The objective of the Management Development Committee is to promote management development for water managers, supervisors, etc. in cooperation with local Universities and/or other professional training organizations and AWWA.

AWWA Management Institute

The Intermountain Section of the AWWA, in cooperation with the University of Utah, started the Management Institute training in 1995. Since then, the Institute has had in attendance participants representing almost every state west of the Mississippi River and as far east as Connecticut. In 2000 the first Advanced Management Institute was conducted and in 2002 the Supervisory Institute was held for the first time. The Management Institute program to date has been very successful, with a high level of attendance and participation.  We have had in attendance not only professionals from the water industry, but also the wastewater industry, national laboratories, and other governmental offices. Currently Utah State University, in partnership with Education and Training Services, coordinates our local AWWA Institutes with Mr. Chuck Christensen, who was instrumental in developing the original program at the University of Utah, lending his talents and expertise to the program.

National level of Management Development

Every year at the National Conference of AWWA, representatives from Institutes around the country meet together and give reports on their Institute as well as discuss any problems and ways to improve their Institutes. Currently, the following universities and/or sections sponsor Institutes:

    University of Florida – Treeo Center
    University of Minnesota
    Virginia Tech University
    AWWA Texas Section
    Utah State University (through Education & Training Services)

Most of these Institutes offer both the Basic Program as well as an Advanced Program of Management Development.  The format and coursework at the Institutes outside our region are vaguely similar to the programs offered here locally. They tend to be more technical oriented, such as you would find at a specialty conference. Topics such as confined space entry, competent person training, UV disinfection processes and so forth are taught. The topics taught at our local AWWA Institutes are geared towards learning and implementing new management tools and are of greater benefit to our work group’s success. We are lucky to have these great professionals teach us these ever evolving concepts.

Local Level of Management Development

The University of Utah program was organized in 1995 after the Management Program at the University of Southern Cal failed due to poor attendance.  Mr. Nick Sefakis, former General Manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Salt Lake City, was instrumental in getting the University of Utah program started.  Mr. Sefakis served on the National Level of the Management Development Committee for a number of years.  He was Chairman of the AWWA Management Development Committee from 1996 - 1999.  Lou Eddy is currently serving as Chairman of the AWWA National Committee for Management Development. Prior to his appointment to the National Committee, he served as the chair for Management Development Committee for the Intermountain Section. Mark Stanley of the Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities is the current chair of the Intermountain Section’s committee and is also a member of the National Committee for Management Development. The hard work of these gentlemen, along with many others at our Universities over the years, has made these Institutes some of the most successful in the country.

Current Committee Members:

If you are interested in becoming a committee member or have other suggestions that would help enhance the programs, please contact Mark Stanley at 801-483-6717 or email: mark.stanley@slcgov.com