Message from the Chair

CARRYING MOMENTUM FORWARD

By Anna Czeck

I always enjoy attending the CSWEA Annual Meeting and this year was no exception. The 98th Annual Meeting was well done. It was great to see familiar faces and meet new people, visit the exhibit hall to see what each vendor has to offer, learn from the technical sessions, and share information and ideas with each other.
I often find myself inspired and ready to take action – both at work and within the association. At work, I like to bring back what I learned to share with colleagues. Perhaps it’s a different approach in treatment or maybe it’s a new technology or service that is being offered. In the association, I like to hear what each of the committees and sections are working on and consider if I can apply that to what I work on.
There really is no better time to take the momentum and inspiration that is generated during the Annual Meeting and run with it! The Minnesota Exchange (MNX) is being held next week in St. Cloud and all members are welcome. Looking at registration, I can see familiar names along with quite a few new ones. I’m looking forward to hearing what each committee intends to focus on for the remainder of the year and seeing how we can help each other accomplish those goals. We also have several leadership roles available in various committees that I hope we can find volunteers for.

If you missed MNX this year, it’s not too late to be more involved in the section. There are so many ways to be engaged in CSWEA – there truly is something for everyone! Our section has 10 different committees: Government Affairs, Collection System, Industrial Wastes, Membership, Operations/Safety/Laboratory, Public Education, Resource Recovery and Energy, Students & Young Professionals, Stormwater, and Awards. These committees are always looking for new members to bring a fresh perspective and a willingness to help out! You can learn more about what each committee is responsible for by checking out the section bylaws which are posted on the CSWEA website at www.cswea.org/minnesota/resources/governance. You can also reach out to committee chairs using the contact information listed on the Minnesota section ‘About Us’ page.
Conference planning is another great way to help! It takes a lot of time and resources to plan conferences, and Minnesota has several in the upcoming year. The Conference on the Environment is in November 2025 in Minneapolis, the Innovative Conference is in February 2026 in St. Cloud, and the 99th CSWEA Annual Meeting is in May 2026 in St. Paul. Many hands make less work for everyone, and this work is very rewarding – it’s a different experience on conference day when you know that you helped bring the event together. The next year is going to be busy for the Minnesota section. If you’ve been thinking about getting more involved – now is the time. I encourage you to reach out to myself or any of the section leadership to ask questions. Let’s take the momentum from the Annual Meeting and carry it forward for the rest of the year!