Atlanta, GA—PWX, APWA’s premier annual conference that draws participants from around the world, is always an exciting opportunity for public works professionals to convene, learn, and network. This year, pre-conference special events set the tone for the significance of PWX 2024 being hosted in Atlanta, Georgia. APWA’s then-President W. Gary Losier, PEng, APWA CEO Scott Grayson, CAE, and members of the APWA Georgia Chapter took time to recognize the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., by visiting the King Center to participate in a wreath-laying ceremony.
Atlanta was Dr. King’s hometown, and his legacy is honored at the King Center and throughout the city. During the ceremony, the Georgia chapter presented wreaths to Grayson and Losier, who placed them upon designated stands to honor Dr. King and his late wife, Coretta Scott King. In addition, special guest Xernona Clayton shared stories about helping Dr. King plan civil rights marches in the 1960s.
The ceremony received local media coverage by the Fulton Neighbor, and was a collaboration among the American Public Works Association, the Atlanta Department of Public Works, and the Atlanta Department of Transportation. In what would be one of his last demonstrations of servant leadership, Dr. King participated in and supported the sanitation workers’ strike in Memphis. His commitment to these public workers is still meaningful to today’s public works community—a humble sector that has historically struggled to share and celebrate its story. That’s why APWA has a 2023–2026 strategic goal to “be the voice of public works to government leaders, the public, and media.”
Learn more about APWA’s advocacy efforts here.
