A huge THANK YOU to all who participated in the Spring Conference at the beautiful French Lick Resort in mid-March! We had record numbers again this Year, and we couldn't be more grateful to all our exhibitors, speakers, sponsors, volunteers, staff, and board for their efforts to help make the event a success!
We extend our most profound appreciation to our attendees for prioritizing their participation in this event amidst their demanding schedules, contributing significantly to the growth and fortification of our indispensable industry!
This year, we started the conference early in the morning with an LSLI class. In the afternoon, we hosted roundtables with the AIRW staff. We discussed Cybersecurity, Apprenticeship, Lead & Copper Ruler Revisions, Water Audits, Emerging Contaminants & PFAS, and current legislation. A big thank you to our Pre-Conference Hospitality Kick-Off Event Hosts, National Water Services and Advanced Rehabilitation Technology. Their sponsorship provided a fantastic party to welcome everyone to the Spring Conference.
We hit the ground running Wednesday morning, and participants started off on their chosen track of classes - administrative, water, or wastewater. After receiving positive feedback from last year's staggered class sessions, we had a similar schedule planned for this year. Wednesday afternoon, we celebrated the best of the best in the industry during our Awards of Excellence Luncheon. We also honored four Indiana high school students, each receiving a $2,000 scholarship. We gathered in Pluto's Alley Wednesday evening and kicked back with pizza, drinks, and bowling.
Thursday morning, we began the day with two exciting competitions. Up first was the first round of our Regional Water Taste Ninestar Connect won the taste test and will advance to the Best Tasting Water in Indiana Contest at the Grand Wayne Convention Center. Next up was the Zenner Ultimate Meter Challenge. Four finalists, who competed throughout the conference, took to the stage to try and win a cash prize as well as a trip to WaterPro in Savanah, GA, where they will compete for the ultimate prize, an all-expense paid trip to Hawaii. Jake Pool from the Town of Folwer took home 1st place. Second place, taking home $200, was Aaron Schrock from the Town of Wakarusa, IN. Tyler Hill from Indiana American Water took home 3rd place and $100. After breakfast, everyone headed off for final classes and another trip around the exhibit hall to complete their bingo cards and gamification entries.
We wrapped up the conference by announcing all the Sportsman's Raffle prize winners. Over $5,100 in tickets were sold for the Sportsman's Raffle! The proceeds will be donated to the Water PAC Fund, which ensures rural water & wastewater have a voice in Washington, DC! This year's winner was Micah Sarabyn from Ben Davis Conservancy District, who walked away with $2,000 cash! Ronald Fuchs from Waldron Conservancy District won the shotgun raffle. Matthew Gindling from Indiana-Kentucky Electric Corporation won the all-inclusive trip for two to the NRWA conference this fall in Savannah, GA, sponsored by Covalen & Midwestern Engineers, Inc. Thank you all for helping make this another fantastic Alliance event!