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National Public Works Week Declaration Kicks Off With Events In Allegheny County
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At the council meeting on May 15, Allegheny County Council will declare the week of May 20-26, 2012 as National Public Works Week. This event will kick off a series of events in Allegheny County that focuses on the infrastructure, sustainability and the public works professionals who design, build and maintain our communities’ quality of life.
President of the Western Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Public Works Association, Cathy Trexler, will accept the proclamation from Councilman and Public Works Committee Chair, Bob Macey, at the Council meeting to be held at 5:00 p.m. May 15, at the County Courthouse in downtown Pittsburgh.
APWA chapter board members and officers from both the private and public sectors in Allegheny, Butler and Washington Counties will be on hand for the honor.
National Public Works Week is observed annually during the third full week of May to celebrate the men and women who provide and maintain the infrastructure and services collectively known as public works.
Across the nation, APWA’s 28,500 members use this week to energize and educate the public on the importance of the contribution of public works to their daily lives: planning, building, managing and operating the essence of our local communities.
This year’s theme, “Public Works: Creating a Lasting Impression,” speaks to the never-ending effort of public works professionals to use sustainable solutions to bring their communities the highest possible quality of life within a framework of environmental, social, and economic responsibility.
For more information about National Public Works Week, visit the APWA’s website.
Public Works Equipment Show
On June 7, in one of the local events, the APWA Western Pennsylvania Chapter will hold its annual Public Works Equipment Show and Seminars at Blueberry Hill Park in Franklin Park, PA from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. The show features 20 to 30 vendors, displays, demonstrations and educational programs.
This year, seminars include “Stormwater Phase II: Hard Work Protects Streams,” presented by Ruthann Omer, PE of Gateway Engineers, and “Alternative Fueled Vehicles and Lawn Care Equipment,” presented by Pittsburgh Region Clean Cities.
As a special attraction, the chapter is sponsoring free sessions with a professional fly fishing instructor. Lunch and prize drawings are included for a $20 entrance fee. Contact Cheryl Carroll by sending email to: cherylc@ahequipment.com to register, or visit the chapter’s website.
Sustainability In Public Works
In another local event during June 25-27, the APWA Sustainability in Public Works Conference will be held at the Omni William Penn in downtown Pittsburgh.
Amid the continuing national debate on infrastructure, sustainability has become an important strategic imperative helping communities meet the demands for economic, social and environmental responsibilities.
Developed in collaboration with the APWA Center for Sustainability, this conference is designed to provide public works professionals with networking, alternative solutions in engineering and operations technologies, and the latest innovations in sustainability tools, practices, and resources to create and maintain vibrant and healthy communities.
At the Sustainability Conference Keynote Session on Monday, June 25 at 5:30 p.m., Mayor Patrick Henry Hays of North Little Rock, Arkansas and President and Chairman of the Board of ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability USA, will speak about public works’ role in sustainable community leadership. He is a major voice speaking out on sustainable communities, economic prosperity, and common sense.
“To be sustainable is to balance economic, environmental and social concerns, and to think about how our actions today will affect future generations. In practice, it’s about helping our communities save energy and money, create more transportation choices, preserve clean air and bring economic prosperity in the process,” Hays said.
Conference participants can attend over 30 educational sessions on sustainable public works presented by speakers from across North America including sustainability champions from Western Pennsylvania – Allegheny County; Monaca Borough, Beaver County; and Cranberry Township, Butler County.
In addition, three APWA Technical Tours will be offered on Monday, June 25 from 1:30 – 4:30 p.m., which will have limited space and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The tours include a Classroom Workshop/Walking Tour of the Allegheny County Green Roof – Designing, Building and the Benefits, a Walking Workshop/Tour of the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, and the North Park Lake – Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration (Bus Transportation Provided).
“This year’s Sustainability Conference features the combined resources of education sessions, networking with peers, opportunities to discuss the challenges faced by other communities, and the latest innovative tools, practices and experts, making this one of the best APWA Sustainable Conferences so far.
The Center for Sustainability’s Leadership Team helped design the conference, and with the large amount of exhibitors, and innovative options and resources, the latest in sustainable infrastructure standards and processes in public works are all available,” APWA Center for Sustainability Director Julia Anastasio said.
For more information about APWA’s Center for Sustainability or the APWA Sustainability Conference, please email to Director of Sustainability Julia Anastasio at: janastasio@apwa.net, or visit the website.
For APWA Sustainability media queries, or to find out about press registration for the conference, please contact Laura Bynum, APWA Media Relations/Communications Manager at lbynum@apwa.net.
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5/14/2012 |
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