple our membership (reaching for the stars here), grow our family, enhance networking opportunities, and ultimately our profession as stewards for water. You can let people know to click on “Join CSWEA” when they go to www.cswea.org. When you reach out to a potential new member, be sure to let them know of an event or committee they can join right away. Engaged members are much more likely to stay involved, and we have a lot of neat opportunities coming up in the WI State Section of CSWEA.
What better way to get acquainted with our state section than a Brewers Game with tailgate on August 28? We had a great turnout last year. This event is labelled as a Young Professional (YP) event, but all are welcome. If you aren’t a YP, come and bring some YPs so they meet other new faces. We also have a slew of seminars this summer. The Watertown Classic Collection System Seminar is on June 6, the Northwoods Collection System Seminar is July 25 in Marshfield, the Cross-Sector Wastewater Surveillance Workshop is July 24 and July 25 in Madison, the Industrial Pretreatment Seminar is August 7, and The Management Seminar is August 15. We also have the family-friendly planning event “CSWEA CSX” held in the Dells on July 18-19.
I look forward to growing our organization together and taking time to welcome and meet the new faces you bring in. I hope you get a chance to feel rejuvenated and even exhausted at times in all the good ways because there is nothing quite like summer.
To provide a Water Environment Federation (WEF) organization (Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin) offering multiple opportunities for the exchange of water quality knowledge and experiences among its members and the public and to foster a greater awareness of water quality achievements and challenges.
Connect With Us
ahaque@cswea.org
(855) MYCSWEA (692-7932)