Chapter Leaders Announcements – July 2026

PWX 2026: Spotlight on Chapter Leader Sessions

Check out the sessions below specific to chapter leaders:

Saturday, August 29
7:30 a.m.–5 p.m.
Council of Chapters Meeting and Regional Meetings

(Your chapter delegate attends this pre-PWX meeting; invitations will be going out the week of June 22.)

Sunday, August 30
3–4:30 p.m.
Chapter Leader Forum, Convention Center, Room 360

This session will share ideas and strategies related to chapter best practices. This is also the time to network with other chapter leaders and ask questions you may have, and receive feedback on chapter-related issues from other chapter leaders.

Tuesday, September 1
2–4 p.m.
The Chapter Concierge Experience—How Can We Help?
Convention Center, Room 360

This session will be a deep dive into the chapter services that APWA provides, while also touching on resources from each area that affect each chapter, such as membership, chapter technology, marketing and communications, education, meetings and events, and finance.

Questions can be sent to chapterservices@apwa.org.

Call for Donations: Help Us Make an Impact at PWX 2026!

Let’s come together and show some love for the Texas Chapter’s Silent Auction at PWX 2026!

The Texas Chapter Host Committee is inviting chapters to be part of something meaningful—and fun! From Sunday, August 30 through Tuesday, September 1, we’ll be hosting a silent auction to support two incredible local nonprofits:

• Rebuilding Together Houston
• Houston Food Bank

How You Can Help:
We’re looking for exciting, creative, and unique donations that will get people bidding! Think:

• Vacation packages & hotel stays
• Sports memorabilia
• One-of-a-kind experiences
• Pet-themed items
• Spa or entertainment packages
• And anything else that sparks excitement!

Every donation helps us raise funds for these amazing organizations, so let’s make this auction unforgettable!

Deadline to Donate: August 14, 2026

Ready to contribute or want to learn more? Reach out to Bricelda Patino; we’d love to have your chapter involved!

Let’s make a difference together (and have a little fun while we’re at it)!

New Event Builder How-To Guide Available

Recent enhancements have been made to the event-building process in Fonteva. The updated How-To Guide covers the three new enhancements and provides step-by-step guidance for chapter leaders.

The revised Fonteva Event Builder Guide is available in Chapter Leader Resources. The training held on June 3 can be viewed by clicking here.

Questions can be sent to chapterservices@apwa.org.

New Resources!

APWA Member Portal Guide

A quick start guide to managing your APWA membership profile and locating your membership information. Questions can be sent to memberservices@apwa.org.

APWA Accreditation Announcements

Accreditation is the mark of professionalism, indicating a public works agency has made a commitment to continuous improvement in delivering public works operations and services to its community. Accreditation recognizes an agency’s policies, procedures, and practices, which have been evaluated against nationally-recognized management practices determined to be appropriate for that specific agency.

The following public works agencies were accredited in June 2026:

Region 1

• Lexington, Massachusetts Department of Public Works—4th accreditation

Region 4

• Gainesville, Florida Department of Public Works—6th accreditation
• North Port, Florida Department of Public Works—4th accreditation
• Pinellas County, Florida Public Works Department—3rd accreditation

Region 6

• Topeka, Kansas Public Works Department—6th accreditation
• Topeka, Kansas Utilities Department—2nd accreditation

To help chapters recognize and celebrate accredited and re-accredited agencies, we have provided a toolbox to help. The toolbox information can be found here: Promote APWA Accreditation: Chapter Outreach Resources.

For further information on APWA’s accreditation program, please feel free to contact Jeanette Klamm, Associate Director of Credentialing at accreditation@apwa.org.

Host a Certificate Program at Your Chapter!

Discover the many benefits of hosting a certificate program at your chapter and get everything you need to put on a successful event. Click here to learn more.

Questions can be sent to education@apwa.org.

APWA Advocacy Ambassador Program—Stay Engaged and Keep Your Chapter Connected

The APWA Advocacy Ambassador Program serves as the vital grassroots connection between each US APWA Chapter and APWA’s federal Government Affairs efforts, helping achieve the association’s strategic goal to be the voice of public works.

As an Advocacy Ambassador, you play an important role in ensuring your chapter stays informed, engaged, and connected to APWA’s advocacy initiatives, such as the first responder initiative.

Key reminders:

• Chapters are encouraged to appoint one or more Advocacy Ambassadors.
• The program is designed to supplement—not replace— existing chapter advocacy activities.
• Ambassadors share information on chapter advocacy efforts with APWA’s Government Affairs team through regular monthly communication.
• Ambassadors provide valuable “on-the-ground” updates about advocacy activities occurring within their chapters and communities.
• Ambassadors are encouraged to conduct outreach to Congressional offices within their state and district on a quarterly basis.
• Ambassadors help promote APWA advocacy resources, provide updates to their chapter and peer groups, and encourage member involvement in advocacy initiatives.
• Advocacy Ambassadors must maintain APWA membership in good standing.

Call to Action

To ensure your chapter remains engaged and informed:

• Attend your chapter’s monthly Executive Committee meetings whenever possible.
• Provide regular updates on APWA federal advocacy initiatives and available Government Affairs resources.
• Report your chapter’s advocacy activities back to APWA’s Government Affairs team each month.
• Encourage fellow chapter members to participate in advocacy efforts and stay informed on issues impacting the public works profession.

Your communication and leadership help strengthen APWA’s collective advocacy voice and ensure the successes, challenges, and priorities of your chapter are represented at the national level.

Questions can be sent to Marty Williams, APWA Senior Government Affairs Manager.

Update: YP Summit/PWX Complimentary Registration Program

Thank you for your support of the YP Complimentary Registration Program. We are pleased to share that all complimentary registrations have been distributed, with every region represented! This success would not have been possible without your partnership and support.

A few recipients are still finalizing their plans, so we are encouraging interested individuals to join the waitlist in the event that a spot becomes available. To join the waitlist, fill out the intake form.

Questions can be sent to Maureen Weber, APWA Membership Development Manager.

APWA Monthly Chapter Leader Training

The next APWA Chapter Leader Training will be held on August 10 at noon CT. The topic will be “Government Affairs Overview and Congressional Look Ahead for the Fall.”

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.