2024 CWA Annual Summit
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November 6 - November 7
The California Water Association invites you to the in-person 2024 Annual Summit to celebrate the theme “From Source to Sink” at the Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa located at 400 Cannery Row, Monterey, California on Wednesday, November 6th through Thursday, November 7th, 2024!
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Summit Registration Rates:
Class A Member Companies: $725
Class B Member Company: $400
C & D Member Companies: $150
Industry Affiliates: $725
Government/NGO Partners: $200
Young Professional: $400
Non-Members: $725
You must register for Summit by November 6, 2024.
Please have your method of payment ready when you register.
VENUE INFORMATION
Hotel Information:
Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa
400 Cannery Row, Monterey, California
SUMMIT AGENDA – (Download PDF HERE)
| Wednesday, November 6, 2024 | ||
| 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm | Water Quality Committee Meeting (Members Only) |
Robert Louis Stevenson |
| 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm | Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee Meeting (Members Only) |
John Steinbeck Boardroom |
| 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm | Public Information Committee Meeting (Members Only) |
Robert Louis Stevenson |
| 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm | Opening Reception |
| Thursday, November 7, 2024 | |||
| 7:00 AM – 8:30 AM | Registration and Breakfast | Cypress Ballroom | |
| 8:30 AM – 9:00 AM | California Water Association: Year in Review | Ed Jackson, President, Liberty Utilities – CA, 2023-24 President, California Water Association |
Cypress Ballroom |
| 9:00 AM – 9:30 AM | The Case for Inclusivity | Linda Akutagawa, Chief Executive Office, Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics (LEAP) |
Cypress Ballroom |
| Empowerment and policy are key strategies for creating pathways for diverse leaders. Linda will share research-based strategies for working with people of Asian and Pacific Islander descent and how those strategies can be applied across the board to strengthen inclusive practices. | |||
| 9:30 AM – 10:45 AM | Securing the Future of Infrastructure | Cypress Ballroom | |
| Investments ensure critical infrastructure is well maintained and modernized so that customers receive clean, safe, and reliable water service now and for generations to come. This panel of economists, researchers, and bankers will provide an overview of the state of our economy and its impacts on water utility investments. | Jonathan Reeder, Equities Research Associate Analyst, Wells Fargo Securities Anne Serewicz, Senior Managing Director, Head of Investment Banking & Capital Markets, CL King & Associates, Greg Goodwin, Senior Research Director, Bluefield Research Moderator: Marty Kropelnicki, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, California Water Service |
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| 10:45 AM – 11:00 AM | Networking Break | Cypress Ballroom | |
| 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM | The Water AI Revolution | Cypress Ballroom | |
| As water utilities acquire increasingly vast amounts of data, the challenge it creates is how to fully leverage the information to optimize decision-making. This panel will delve into the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence across key areas in the water sector. From asset management to predictive maintenance and regulatory compliance, panelists will explore how AI-driven analytics can drive smarter, more strategic decisions in the water utility industry. | Hudson Hollister, Chief Executive Officer, HData Bridget Garlinghouse, Director of Sales, Voda AI, Chris Tull, Chief Data Officer, California Data Collaborative Moderator: Sarah Musiker, Director of External Affairs, California Water Association |
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| 12:15 PM – 1:15 PM | Transformational Leadership in the Water Industry | Ange Matthews, Chief Executive Officer, LeaderSauce | Dolphins Ballroom |
| In today’s rapidly evolving water industry, leadership plays a pivotal role in navigating unique challenges and driving sustainable growth. This session is designed to reveal new empowerment strategies for leaders in the water sector. | |||
| 1:30 PM – 1:45 PM | Supplier Diversity Year in Review | Tim McLaughlin, Director of Supplier Diversity, San Jose Water | Cypress Ballroom |
| 1:45 PM – 2:45 PM | Enhancing Utility Operations Through Academic Collaboration | Cypress Ballroom | |
| Academic research is an important tool for water utilities as they seek to improve improve operations and programs. This panel of researchers will discuss their recent projects and focus and explore with us how to enable greater collaboration and mutual learning opportunities between academia and the water utility industry. | Erik Porse, Director, California Institute for Water Resources, Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of California Ellen Bruno, Assistant Professor of Cooperative Extension, Department of Agriculture and Resource Economics, University of California, Berkeley David Feldman, Professor, Department of Urban Planning and Policy, School of Social Ecology, University of California, Irvine Moderator: Jonathan Morse, Senior Manager – Rates and Regulatory, California American Water |
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| 2:45 PM – 3:00 PM | Networking Break | Cypress Ballroom | |
| 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM | Water Affordability Trends and Strategies |
Steven Wishart, Assistant Vice President, Concentric Advisors | Cypress Ballroom |
| Water rates and affordability remain chief areas of focus among water utilities and their regulators nationwide. Concentric Advisors’s Steven Wishart will present an in-depth analysis of historical water prices, future price projections, and economic trends. | |||
| 3:30 PM – 4:45 PM | Western Region Commissioners – Water in the West Panel |
Cypress Ballroom | |
| This panel brings together utility commissioners from across western states to address the pressing water issues facing utilities and regulatory commissions. This panel will explore regulatory challenges and opportunities from the perspective of state regulators in the Western Region. | Tammy Cordova, Commissioner, Nevada Ann Rendahl, Commissioner, Washington Kevin Thompson, Commissioner, Arizona Moderator: Jack Hawks, Executive Director Emeritus, California Water Association |
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| 4:45 PM – 5:00 PM | Closing and Wrap Up | John Tang, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs and Government Relations, San Jose Water, 2025-26 President, California Water Association | Cypress Ballroom |
| 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM | Reception | ||
| 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM | Dinner |
| Friday, November 8, 2024 | ||
| 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM | Small Company /CPUC Regulatory Seminar (Members & CPUC Regulatory Staff Only) |
Cypress Ballroom |
| 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM | Hdata Training | John Steinbeck Boardroom |
| 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Large Company / CPUC Regulatory Seminar (Members & CPUC Regulatory Staff Only) |
Cypress Ballroom |
| 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM | Annual Meeting and Board of Directors Meeting (Members Only) | Cypress Ballroom |
If your company is interested in future sponsorship, please contact us at contact@calwaterassn.com.
