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David Watt,
2008 Annual
Conference Chairperson |
To all conference participants and
sponsors, I would like to say thank you, for making the 2008 Annual Water Resources Conference in New Orleans such a huge success! For 44 years, AWRA has provided a valuable opportunity for water resources professionals from all disciplines to build
Community, participate in
Conversations and make
Connections through its annual conferences. In addition to the 4 days of excellent oral presentations, posters, panel discussions, and keynote speakers, we experienced excellent attendance on Sunday at our field trip and community service events. On top of that, more than $600 was raised to plant trees to help offset the carbon footprint of the conference!
I want to express my gratitude to the AWRA staff for their hard work behind the scenes with the board of directors, the planning committee, registration, hotel staff, A/V staff, complaints, etc. I want to thank my planning committee for their countless volunteer hours spent soliciting sponsors and developing the program and events. I want to especially thank Patrick Victor and Pat Reid for organizing and reorganizing the technical program several times to accommodate the needs of the presenters. The true value of this annual conference is determined by its content and the willingness of the registrants, the sponsors and exhibitors to attend and provide financial support. With that in mind, I want to thank the 400+ registrants and their employers for recognizing the value of an AWRA conference, and express my appreciation for the financial support provided by over 45 sponsors and exhibitors to help keep the registration and special event fees reasonable.
As you view the images posted here and reflect on conferences past, I hope you will consider participating in an upcoming AWRA conference.. The next one will be the Spring Specialty Conference on May 4-6, 2009 in Anchorage, Alaska, entitled: “Managing Water Resources and Development in a Changing Climate.” The 2009 Summer Specialty Conference will be June 29-July 1, 2009 in Snowbird, Utah, entitled: “Adaptive Management of Water Resources II.” And the Annual Conference is to be held November 9-12, 2009 in Seattle, Washington. Please watch this website and check your email for details on all of these conferences.
David Watt
2008 Annual Conference Chairperson
