APWA Awards Program
Nominations for the APWA Awards Program are now open! The deadline to submit is March 3, 2026.
The two deadline exceptions are the Excellence in Snow and Ice Control Award, which is due December 1, and the Presidential Acknowledgment for Chapter Excellence (PACE), due June 1, 2026.
Click here to submit a nomination! Questions can be sent to Cameron Harmeyer at charmeyer@apwa.org.
Does Your Chapter Offer Sustainability and Resiliency Awards?
If so, please send the award name(s) and a brief description to Rita Cassida at rcassida@apwa.org.
Pakpour Consulting Group Young Leader of the Year Award
The Myron Calkins Young Leader of the Year Award has been renamed to the Pakpour Consulting Group Young Leader of the Year Award.
APWA extends sincere gratitude to the Calkins family for their generous support over the years. Their commitment helped shape this award into one of APWA’s most meaningful recognitions of emerging leaders in public works.
While the award criteria will remain the same, additional funding is now available thanks to the generous donation from Pakpour Consulting Group.
Under the updated award, the financial incentive will transition from a $500 stipend to coverage of PWX travel expenses, including:
- Up to three nights of lodging
- The winner’s PWX registration fee.
Questions can be sent to Jill Wilbeck.
Regional Nominating Committees
In 2026, nominating committees will be considering applicants for APWA Board Directors in Regions III, IV, VII, and IX. APWA is soliciting nominations from individuals interested in being considered for appointment to a nominating committee. Chapter presidents in those regions will make the final recommendation for appointment by the APWA president. Questions regarding this commitment may be directed to nominations@apwa.org.
If you are interested in serving on one of the regional nominating committees, please notify your chapter president. Individuals may also go to the nominations portal and complete the survey, scrolling down the drop-down menu to indicate their interest in a regional or national nominating committee.
Nominations for any of the nominating committees must be received by COB December 15. At that time, the list of nominees will be distributed to the chapter presidents for their recommendation. For more information on the process and requirements for participating in a nominating committee, contact nominations@apwa.org.
Volunteers Needed!
Please share this volunteer opportunity with your chapter members and encourage them to make a meaningful impact on the public works community by helping with new educational resources!
The American Public Works Association (APWA) is seeking volunteers to assist committees with educational projects underway over the next six months. Discover how you can get involved with APWA and make a meaningful impact in the public works community. There will be a Committee Open House on November 18, where you can learn more about APWA committees and projects. If you have questions, please email education@apwa.org with the subject line “Call for Volunteers.”
You can review all project information on our page here. Be sure to complete the survey to volunteer for a project by December 2!
Support Your Profession: Supervisors and Managers Needed for the Public Works Professional Credential Survey
APWA is working with Assessment, Education, and Research Experts (AERE) to validate the necessary tasks and knowledge statements related to updating the Certified Public Works Professional certifications, and we need your help.
It is important that supervisor and manager expectations and practices in public works remain current with the ever-changing knowledge, skills, and abilities required for competence. The survey will help determine the importance of tasks and knowledge statements in your field. As a manager or supervisor, your feedback and experiences are extremely important to ensure our survey results are robust and complete.
Click here for additional information and to access the survey. Please submit survey responses by Tuesday, December 9.
APWA Brand Video—Public Works: A Kid’s Perspective
We need your help to increase visibility of public works! Please share our new, fun, and engaging 2025 brand video on your chapter’s social channels or website. Public Works: A Kid’s Perspective shows how children see the everyday heroes who keep our cities safe, clean, and thriving. From building parks to repairing roads, hear their fun and heartfelt answers about what public works is and why it’s important. This video celebrates the people, purpose, and presence of public works in our communities.
Need some help posting the video on your chapter site? Reach out to chapterservices@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.
Questions can be sent to education@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 following public works agencies were accredited in October 2025:
Region 1
- Auburn, Maine Public Works Department—3rd accreditation
Region 3
- Richmond, Virginia Department of Public Works—6th accreditation
Region 4
- Leon County, Florida Public Works Department—2nd accreditation
Region 5
- Grove City, Ohio Public Services Department—2nd accreditation
Region 6
- Des Moines, Iowa Department of Public Works—2nd accreditation
Region 7
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Utilities and Infrastructure Division, New Mexico—3rd accreditation
- Yuma, Arizona Public Works Department—1st 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, Associate Director of Accreditation, at accreditation@apwa.org.
Save the date for 2026 NPWW reception
To once again coincide with National Public Works Week (NPWW) 2026 (May 17–23), the APWA Government Affairs Team will be hosting its second reception to honor 2025’s Top Ten Winners/Project of the Year Winners. We invite you to save the date for NPWW and hope you will consider joining us to celebrate your award.
- The reception is a prime opportunity to meet with your members of Congress, and network with your APWA colleagues.
- Educate federal officials about the important contributions of public works to our country’s well-being and economic prosperity.
This week will also include the opportunity to participate in all APWA-sponsored events and activities, in addition to having a personal meeting with your member of Congress.
If you are planning to attend, please RSVP to Jill Wilbeck. Specific dates for the Capitol Hill activities will be sent to you before the end of this year. Click here for a list of nearby hotels to help with your planning. If you’re thinking about attending, booking your room early will give you the best rate!
We look forward to celebrating National Public Works Week with you in Washington, DC!
Insurance 101
As you begin to plan for your 2026 events, please review the APWA 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 December 8, at noon CT. We will review how APWA events are created in Fonteva and how they sync with chapters and APWA event calendars.
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.
