CASA Conference Keynote: PPIC President Tani Cantil-Sakauye
Wrap-up summer with your colleagues in San Diego at CASA’s Annual Conference, August 9-11, with a chance to hear from Tani Cantil-Sakauye, president and CEO of the Public Policy Institute of California and former Chief Justice of California. Registration is still open!

Register for the conference.

CASA is pleased to share that our 2023 Keynote Speaker will be Tani Cantil-Sakauye, Pesident and CEO of the Public Policy Institute of California. From 2011 to 2022, she served as the 28th Chief Justice of California and led the judiciary as the chair of the Judicial Council—the constitutional policy and rule making body of the judicial branch—the first person of color and the second woman to do so. Before she was elected statewide as the Chief Justice of California, she served more than 20 years on California appellate and trial courts and was appointed or elevated to higher office by three governors. Earlier in her career she served as a deputy district attorney for the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office and on the senior staff of Governor Deukmejian, first as deputy legal affairs secretary and later as a deputy legislative secretary.

Check out our preliminary program to see the other great speakers, panels, and presentations available during CASA’s 2023 Annual Conference and register today! We hope to see you there!

 

Learn More About the 2023-24 CASA Mentorship Program
CASA is delighted to share that we will be continuing the CASA Mentoring Program in 2023-24 after another successful year. Join us as a mentor or mentee to inspire others, share knowledge and drive change! Want to learn more? Register today for one of our virtual information sessions on Monday, July 31, from 12:00pm – 12:30pm or Wednesday, August 16, from 11:30am – 12:00pm.

Ready to apply? Follow this link to the mentor or mentee application.

*Registration Closes on August 31*

We anticipate spots to fill quickly, so be sure to apply for the mentoring program today!

For questions, contact CASA’s Manager of Communications, Alyssa Downs at adowns@casawaeb.org.

This 11-month comprehensive program, kicking off in October and concluding in August 2024, serves to connect clean water professionals from across the state of California. Working with Core Consulting, which has a depth of experience developing mentoring and training programs working with public agencies, CASA will match mentor/mentee pairs based on their professional goals, preferences, and experience. The program is open to both associates and agency members. Want to learn more? Join us for a virtual information session on Monday, July 31, from 12:00pm – 12:30pm or Wednesday, August 16, from 11:30am – 12:00pm and be sure to visit the CASA LEAD webpage! If you already know you are interested in this program for the upcoming year, please email Alyssa Downs (adowns@casaweb.org) so we can add you to our interest list.

 

CASA Launches HR + Workforce Development Focused Group
CASA is excited to announce the launch of our first workgroup and LISTSERV dedicated to human resources and workforce development related issues! It has become clear in recent years that topics related to retention, recruitment, and leadership are top of mind for local clean water agencies. This new group will provide members with an opportunity to discuss these issues with your fellow California agencies. If you are interested in joining this workgroup, please email Cheryl MacKelvie (cmackelvie@casaweb.org) directly. Some of the areas we hope to focus on include:

  • Professional development and attracting and retaining clean water sector workers;
  • Updates on the local agency High Road Training Partnership grant opportunities;
  • Suggestions for future workshops, webinars, or CASA Conference content focused on workforce issues;
  • A forum for local agencies to ask questions and share knowledge;
  • Ties to the CASA Education Foundation scholarship program;
  • Input into the CASA Leadership, Education, Advancement and Development (LEAD) Program, including the CASA Mentorship Program.

We hope that participants can help drive the discussion, so this list is not exhaustive, but the first step is getting your agencies involved. We hope to have our first workgroup meeting in September and will be in touch in the coming weeks!

 

CASA Article on PFAS Featured in Western City Magazine
CASA recently contributed an article on PFAS to the League of California Cities’ magazine, Western City. CASA’s Adam Link authored the article titled “Efforts to limit ‘forever chemicals’ are underway. What does this mean for cities?”, discussing how “Forever chemicals” have prompted major lawsuits and state and federal legislative action and what this means for cities. Check out the publication here and reach out to Adam Link with any questions or comments.