Rural Water - Quarter 3, 2008 - (Page 8)

Sharing the Vision of Rural Water FROM THE PRESIDENT BY RODNEY TART, NRWA PRESIDENT It has been a very serving you as rewarding two years the chief advocate for in this great country. Our membership has continued to grow, small and rural systems and we have assisted state associations to become stronger. FRIENDS OF RURAL WATER, this will be my last message to you as your 14th president of the National Rural Water Association. It has been a very rewarding two years serving you as the chief advocate for small and rural systems in this great country. Our membership has continued to grow, and we have assisted state associations to become stronger. All of this has occurred during very difficult times with slowing economies and funding changes in Washington DC. Much can be learned in times of difficulty. As rural Americans, we know what hard work is and we press even harder during those challenging times. While we lost major funding resources from new congressional rules in 2007, we managed to learn a lot about our young organization. It has been said on occasion that we find our strength from within ourselves. When there is something worth protecting, we do what we have to in order to survive. I am ver y proud of our national board members and state associations for their perseverance in continuing to grow the organization when their programs and staff were facing cuts. What we learned from the congressional changes was that we as an organization have great strength and resolve to stay the course. The work ethic of our state association executives and board members became obvious as they were ver y determined, creative and committed to sustaining programs and staff. This speaks volumes in times of great uncertainty. During this same time, we continued to reach out to other organizations for ways to strengthen our relationships. In past times, these have been strained by our professional differences and beliefs. I am ver y proud of the board to enter into a memorandum of understanding to work with the American Water Works Association in finding ways that we can make our profession and the industr y better. This effort will continue through subsequent years of work plans and collaborative efforts in the regulatory environment, as well as other areas of mutual benefit. I want to thank our national board for their vision and courage to make this happen. Also, I would like to thank my good friend, AWWA past president Terr y Rolan from NC, in facilitating this effort. NRWA has also made great efforts in 2008 by holding the first environmental summit with the Environmental Protection Agency, along with various high level staff and regional directors. Our special thanks go to Chief 8 • Third Quarter 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Rural Water - Quarter 3, 2008

Rural Water - Quarter 3, 2008 Contents From the President From Hypo to Gas - A Forward Leap If You Lose All Your Data Today... Would You Still Be in Business Tomorrow? Weaving the Wireless Web Rural Water and the Farm Bill Ensuring Your Water System's Security Guarding Against Becoming a Victim of Fraud 10 Ways to Improve Utility Efficiency New Technology Making a Difference By Being Involved Regulatory Update Source Water Protection Corner Throwing My Loop Cub Scouts Visit Alliance of Indiana Rural Water's Spring Conference Advertisers.com Index to Advertisers From the CEO

Rural Water - Quarter 3, 2008

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