Association Diversity and Inclusion Training
Our committee has used various brainstorming techniques this fall to determine our vision and goals: Diversity and Member Inclusion Committee Vision and Goals Vision: Bring awareness of the need for diversity and inclusiveness to the industry and cultivate an environment in which members are represented and engaged. Goals: Achieve a membership that is reflective of the diversity within our state. Review state of Illinois metrics and compare to ISAWWA membership. Identify gaps and identify opportunities to bridge the gap. Employ practices that encourage member inclusion. Coordinate board, committee and staff leadership training on membership engagement. Conduct an organizational analysis and share opportunities and barriers to engagement Develop, train, and maintain an environment of diversity and inclusion within the industry. Provide diversity and inclusion programs within ISAWWA’s educational offerings. Connect with statewide organizations to create a dialogue that addresses diversity and inclusion within the industry. Recognize and leverage the full value that diversity of people and ideas can bring to our organization. Develop opportunities to celebrate our differences. Identify current practices that inhibit inclusion and alleviate barriers for engagement. Create and award recognition to members based on diversity and membership inclusion. We are currently focused on our engagement of members in our committees and seek students to assist us in our next steps. This student will work closely with ISAWWA staff as well as key committee leaders.
Organization Restructure
The Illinois Section of the American Water Works Association is a growing organization. In the last 10 years we went from 2 employees to 3 FT and 2 PT, as well as contractors. Last year, a new executive director was hired due to the retirement of the previous executive director. We are looking at our growth and see opportunities for a re-alignment of job duties as well as inclusion of new roles and responsibilities. The team would work with the ED to take the vision of the work environment into an actionable plan. We have completed a strategic plan and are re-aligning our staff with the new priorities. One position remains open. We are moving into a new office space as well this quarter, which is an opportunity for us to try new ways of sharing information and progressing towards our goals.
Diversity and Inclusion - Engagement through Communications
The Illinois Section of the American Water Works Association is a 501c3 organization based in St. Charles, Illinois. We focus on safe and sustainable water for Illinois. We have a Diversity and Inclusion committee that is focused on education, training, and engagement of all of our members. We have been focusing on building our training curriculum the past year and want to now focus more on celebrating our members through our communication channels. We currently have a quarterly publication, monthly e-newsletter, social media channels and are launching an app. We would like to have a robust communication calendar that would not only draw attention to national observances (Women's History Month, Disability Employment Awareness Month, LGTBQ History Month), but also celebrate the diversity of our industry (focus on our members who work in payables, sewer collection, human resources, lab techs, etc.). We would like to not only build out a calendar of celebrations, but have the content ready to be shared. How can we engage and celebrate our differences through our communications? The goal for this project would be to create a communications calendar focused on diversity and inclusion and have content written for each that would bring attention to the topic, is meaningful to our members and engage our membership. The Diversity and Inclusion volunteer leaders as well as staff are able to assist students with this project.
Event Website Redesign
It's time for a redesign of our annual conference site. The needs of this project include website design and content, graphic design, creating infographics, writing social media messages and other marketing for our event. The website serves as a marketing tool as well as information for attendees, exhibitors and sponsors. Students will have access to staff and committee volunteers to assist with content development. Our goal will be to have a new template for our annual event (March 2022) and have the new site go live in Summer, 2021.
Organization Restructure
The Illinois Section of the American Water Works Association is a growing organization. In the last 10 years we went from 2 employees to 3 FT and 2 PT, as well as contractors. Last year, a new executive director was hired due to the retirement of the previous executive director. We are looking at our growth and see opportunities for a re-alignment of job duties as well as inclusion of new roles and responsibilities. The team would work with the ED to take the vision of the work environment into an actionable plan that includes a new staffing structure, job descriptions, job postings and a communication plan. The team would make recommendations of staff positions as well as contractor vs. employee roles. This project could include a salary test to determine if positions are exempt or non-exempt.
Education Pricing and Marketing Strategy
The Illinois Section of the American Water Works Association provides over 200 educational events to water and wastewater utilities across the state. The organization has a price per credit hour for our educational events. This pricing structure has not been updated since 2018. I'm seeking an analysis of our pricing model and a comparison to like organizations in our market. This includes our in person, virtual seminars, archived seminars, annual conference and more. Students will present their findings and recommendations to our full board in mid May for their review and consideration. This student will work closely with ISAWWA staff and volunteers.
Internal Communication Best Practices
The Illinois Section of the American Water Works Association provides over 200 educational events to water and wastewater utilities across the state and nation. We have over 15 committees that are volunteer led and each have a staff member assigned to them. In the past, we used Asana as a platform for communication, but have ended that tactic as not many of our volunteers liked the platform. We currently have a weekly staff meeting and use Skype as an IM with staff. In addition to assisting with a staff communication structure, we are hoping that our best practices will trickle down to our volunteer leaders. Our goal is to identify ways that we can work best together and keep each other informed. This student will work closely with ISAWWA staff as well as key committee leaders.
Education Tools and Organizational Marketing
The Illinois Section of the American Water Works Association provides over 200 educational events to water and wastewater utilities across the state and nation. Given the new direction of our education since the pandemic, we’re looking at new ways to market and inform our network of the educational information. This project will include the following media elements: · Organizational Infographics/Short Videos · Postcard Mailings · Flyers · Social Media Posts · Email Headers · Digital Images · Magazine Advertisements · Power Point Slides/Organizational Template · Committee logos As a Section of the American Water Works Association, we do have a brand identity that needs to be maintained in regards to our logo, colors, and fonts. Design elements beyond that are open. We have a focus on our diversity and inclusion that will also be a part of this design concept. This student will work closely with ISAWWA staff as well as key committee leaders.
Event Website
This year our annual event theme is "Reimagining the Future" and we're doing that with our event website too! The needs of this project include website design and content, graphic design, creating infographics, writing social media messages and other marketing for our event. The website serves as a marketing tool as well as information for attendees, exhibitors and sponsors. Students will have access to staff and committee volunteers to assist with content development. Our goal will be to have a new template for our annual event and have it launched in Spring 2021.
Public Perception Campaign
Public perception of water was rated the 2nd highest concern of our membership. Our board is creating an ISAWWA Water Ambassador Program where public utilities across the state would be recognized for their efforts in communicating and educating their community leaders and overall public. The ISAWWA “Water Ambassador” program is an initiative to provide a new communication platform to elevate public perception, knowledge, and consumer education for the water industry. This program seeks to accomplish these goals by presenting a platform of educational and promotional content to be utilized by participating members in a manner that is relevant, engaging, and consistent among participants. The needs of this project include graphic design, creating infographics, writing social media messages and creating bill inserts to go in the water bills. A video and Power Point presentation marketing the program would also key outcomes. Students will have access to committee volunteers to assist with content development. The program will be launched at our annual event in March, 2021.