December 2007
December 19th, 2007
We tend to think of the holiday season as the time of giving – and it is, but all year ‘round BCWWA members are involved in providing one of the most valuable gifts of all, water, to family, to friends, to strangers. The work that our members do to protect our water resources, to manage our water and wastewater systems and to pass along the information that we have is one of the greatest gifts anyone could give. We are lucky that these gifts are given over and over. Thanks!
BCWWA’s charity of choice, Water For People, continues the giving by providing resources to assist communities around the world to access and manage their water. Donations from BCWWA are hard at work in Guatamala even now. I am proud to be part of a group that provides such an important gift.
All the best holiday wishes from BCWWA to current and future members, to volunteers and to the families who support all of these people’s involvement in the initiatives of BCWWA. Together we are making an important difference, at Christmas and throughout the year.
December 12th, 2007
An association, like BCWWA, is an organization of people who have a common interest. For BCWWA that interest is delineated in our mission statement – Safeguarding Public Health and the Environment Through the Sharing of Skills, Knowledge and Experience in the Water and Wastewater Industries. The challenge that comes after agreeing on a common interest is determining how to demonstrate that interest. There are many ideas, many options, many decisions to make. How the decisions are made, by whom and when are questions that often require attention. The process comes down to one word – governance. BCWWA has spent a significant amount of time over the past few years wrestling with this issue and the work continues.
On December 4th CEO Natalie Zigarlick and I participated in a ‘Governance Summit’ that presented ideas and challenges to help an association operate (govern itself) better. Many of the challenges that we have encountered with BCWWA are not unique. In an association the size of BCWWA (there are over 3700 members in the BCWWA!) there are sure to be a variety of perspectives. The key is to recognize that in order to meet the needs of members it is important to know what those needs are. Ongoing and interactive communication with members is an objective that helps to make this happen.
We came away from the summit with a number of ideas to improve our interaction with members and look forward to introducing some new initiatives in the coming months. As always, we are pleased to hear from you at any time – call us at 604.433.4389.
December 6th, 2007
BCWWA was pleased to be invited to participate in review of the Ministry of Environment’s Arbor Vitae award nominees. Over the course of several meetings CEO Natalie Zigarlick and an august committee looked at the many notable BC residents who have added so much to the natural well-being of our province – from protecting our wildlife to protecting our resources. The Minister of Environment reviewed the committee’s recommendations and made the final selections. Click here to check out the winners on the Ministry’s website.The only downside was that not all of the worthy nominees could be included in the final listing.
BCWWA deals with the environment in a variety of ways – looking at protection of our water resources and treatment of both the water and wastewater used and generated by the many residents of BC. Our members are key supporters of environmental protection because water is integral to the health of the province’s environment and taking care of the water helps take care of the environment.
As a member-based organization BCWWA works to address issues of interest and concern to our members on a more specific basis. The challenge to our members is to let us know what new and emerging issues of interest are. The challenge to non-members is to become a member, and help us address the issues of concern to us all. Call us at 604.433.4389 to talk about how you can be part of the work we are doing.
