Submit a Nomination in the APWA 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
- March 3, 2025, Top Ten Public Works Leaders of the Year, Public Works Projects of the Year, and all other awards except the Presidential Acknowledgment for Chapter Excellence (PACE)
- June 2, 2025, PACE
Questions can be sent to Rhonda Wilhite.
APWA is seeking members to serve on national committees
APWA is seeking members from all areas of the public works profession to share their expertise to enhance and improve the profession. We aim to engage our diverse membership in developing educational content, represent the profession through advocacy, support and refine credentials, and more. To learn about available opportunities, go to Groups and Committees, where you will find a link to complete your nomination. Nominations close on March 21, 2025. Questions can be directed to Teresa Hon.
New Initiatives Proposals
The Spring 2025 window to submit proposals for New Initiatives funding is now open. For details and to download the submittal form, go to the New Initiatives Committee page. Proposals are due February 20, 2025. Questions can be sent to newinitiatives@apwa.org.
2025 Council of Chapters and Chapter Leader Training: We Need Your Feedback
If you participated in the 2025 Council of Chapters and Chapter Leader Training, please take a few minutes to complete this survey.
2024 Winter Chapter Activity Reports
You can view chapter activity reports at the the Council of Chapters page. Questions can be sent to chapterservices@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 January 2025:
- Greeley, Colorado Public Works Department—7th accreditation
- Surprise, Arizona Public Works Department—2nd accreditation
- Surprise, Arizona Transportation Department—2nd accreditation
- Surprise, Arizona Water Resources Management Department—2nd accreditation
- Surprise, Arizona Community Development Department—2nd accreditation
- Bloomfield, Connecticut Department of Public Works—3rd 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.
New Chapter Leader Resource—Emergency Management
One of the goals of the APWA Emergency Management Committee is to support APWA chapters in the education of emergency management and homeland security topics. The APWA Emergency Management Committee would like to share the updated Chapter Resource.
Please note you must be logged into your APWA account to access the resource. Questions can be sent to Rita Cassida.
APWA Monthly Chapter Leader Training
The next APWA Chapter Leader Training will be held on March 10, 2025 at noon CT.
The topic is to be determined; the meeting invite will be sent no later than Friday, February 21, to all chapter leaders.
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.
