Message from Bill Peretti, President of RMWEA December 2023

GREETINGS AND SALUTATIONS! I am excited to take over the President position from Hannah Fodor. Thank you, Hannah, for leading the RMWEA in an outstanding manner. The RMWEA mission statement is “Elevating water professionals.” As President, Hannah did just that. She engaged water professionals on every level, bringing cheerful enthusiasm and connection to every meeting and event she participated in. I am committed to carrying forward the energy and passion Hannah brought to RMWEA. 

I feel like you might be asking yourself, is this déjà vu, or did Bill write this article for the Rocky Mountain Water magazine as RMWEA President again? In short, when RMWEA reached out and asked if I would be open to serving again, I said yes. I am excited to have this chance to give it another go. (Lesson learned for us all: Never celebrate that last time you have to do something!) Part of me suspects no one really reads what the President has to say. Therefore, I encourage you to let me know that you read these articles and tell me, What can RMWEA do to make our industry better for you and your organization? 

RMWEA and the Rocky Mountain Section of AWWA (RMSAWWA) recently concluded the Rocky Mountain Water Conference in Loveland, Colorado. It was great to be back in the front range, where we had more than 1,200 water professionals attend the event, including 124 exhibitors and 165 technical presentations. This issue of RMW provides an excellent recap of the conference. I can’t think of a better way for RMWEA to fulfill its mission statement— by fostering an environment of learning, networking, and enjoyment, while providing value to our members. Having served as Co-Chair and a member of the Conference Planning Committee over the years, I have witnessed the conference’s continual growth, both in attendance and the need for volunteers. There is something to do for everyone looking to get involved at any level! Next year, the conference will be held in Keystone, Colorado, in late August. I would like to thank Stephanie Elliot and Joe Tamburini for stepping up by volunteering to chair next year’s conference. If you are interested in supporting them, please let us know. 

Collaboration stands as one of the core values of RMWEA, and I’m looking forward to collaborating with RMSAWWA and its newest chair, Charles Leder, over the next year. RMSAWWA and RMWEA have a long history of collaborating on conferences throughout the Rocky Mountain region, schools, publications, and many other social events. The upcoming year will be filled with additional opportunities to collaborate with RMSAWWA, and I’m excited to further strengthen our relationship with them. 

RMWEA needs more volunteers. This need is not unique; most organizations share this, but the simple truth is that we need to have facilities, municipalities, and utilities involved and directing us on how we can help you. I plan to visit multiple facilities and organizations around the Denver metro area and virtually meet the ones that I cannot get to physically in the next year. If you don’t hear from RMWEA, please let me know. If you have any suggestions or are looking to get involved with RMWEA, please do reach out. My email is Bill@chcwater.com, or you can call me on my cell at 303.956.8642. 

Check out the November/December Rocky Mountain Water magazine here: https://www.rmwea.org/rocky_mountain_water_magazine.php