2010 Service Awards Nominations

2010 IPSI

Dear Fellow APWA Chapter Members:

The 2009 year is starting to wind down and planning for winter weather ahead is occurring in our public works departments across the state. Speaking of winter weather the September 3rd Snow Roadeo event was held in Champaign this year. Those who attended benefitted from the competition, testing, and camaraderie.

Attendance this year at the Congress and Exposition in Columbus, Ohio this past September 13-16 was down from years past largely due to the recession’s impact on all our budgets. The equipment show had as many vendors as last year and the technical session’s topics were timely with good presenters. Our Chapter Dinner was held Tuesday night at the Columbus Brewing Company and was attended by about twenty members. A good time was had by all.

This year’s Illinois Public Service Institute was held on October 4th -9th in Effingham and there were about 130 students in attendance. Five students that I spoke with enthusiastically endorsed the program and the speakers. Please give thought in your organization to send one or members of your team to next years’ conference. Remember the branches and chapter all have scholarship money available to offset the first year attendance expenses. The application is straight forward, so do apply.

On October 22nd the first annual IPWMAN conference was held at the IDOT auditorium in Springfield. There were about 100 people in attendance. This conference was quite moving when five officials spoke about how 26 IPWMAN individuals went to help Carterville from a devastating wind storm disaster last May. It was also moving to see how many dedicated public works individuals have taken the time to form a network that is of vital importance to provide fellow communities support in the time of a crisis. If you haven’t already, sign up today and become a member of IPWMAN. It will be the best move you can make to receive the help your agency may need when you really need it.

The APWA state and national award applications were recently mailed out by our chair Larry Cox. The application deadline is March 1, 2010. Do consider recognizing that special person or project in your organization and complete the application. The awards recognition ceremony is on Friday, May 10, 2010 at the annual conference in Peoria. This recognition is an excellent way to tout what we do in public works to your community and show you care to the individuals that you work with.

In closing the end of my six year commitment as a state chapter officer is ending soon. By no means am I hanging up my involvement in APWA or the state chapter. This is an excellent organization and in our industry there is no better association. In January I will be handing the gavel to Larry Coloni the public works director from Forsyth. I look forward to his ideas and leadership the next two years and I ask that we all pitch in and continue to support APWA, increase our membership, provide first rate education, and continue to network and reach out and help each other as we go through these tough economic times.


William R. Gray
Illinois APWA Chapter President