WEFTEC is the best place for water professionals to learn, connect, and explore new ways to create the future of water. More than 20,000 water professionals and 1,000 water companies will attend the Water Environment Federation (WEF)’s 89th annual technical exhibition and conference at the New Orleans Morial Convention Center, Sept. 24-28. Below is a list of “can’t miss” events for Wednesday, Sept. 28:
Second Annual Women in Water Breakfast
Female leaders from a variety of water sector disciplines will network, exchange ideas, and hear strategies for embracing innovation from keynote speaker Kristen McEntyre, CEO of the New Orleans-based Spectrum Interactive. Room 276, 7:30 – 9:00 a.m. CDT Purchase required.
Sustainable Design Tour: Make It Right’s Lower 9th Ward Neighborhood
The tour will focus on the 100 safe, sustainable homes in the Lower 9th Ward built by Make it Right, a group that builds homes, buildings, and communities for people in need. Make it Right was founded by actor Brad Pitt in 2007 and pledged to build 150 homes in the Lower 9th Ward, one of the neighborhoods hit hardest by Hurricane Katrina. The neighborhood also includes a solar-powered playground and community gardens. Bus departs from New Orleans Morial Convention Center at 9:00 a.m. Purchase required.
A Celebration of Operator Innovation, Excellence and Professionalism
This special event will recognize and celebrate the winners of the Operator Ingenuity Contest, the New Orleans Municipal Employee of the Year, and awardees of the Certified Mission Critical Professional (CMCP) and Professional Operator (PO) designations. Innovation Pavilion Booth 3129, 10:00 a.m. CDT
Sustainability Managers and the Transformation of the Water Utility
Facilitated by WEF Board of Trustee Lynn Broaddus and led by WEF’s chief technical officer Matt Ries and Jeff Lape, deputy director of the Office of Science and Technology, U.S. EPA Office of Water, this session will feature focused discussions on the water sector’s shift toward sustainability, recovering resources, engaging communities, and rethinking financial models. Room 344, 10:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m. CDT
Generation X, Generation Y Generation WW? Identifying, Training, and Maintaining the Staff of Tomorrow
This session will provide the insights, tools, and resources that utilities need to recruit and cultivate new talent into the water sector to ensure that our communities are protected by a strong and stable workforce both today and into the future. Room 352, 1:30–5:00 p.m. CDT
Deep Water Horizon Ecosystem: Second Line for the Gulf
This series of focused discussions will review the three major elements of funding resulting from the Deepwater Horizon incident and how these sources are being used to restore the area following the disaster. Room 357, 1:30–5:00 p.m. CDT
