How Is Your Chapter Celebrating National Public Works Week?
We’d love to highlight what your chapter is doing during National Public Works Week (NPWW), May 18–24! Fill out this brief three-question survey and tell us all about your plans.
Also, let us know if you’ll be receiving an NPWW proclamation from your state governor’s or mayor’s office. We’ve already heard from our friends at the Missouri chapter that they’ll be joining Governor Kehoe for a signing! Email your proclamation updates to Aleatha Ezra.
Find downloadable artwork, how-to guides, and a link to purchase 2025 NPWW posters. We’ve sold nearly 70 percent of our inventory, so don’t wait too long to buy yours.
Questions may be sent to Aleatha Ezra.
Emerging Leaders Academy 2025–2026 Applications Now Available
The Emerging Leaders Academy (ELA) is a year-long national program that provides intensive leadership and management training in the public works field. It encourages professional growth through a strong network of peers and offers an in-depth introduction to APWA at the national, chapter, and branch levels. Most ELA graduates go on to be a leader in APWA either on the national or chapter level. Chapters who identify potential ELA participants encourage growth and professional development of members and foster dedication to AWPA.
Submission deadline: July 18, 2025
To view additional information, please visit the Emerging Leaders Academy webpage.
Questions can be sent to ela@apwa.org.
Submit a Nomination in the AWPA Awards Program
The APWA Awards Program recognizes outstanding individuals, groups, and chapters representing the best in public works. Explore the list of available awards and their criteria and learn how to nominate an individual or group for their professional contributions.
2025 Awards deadlines
- June 2, 2025, PACE
Questions can be sent to Rhonda Wilhite.
APWA Town Hall Meeting Recording Available
APWA held a town hall meeting on March 27 to discuss how recent US Presidential Executive Orders on DEI have impacted nonprofit associations in the United States and APWA’s response.
Click here to view the recording.
APWA Membership Payment Lockbox Changing Address
Effective March 19, 2025, the address to send membership payments will be updated to:
APWA
P.O. Box 7411530
Chicago, IL 60674-1530
Any payments sent to St. Louis after that date will be forwarded to the corresponding Chicago lock box until December 1, 2025, after which they will be returned to sender.
Questions can be sent to finance@apwa.org.
APWA Accreditation Announcements
Accreditation is the mark of professionalism, indicating a public works agency has made the commitment to continuous improvement in the delivery of public works operations and services in the community it serves. Accreditation recognizes an agency’s policies, procedures, and practices that have been evaluated against nationally recognized management practices determined to be appropriate for that specific agency.
The American Public Works Association is thrilled to announce the accreditation of the following public works agencies for March 2025:
- Saint Paul, Minnesota Public Works Department—4th accreditation
- Pinellas Park, Florida Public Works Department—2nd accreditation
- Denver, Colorado Public Works Administration/Solid Waste Management and Wastewater Management Division—1st accreditation
- Saginaw, Texas Public Works Department—1st accreditation
- Bothell, Washington Public Works Department—2nd accreditation
- Peoria, Arizona Water Services Department—5th accreditation
- Peoria, Arizona Public Works Department—5th accreditation
Please help us recognize their hard work and dedication to providing excellent public services. Potential ways to recognize them may be a mention in your newsletter or your website, asking them to present at your chapter conference, posting on social media, or other ideas specific to your chapter.
For further information on the APWA accreditation program, please feel free to contact Jeanette Klamm, Senior Manager of Accreditation, at accreditation@apwa.org.
Chapter Leader Resources
The APWA Chapter Leader Resources site includes documents, forms, templates, PowerPoint presentations, webcasts, and videos to assist in managing an APWA chapter or branch. Services, resources, and tools to aid your chapter’s capacity-building efforts cover subjects such as:
- Accounting/Financial Management
- Advocacy
- Chapter Support Services
- Marketing and Branding
- Membership Information
Access chapter leader resources here. Note: You must be signed into your APWA account to access these resources.
Questions can be directed to chapterservices@apwa.org.
Insurance 101
APWA has a new insurance infographic located in Chapter Leader Resources – Finance.
There were several questions raised around insurance during the February Chapter Leader Training and Council of Chapters meeting. The feedback was shared with both APWA’s legal counsel and insurance company. Below should clarify all outstanding questions:
- Restaurants: For chapter monthly luncheons at restaurants, APWA does NOT need contracts. In fact, it is better if the chapters do not have contracts with a restaurant as it allows for more flexibility. The restaurant will have insurance if someone is injured at the restaurant. As for alcohol, the restaurant will already have a license to serve alcohol and should have insurance for this as well. We do not need to see a contract for meetings held at restaurants.
- Golf Outings and Alcohol: As long as the golf facility allows people to bring their own alcohol and give it out to others for free, that is permitted. So, for those chapters with sponsors who want to give out alcohol at the individual holes, that is permissible as long as the golf course allows it.
- If event space is being used (other than restaurants), chapters will need to send APWA a contract to ensure they will be insured.
- If a license is required to serve alcohol at an event, the chapter must have a contract in place for the event space (even a parking lot) to serve alcohol or hire a third party that is insured to serve the alcohol. Requirements vary by state, but typically a liquor license or permit is required to sell alcohol at private or public events. APWA’s insurance will not provide coverage if the chapter serves/sells alcohol to guests at such events regardless of whether or not the chapter actually obtains a liquor license or permit to do so.
- Alcohol can be given out in a hospitality suite assuming the hotel allows it.
If you have specific questions, please contact chapterservices@apwa.org.
APWA Monthly Chapter Leader Training
The next APWA Chapter Leader Training will be held on May 12, 2025 at noon CT.
The training will cover APWA Accreditation; meeting invites will be sent out later this week.
Past Chapter Leader Training calls can be viewed by clicking here.
Invitations are sent to all chapter leaders approximately two weeks prior to the call. Questions can be sent to Jill Wilbeck.
