For the Young Professionals Steering Committee of the Illinois Section American Water Works Association
Revised Date: November 2009
I. MISSION STATEMENT
Provide career development for Young Professionals in the water industry by:
- providing a platform to share and seek knowledge and ideas
- facilitating interaction with other water industry professionals of all ages and backgrounds
- encouraging active involvement in the Association
“Invest in your future…invest in your profession…invest in yourself”
II. GUIDING PRINCIPLES
- Provide opportunity for networking for developing long-lasting professional and business relationships
- Provide opportunity to access and engage a number of water industry professionals and grow technically
- Provide opportunity to lead through active participation on professional committees
III. FOCUS
- Promote diversity of members from all backgrounds
- Develop means to outreach to young utility employees
- Make it clear that non-members are allowed to attend activities
- Help new members with career path choices
- Provide encouragement to young members
- Sell membership value of young professionals to ‘older’ professionals
IV. GOALS FOR 2010 AND BEYOND
- Increase YPSC to fifteen (15) dynamic members
- Continue to build on momentum in Chicagoland area
- Continue monthly YPSC conference call meetings
- Ensure that YPs know they are all welcome to attend YPSC meetings
- Continue to increase number of YP contacts on YP e-mail distribution list
- Work with Operators groups to gauge their members’ level of interest in joining YP
- Organize at least 2 social events annually in Chicagoland
- Organize at least 2 technical tours annually
- Organize 1 professional development/technical workshop every year or two years
- Organize at least 1 educational session that includes PDH/CEU hours
- Continue annual Arlington Race Track outing
- Build on success at Annual conference
- Organize high-quality YP technical track
- Recruit at least 3 participants for each poster contest
- Continue talks or technical tours of water industry related facilities
- YP breakfast with speaker
- Develop outreach initiative where we encourage members to identify at least one YP within their organization to get involved in ISAWWA
- Incorporate professional development talks/seminars into events
- Submit a YP article for each article of Splash
- Stay on the YPSC for 5 years followed by participation in another ISAWWA committee
- Ask volunteers to do limited-obligation tasks without necessarily “joining” the YPSC
- Invite all ISAWWA members to YP-sponsored events
V. DEFINITION OF A YOUNG PROFESSIONAL
- Generally considered to be members or prospective members of the ISAWWA who are 35 years old or younger, or who have been in the water industry for less than 10 years
- A YP can be anyone within the water industry including personnel from utilities, regulatory agencies, consulting firms, manufacturers, distributors, as well as academic institutions