Annual Conference Recap
CASA’s Annual Conference held at the Resort at Squaw Creek was a resounding success! Together with some of the clean water sector’s best and brightest, we focused on the future and prepared for new challenges, staying true to our conference theme “Elevating Excellence”. Thank you to all the speakers, moderators and panelists who joined us to share their knowledge and experiences with CASA members.

For those who were unable to attend, check out our website to view the informative presentations and handouts shared by our speakers and panelists.

We kicked off the first day of the conference with concurrent general sessions focusing on microplastics, wastewater-based epidemiology, PFAS, renewable energy and climate action. On day two we heard from keynote speaker Eugenio Alemán, Chief Economist for the Investment Strategy group at Raymond James, on what to expect from inflation and the economy, and a variety of topics that provide crucial economic perspective extending beyond the water sector. During the Thursday afternoon session, we got the opportunity to congratulate and hear from the agencies and associates who received the CASA Award of Excellence in 2022, as well as the recipients of the 2022 CASA Education Foundation Scholarships. Read more about all the winners and recipients in the following article.

Friday morning, we received state and federal legislative updates and learned more about what we can expect moving forward in the 2022 legislative session and in Washington D.C. in the coming months. The conference concluded with the passing of the gavel and installment of CASA’s new Board President, Georgean Vonheeder-Leopold. Congratulations Georgean!

Thank you everyone who attended CASA’s 67th Annual Conference! We look forward to seeing you at the CASA Winter Conference in Palm Springs in January.

CASA 2022 Award of Excellence
Congratulations to the recipients of CASA’s 2022 Awards of Excellence! CASA is proud to recognize the hard work your agencies do to provide an invaluable service to California communities.

Excellence in Innovation and Resiliency

Public Outreach and Education

Organizational Excellence

Outstanding Capital Project

To see the full list of award applicants and a description of their projects check out the Awards Brochure. Interested in submitting your project? Mark your calendar! We will begin accepting applications for the 2023 Awards of Excellence in March: CASA Awards Program.

 

CASA Acknowledges 2022 Education Foundation Scholarship Recipients
The CASA Education Foundation was formed to enhance the future of California’s clean water community by attracting new professionals into the clean water sector through scholarships. Students pursuing higher education in engineering, environmental science, public administration, or other related fields, who show an interest in serving the clean water community are eligible to apply. The CASA Education Foundation presented $5,000 scholarships to four worthy students in 2022, including the inaugural Bruce Wolfe scholarship. Learn more about the scholarship recipients and view their thank you videos below.

Mika Mar – University of the Pacific

Rachel Eising – California State University, Sacramento

Ria Jain – University of California, Berkeley 

Inaugural Bruce Wolfe Scholarship Recipient 

Mackenzie Cin – University of California, Santa Cruz

 

Learn About CASA’s Committees!
Participating in CASA’s Committees is an excellent way to contribute to the clean water community and get the most out of your agency’s CASA membership. Most CASA Committee seats are two-year terms, but some committees may have openings throughout the year. If you are interested in subscribing to any of the Committee LISTSERVs or learning more about our various committees, please email Cheryl MacKelvie at cmackelvie@casaweb.org and identify the committee you are interested in. Below please find a brief description of each Committee:

  • Associates Committee – The associates committee provides a forum for associate (private sector) members to network, learn about new technologies and capital projects, discuss issues of interest and assist CASA with special projects.
  • Attorneys Committee – The attorneys committee provides a forum for discussion of legal issues and an opportunity for continuing education for members of the local wastewater agency bar. The committee approves CASA’s participation as a friend of the court in litigation and provides recommendations to the Board of Directors regarding participation in litigation as a party. The committee also provides input to the state and federal legislative committees on measures that require legal expertise.
  • Communications Committee – The committee assists CASA in its mission to provide excellent service to its members in the areas of education, outreach and public information. The committee draws on its expertise in communications and public relations to directly and indirectly support CASA members through preparation of toolkits and materials, hosting workshops, presentations at conferences, coaching on best practices and development of strategies and information campaigns.
  • Federal Legislative Committee – The federal legislative committee establishes CASA’s position on proposed federal legislation and executive branch policies. The committee also assists in planning the program for the annual Washington D.C. policy forum and collaborates with other associations on the development of federal policy proposals.
  • Program Committee – The program committee assists in planning the program themes, focus, content, and speakers for CASA’s two major conferences held in January and August.
  • State Legislative Committee – The state legislative committee establishes the association’s position on proposed state legislation and ballot measures and assists in the development of annual public policy priorities and sponsored legislation.