The NEWWA 5-year Long-Range Strategic Plan refines and builds on the goals from previous plans and is a basis for plans to be established by the NEWWA Board of Directors as it guides our many volunteers and staff. This update of the Long-Range Strategic Plan for 2010 to 2015 was developed with consideration of previous plans as well as a concerted effort to focus beyond 5 years and into the 20-year vision. Also, planners and council members were asked to limit their focus to perhaps three “big things” that could be implemented to achieve their goals. With this in mind the following themes and implementation ideas evolved:

• Creating an organizational structure within NEWWA that captures our environmental activities and interests. This includes a revised Vision and Mission and Council structure.
• Incorporating a Sustainability Committee within this structure and emphasizing its applicability within the entire organization.
• Establishing an Internet presence with a Social Networking Committee to further our communication efforts within and outside of NEWWA.

The first theme reflects the sentiments of many of the past strategic plans where water professionals are tired of not being recognized for their environmental stewardship. Through the establishment of an Environmental Stewardship Council, NEWWA has the opportunity to incorporate many of these elements into its routine activities. Also, an extensive amount of deliberation went into an evaluation of our current Vision and Mission with the development of new wording to reflect these sentiments.

The second theme reflects the efforts and accomplishments of the ad hoc Sustainability Committee established by Jim West as a result of last year’s planning meeting, to explore and develop a basis for NEWWA to express ideas and initiatives related to sustainability where it applies to water systems and water resources. The committee has become a resident of the newly formed Environmental Stewardship Council.

The third theme reflects a change in the way our members and the overall water community communicate on a routine basis. A Social Networking Committee has been established within the Communications Council to provide a means for NEWWA to develop and activate our Internet-based communication initiatives.

These overall themes are explained further in this plan. To download the entire 2010-2015 Long-Range Strategic Plan, click here.