Transformative Water Leadership Academy

GREAT WATER UTILITY LEADERS AREN’T BORN; THEY'RE DEVELOPED.

The Transformative Water Leadership Academy (TWLA) is where the next generation of water utility leaders focus on the foundations of sustainable community leadership: how to integrate social, environmental, and financial concerns into important decisions about water utilities.

This 10-month program addresses leadership for drinking water, wastewater, stormwater management, and water reuse. Participants will learn to balance short- and long-term priorities while creating value for all water stakeholders.

Apply Now for Transformative Water Leadership Academy

Do you have a passion for helping communities thrive? Do you want to help drive utility decision making towards a balanced approach considering environmental, social and financial issues? The Transformative Water Leadership Academy can supercharge your water career!

Apply Now

About TWLA

About TWLA

WaterNow Alliance has partnered with AWWA, and obtained grant funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, to offer this uniquely valuable opportunity. The program plan for TWLA was developed in response to goals outlined in EPA’s Strategic Plan. For more detail, see this EPA information:

TWLA will prepare tomorrow’s utility executives to address emerging water issues and opportunities and to guide utilities through positive transformation. In the 21st century, all organizations (including utilities) must deliver on the triple bottom line: social, environmental, and financial performance. TWLA graduates will be empowered to meet this challenge.

 

Diverse Leadership & Expanding the Water Workforce

Water utilities must reflect the communities they serve. Also, as The Brookings Institution observed, many U.S. communities struggle to create more equitable and inclusive employment opportunities. Meanwhile, much of the nation’s water infrastructure is in urgent need of repair, maintenance, and replacement. The skilled leadership and talent needed to complete this crucial work have been in short supply. It’s time to broaden the talent pipeline for the water community.

TWLA seeks participants representing a wide range of regions, races/ethnicities, career experiences, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Together at TWLA, this cohort of future leaders will learn to seek and value diverse perspectives when strategizing to serve community needs.

TWLA will cultivate purpose-driven water leadership by:

  • Expanding diversity in the pool of qualified utility staff and leadership, to build a stronger water workforce.
  • Fostering community-first utilities by instilling in leaders an awareness of, and abiding commitment to, everything it really takes to help communities thrive, by supporting a healthy environment.
  • Clarifying a future vision. Participants will find and define their leadership objectives and turn them into actionable plans.

Measurable Outcomes

TWLA is designed to yield meaningful and measurable outcomes.

Participant outcomes:

  • New responsibilities and/or new opportunities to demonstrate leadership
  • Professional advancement by increasing chances for promotion to a higher position
  • Enhanced sense of empowerment to help create change

Utility outcomes:

  • Increased leadership capacity in areas essential to improvement at the utility
  • Innovative approaches to solving community problems
  • Cultural shift that encourages change and community building

Community outcomes:

  • Enhanced resilience and sustainability of utility systems
  • Better relationship between the community, the utility, and other stakeholders
  • Improved management and protection of water and environmental resources
The TWLA Experience

The TWLA Experience

TWLA will take place from January 2024 through October 2024. It will include a cohort of approximately 50 participants.

TWLA requires a commitment to attend:

  • Two in-person sessions (February and August 2023), each lasting two days
  • Six virtual sessions (three hours each), scattered throughout the term
  • Four virtual facilitated small-group meetings

Who should apply: Professionals with 3-10 years of work experience, including at least two years working in water (preferably at a utility or related field). You must currently have responsibilities (on the job or in volunteer roles) for managing projects and/or supervising people, as well as support from your employer to attend TWLA.

How it works: Each cohort of TWLA participants will learn together by doing. Learning experiences will include:

 

  • Lectures and instructor-led discussion
  • Small-group discussion and sharing
  • Capstone project or activity implementation
  • Report-out on experience, leadership knowledge, and skills gained
  • Engaging with mentors

 

Pillars of TWLA

These concepts form the foundation of TWLA:

  • Diversity. Expanding the pool of utility talent and leadership to be inclusive of all parts of the communities that utilities serve. Diversity by race, gender, ethnicity, region, and age benefits all utilities that provide drinking water, wastewater, stormwater management, and water reuse.
  • Commitment. Participants will develop a deep awareness of (and abiding commitment to) a thriving, just society that is supported by a healthy environment. Their guiding mission will be to create sustainable, community-centered utilities of the future.
  • Action. Leadership objectives must be well defined in order to be actionable. Each participant will identify a challenge or issue facing their utility or community. Then, they will develop practical, community-centered solutions. The capstone project presenting these solutions will then be shared within their utility, at a local conference, and/or at a national forum.
  • Network. Expanding beyond their TWLA cohort, participants will also connect with a Community Cooperative Alliance (CCA): a body of nationally, regionally, and locally influential organizations representing marginalized or underserved populations. The CCA will facilitate outreach to potential applicants, provide a resource network to participants, expand awareness of water utility jobs, and help share TWLA results and insights.
  • Community engagement. Participants are strongly encouraged to get directly involved in their community — by working on community projects, joining nonprofit boards, supporting school programs, or other activities. This will anchor participants more strongly to the community they serve and foster deeper understanding and empathy for all parts of their community. Mentors, instructors, and CCA members will set examples for this involvement.
Apply

Eligibility Criteria & Program Requirements

To qualify for TWLA, at this point in your career you must have:

  • 3-10 years of full-time work experience, including at least two years of water-related work (preferably at a water utility or a related field).
  • Supervisory and/or Management Experience. Past experience supervising people in your current professional, volunteer, or community work. Or your experience may include management of projects, programs, committees, and contractors.
  • Availability to attend TWLA sessions and events. During this 10-month program, participants must attend 90% of the following in-person and online events. (Preliminary schedule below. Dates and times may change.)
      • 2 in-person sessions in February 2023 and August 2023, each lasting 3 days. These will require travel. Costs for travel, lodging, and food costs must be covered by participants or their employers — but some financial assistance may become available.
      • 6 virtual sessions. Each 3-hour session will include 2 lessons, each lasting 90 minutes.
      • 4 small-group virtual meetings. Each 90-minute online meeting will be facilitated by a coach/mentor.
  • Access to a computer and broadband internet. TWLA includes online sessions and online coursework that require a reliable, robust broadband connection.

 

Other Utility Leadership Opportunities:

  • Interested in additional utility leadership development? Current and up-and-coming water and wastewater utility CEOs, general managers, senior managers, and upper-level management may be interested in the Water & Wastewater Leadership Center, a collaboration between AMWA, AWWA, NACWA, WEF, and NAWC.
    Learn more and apply.

 

Deliverables

Every participant in each TWLA cohort must deliver:

  • Capstone project. You will design and complete a project based on sustainable community leadership principles learned at TWLA. This project should address a problem, need, or opportunity in your organization or community. Estimated work time: 40-60 hours.
  • Presentation. Each participant must present what they learned from TWLA. This can happen at an event/conference, or by writing an article for a publication. Your presentation or article need not focus on TWLA, but it should clarify the value of what you learned from the TWLA experience.

 

Information Needed for Your Application

When completing the TWLA application, you’ll be asked to provide the following information:

Your resume. Please prepare/update your resume and upload that file (Microsoft Word or pdf) as directed when completing your online application. Your resume should include this information:

  • Education. Where did you attend school, and during which years? List diplomas, degrees, or certificates received. (Note: a college degree is not required to participate in TWLA. Online education programs should be included.)
  • Work experience. List organizations, job titles, and dates each position began/ended. Please include full-time jobs as well as temporary or internship positions. You must show at least three but no more than 10 years of full-time work experience, including at least two years doing work related to water.
  • Volunteer/community experience. List work you’ve done on a volunteer basis, either for a nonprofit or community organization or program, or informally (such as pitching in to help with grassroots community efforts).
  • Leadership experience. For your current job or volunteer/community work, describe your responsibilities for supervising or leading people. You may also describe other life experiences where you’ve led or supervised others.

Personal information. To assess the diversity served by TWLA, you’ll be asked to supply information about your race/ethnicity and preferred personal pronouns, as well as other basic personal information.

  • Confidentiality: Individual personal data will not be shared outside the program. Only aggregate information about participants will be supplied to meet federal grant requirements.

Questions to answer. Please write a brief answer (150 words or less) to each of these questions:

  • How did you learn about TWLA?
  • Who has been a transformational leader in your life? What qualities did they have, and how did they influence you?
  • How do you hope TWLA will support your career path and goals?
  • What positive change would you like to see (or help make happen) in your organization or community?
  • What does this quote by futurist and author Charlene Li mean to you? “Leaders create change. If you are not creating change, you are not a leader; you are a manager.”

DEADLINE: Applications are due by Monday, September 4th, 2023.

 

What’s Next After You’re Accepted

If your application to participate in TWLA is accepted, you must register for the program. You’ll be asked to provide the following information and documentation to fully enroll in TWLA.

  • Letter of support from your employer. Since TWLA represents a substantial time commitment, we’ll need to know that your employer is aware of and supports your involvement in this program. This letter must come from either a senior manager/executive in your organization or from your direct supervisor. This person must be willing to complete two brief online surveys about your progress at work: before starting TWLA, and after completing the program.
  • Professional or personal reference. Please supply contact information (name, title, email, phone) for someone who can speak to your past performance or accomplishments — either on the job, or in your volunteer/community roles. Your reference cannot be a relative. They must complete two brief online surveys about your progress (before starting TWLA, and after completing the program).
      • IMPORTANT: An email will be sent to your reference person with instructions to complete the recommendation and surveys on your behalf. However, it is YOUR responsibility to follow up with this person to ensure that they submit their reference and complete both surveys. If your reference does not use email, we will contact them by phone — and it is your responsibility to ensure that they respond.
  • Signed agreement. You must agree, in writing, to honor the time commitment, attendance expectations, and other TWLA program participation requirements.
Sponsorship

Become a TWLA Sponsor 

AWWA and the WaterNow Alliance are grateful for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant which has funded a two-year curriculum development period, as well as the first year of TWLA program operations.

While this initial grant is getting TWLA off the ground, additional support is needed to cover all program needs and ensure that TWLA continues.

Help us keep the TWLA mission alive! Your generous contributions will support essential parts of TWLA and allow the expansion of this unique program.

 

Sponsorship Opportunities

By sponsoring TWLA, your organization will signal a firm commitment to the positive evolution of the water community. TWLA sponsorship also offers opportunities to showcase your organization’s thought leadership on how to achieve a sustainable, community-focused water future. This can directly support your organization’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals and commitments.

TWLA sponsorships help fund: 

  • Travel and per diem scholarships for program participants who lack resources to attend required in-person events. Diversity is essential to TWLA’s success. Participants from marginalized communities may lack the resources to support necessary travel.
  • Stipends to attract keynote speakers in leadership, the environment, business, operations, management, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
  • Expanding networking opportunities for an even more inclusive agenda
  • Technology, connectivity, and software to support the interaction, instruction, exchange of ideas, and information gathering/analysis that are essential to TWLA.
  • The future of TWLA. To keep TWLA going and growing, additional support is needed.
Volunteers

Volunteer for TWLA

Volunteers are essential to the success of TWLA. We offer many volunteer opportunities:

  • Identify potential TWLA applicants on your staff and in your community. You may already know some future leaders or key talent for the water community.
  • Instruction. Do you have special expertise in a core topic of TWLA? Volunteer to teach a virtual or in-person lesson.
  • Mentor or coach TWLA participants. Help guide tomorrow’s water leaders via direct engagement.
  • Expand our network of community/nonprofit groups. Help build TWLA’s Community Cooperative Alliance (CCA) by introducing groups doing good work in your community or region to TWLA.
  • Donate to support TWLA, individually or through your organization (tax-deductible).
  • Facilitate small-group discussions within a TWLA cohort.
  • Tell water utilities about TWLA, especially how getting involved can benefit utilities and their communities.
  • Connect TWLA with funders. Introduce us to foundations or other funding organizations whose goals might align with TWLA.

 

Fill out the Volunteer Request Form here!


 

Mentor & Coach

Are You Interested in Working Directly with the 2022—2023 TWLA Cohort?

You can personally get involved with the inaugural session of the TWLA Cohort by being a Small Group Mentor or a Capstone Project Coach.

Small Group Mentor

The TWLA is looking for a number of dedicated Small Group Mentors (Mentors) who are committed to investing their time to assist in the growth and development of Academy participants. The Mentors must be willing to share their knowledge, experience, and wisdom and act as a guide and role model.

There are two main responsibilities in this position:

  • Provide one-on-one mentoring to two or three Academy participants.
  • Lead two 90-minute small group sessions.


 

Capstone Project Coach

The TWLA is looking for a number of enthusiastic Capstone Project Coaches (Coach) who are committed to investing their time to assist Academy participants in the planning and development of a Capstone Project. The coaches must be willing to identify potential projects and share their knowledge, experience, and wisdom to advise the Academy participants through the successful completion of the projects.

There are two main responsibilities in this position:

  • Develop a description(s) for a project that addresses a challenge or issue facing water utilities or communities today.
  • Provide coaching to Academy participants who choose the project(s) described by the coach

Their Stories

Hear from the TWLA23 Inaugural Cohort

Participants share:

  1. What have TWLA cohort participants learned?
  2. How will they apply those insights to their community?
  3. What makes the TWLA experience unique?
  4. What would you say to someone considering applying?



 

"Through this academy…we're doing transformative work to help leaders all around the country emerge. I'm excited that the academy will provide me with the tools and resources to grow as a leader, and then to give that back to my community through our programs and resources, as well as to my colleagues who are young professionals, as well."

- Lily Lopez
Director of External Affairs and Sustainability, Walnut Valley Water District

2024 Class

Alonso Hurtado

Alonso Hurtado

Engineer, City of Toronto, ON

Andrew Southern

Andrew Southern

Engineer 2, Metro Water Services, TN

Avery Forrest Braun

Avery Forrest Braun

Chief Construction Inspector, City of Charlotte, NC

Carlos Carrillo

Carlos Carrillo

Resource Specialist Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, CA

Dani Lima

Dani Lima

Water Resources Analyst, Long Beach Utility Department, CA

Evan Landreth

Evan Landreth

Customer Service Manager, Powdersville Water, SC

Jessica Kent

Jessica Kent

Authority Manager, Greenville Municipal Water Authority, PA

Joyce Lin

Joyce Lin

Civil Engineer, Honolulu Board of Water Supply, HI

LaRico Andres Scada

LaRico Andres Scada

Technician 2, Great Lakes Water Authority, MI

Mark Whittaker

Mark Whittaker

Senior Environmental Engineer, Water and Sewer Utilities City of Newark, NJ

Michael Trumm

Michael Trumm

Utilities Chief, Yosemite National Park, CA

Steven Hollingsed

Steven Hollingsed

Backflow Program Coordinator, Toho Water Authority,FL

Tiffany Diaz

Tiffany Diaz

Regulatory & Conservation Manager City of Georgetown TX

Tram Doan

Tram Doan

Water Treatment Manager, San Antonio Water System, TX

Alyssa Banzil

Alyssa Banzil

Civil Engineer / GIS Technician, Walnut Valley Water District, CA

Angela Sims-Ceja

Angela Sims-Ceja

Water Technical Operations Superintendent, Aurora Water, CO

Ben Crawford

Ben Crawford

Superintendent, Water Works City of Laconia, NH

Chelsea Kulp

Chelsea Kulp

Senior Manager of Government and External Affairs, New Jersey American Water, NJ

Darren Nowels

Darren Nowels

Water Efficiency Planner, Northern Water, CO

Ilario Bello

Ilario Bello

Meter Tech City of Elgin, IL

Jori Nelson

Jori Nelson

Regional Liaison, The Water Research Foundation, CO

Keeli Carlton

Keeli Carlton

Water Program Administrator, City of Winter Haven, FL

Mary-Sophia Motlow

Mary-Sophia Motlow

Analyst Carpinteria Valley Water District CA

Misty Stevens

Misty Stevens

Sr. Water Liaison Snohomish County PUD No. 1 WA

Rasta Naderi

Rasta Naderi

Associate Civil Engineer Los Angeles County Waterworks Districts CA

Taylor Carden

Taylor Carden

Superintendent of Production and Network Modeling, Veolia North America, NJ

Tiffany Mars

Tiffany Mars

Customer Care Specialist II, City of Corona, CA

Trenna Burbank

Trenna Burbank

Utility Technician, City of Hollister, CA

Amanda Parra

Amanda Parra

Senior CIP Project Manager, Rainbow Municipal Water District, CA

Ashley Faurote

Ashley Faurote

Program Manager - Economic Analysis & Engagement, City of Fort Wayne, IN

Brad Ebinger

Brad Ebinger

Microbiologist, WaterOne, MO

Corwin Washington

Corwin Washington

Sr. Environmental Project Manager, Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans, LA

Eagle Jones

Eagle Jones

Director of Water Operations, Pechanga Water Department, CA

Javier Hendricks

Javier Hendricks

Senior Engineer, Passaic Valley Water Commission, NJ

Jose Torres

Jose Torres

Chemist, City of Gainesville, GA

Kirill Maloylo

Kirill Maloylo

Public Works Utilities Supervisor, City of Plymouth, MN

Matthew Law

Matthew Law

Utilities - Foreman, City of Fort Saskatchewan, AB

Moriah Winkel

Moriah Winkel

Water and Wastewater Analyst City of Bryant AR

Ronald Pena

Ronald Pena

Chief of Operations, Hillview Reservoir, NYC Department of Environmental Protection, NY

Terrayvivya West-McGee

Terrayvivya West-McGee

Utility Billing Manager, Water City of Ventura, CA

Tonya Howard

Tonya Howard

Senior Industrial Hygienist, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, CA

Andrew Schultz

Andrew Schultz

City Engineer for Utilities, City of Missoula Public Works & Mobility, MT

Austin Pappas

Austin Pappas

Pipe Mechanic/Relief Crew Leader, Foreman, Indiana American Water, IN

Brian Sibley

Brian Sibley

Maintenance Manager City of Saskatoon SK

Dana Zheng

Dana Zheng

Source Control Program Manager, Liquid Waste Services, Metro Vancouver, BC

Erick Velazquez

Erick Velazquez

Cross Connection Control Supervisor, City of Altamonte Springs, FL

Jeffrey King

Jeffrey King

Construction Coordinator, The MDC, CT

Joshua Overstreet

Joshua Overstreet

Operations Coordinator/Operator, Tri-County Water Authority, MO

LaKeydra Toliver

LaKeydra Toliver

Staff Analyst, City of Houston, TX

Megan Post

Megan Post

Education Coordinator, Beaver Water District, AR

Omar De Leon

Omar De Leon

Inventory Control Team Manager The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California CA

Ryan Barton

Ryan Barton

Hydrologist, Water Management Branch, Navajo Nation Department of Water Resources, AZ

Thomas Bell

Thomas Bell

Lead Water & Sanitation Tech, Dig Deep Water, WV

Tracy Fullen

Tracy Fullen

Engineering Manager, Illinois Aqua, IL

Will Menkhaus

Will Menkhaus

Assistant Division Manager, Saint Paul Regional Water Services, MN

2023 Class

Abbie Dyke

Abbie Dyke

Water Regulatory Compliance Coordinator, City of Denton, TX

Amanda McKinley Selph

Amanda McKinley Selph

Business Manager, Belforest Water System, AL

Diane Moreau

Diane Moreau

Manager of Water Operations, City of Barrie, Ontario, Canada

David Ridgeway

David Ridgeway

Planning, Investigation, Restoration and MISS DIG Manager, Detroit Water and Sewerage Department, MI

Emily Stahl

Emily Stahl

Manager, Technical Services, Water Utility, City of Guelph, Ontario, Canada

Gregory Williams

Gregory Williams

Deputy Operating Officer, Valley Water, CA

Jillian Croci

Jillian Croci

Special Projects Analyst, Water Resources, Long Beach Water Department, CA

Kevin Rodier

Kevin Rodier

Engineering Project Manager, New Jersey American Water, Camden, NJ

Lisa Pace

Lisa Pace

Senior Water Conservation Specialist, Colorado Springs Utilities, CO

Melissa M. Gray

Melissa M. Gray

Utility Systems Operations Manager, Environmental Programs, Water and Sewer Department, City of Tulsa, OK

Patricia R. Dennis

Patricia R. Dennis

Controller, Renewable Water Resources (Rewa), Greenville, SC

Sandra Stack

Sandra Stack

Administrative Manager, Cleveland Water Engineering, OH

Tim Johnson

Tim Johnson

Lead Technician, King County Water District #90, CA

Adam Steurer

Adam Steurer

Engineer, Hendersonville, NC

Bethel Abate

Bethel Abate

Civil Engineer/Project Manager, DC Water, DC

Daniel Klune

Daniel Klune

Water Treatment Plant Operator, A, Connecticut Water, CT

Virginia Dee Montier-Burke

Virginia Dee Montier-Burke

Laboratory Supervisor, City of College Station, TX

Eric W. Best Jr

Eric W. Best Jr

Quality Assurance Chemistry Manager, EMSL Analytical, Inc., Cinnaminson, NJ

Gwendolyn Henry

Gwendolyn Henry

Operations Performance Coordinator, Toho Water Authority, FL

Karyn Rittenhouse

Karyn Rittenhouse

Water System Superintendent, City of West Allis, WI

Kyle Delaney

Kyle Delaney

Water Reclamation Facility Operator, City of Corona, CA

Elizabeth Cullen

Elizabeth Cullen

Engineer, Hydraulic Modeling and Planning Group, AQUA Services

Michelle Bouchard

Michelle Bouchard

Community Outreach Supervisor, PWC Service Authority, Prince William County, VA

Philip Mendoza

Philip Mendoza

Finance Manager, Lakewood Water District, WA

Sarah Trejo

Sarah Trejo

Water Quality Compliance Coordinator, Aquarion Water Company, Monroe, CT

Tony Searls

Tony Searls

Commercial Services Superintendent,Greater Cincinnati Water Works, Cincinnati, OH

Alex Sitar

Alex Sitar

Planning Engineer, Union County Water, NC

Brittany Schacht

Brittany Schacht

Deputy Director of Customer Service, Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority, PA

Daniel Koge

Daniel Koge

Civil Engineer, Honolulu Board of Water Supply, HI

Diego Ulibarri

Diego Ulibarri

Associate Level Water Distribution Technician, City of Arvada, CO

Esther Baptiste

Esther Baptiste

Management Professional, Systems Planning Group, Great Lakes Water Authority, Detroit, MI

Jennifer Lee

Jennifer Lee

Environmental Regulatory Compliance Manager, Public Works Department, City of Burlingame, CA

Kayla Durham

Kayla Durham

Senior Water Treatment Plant Operator, Water Management Department, City of Franklin, TN

Lea Mousley

Lea Mousley

Water Quality Intern, Pennsylvania American Water, PA

Mark Theiler

Mark Theiler

Assistant Director of Production, Middlesex Water Company, NJ

Nathan Hodges

Nathan Hodges

SCADA Administrator, Northern Kentucky Water District, KY

Poonam Kalkat

Poonam Kalkat

Director of Utilities, City of Boynton Beach, FL

Shukwia Tajik

Shukwia Tajik

Project Engineer, City of Saskatoon, SK, Canada

Ali Polda

Ali Polda

Principal Engineer, Tacoma Water, WA

Chelsea Radcliff

Chelsea Radcliff

Asset Management Project Manager, Storm Water Services, City of Charlotte, NC

DaShunda Boykins

DaShunda Boykins

Lead Billing Specialist, Central Arkansas Water, AR

Dom Bennett

Dom Bennett

Assistant Director of Customer Care, Water Utilities, City of Lee's Summit, MO

Gabriel Evans

Gabriel Evans

Associate Consultant, EMA Inc., AZ

Jenyffer Vasquez

Jenyffer Vasquez

Water Policy & Resources Analyst, West Basin Municipal Water District, Carson, CA

Kelly Bourque

Kelly Bourque

Engineering Project Manager, Goleta Water District, CA

Lily Lopez

Lily Lopez

Director of External Affairs & Sustainability at Walnut Valley Water District, CA

Matt Silverman

Matt Silverman

Environmental Analyst, Littleton Water Department, MA

Ni’Chelle White

Ni’Chelle White

Administrative Technical Specialist, Department of Public Works, Water Division, City of El Segundo, CA

Rainier Garcia

Rainier Garcia

Water Treatment Superintendent<br /> City of Benicia, CA

Skylar Reed

Skylar Reed

Environmental Engineer, Department of Water & Sewer, City of Newark, NJ

Thank you to the 2023 Cohort Sponsors