Georgia Association of Water Professionals

The GAWP Leadership Academy is designed to assist GAWP Corporate and Utility Members in educating and preparing their rising leaders.

The Bureau of Labor reports that an estimated 36 million workers are expected to leave the U.S. workforce by 2014. As we prepare for the Baby Boomers to retire, leadership training is critical for the water and wastewater industry in order to pass down institutional knowledge about our industry and its history in Georgia.

The Leadership Academy is made possible by the support of the GAWP Annual Sponsors.

Applications
Applications are accepted on a limited basis. Please see the current course schedule and application deadlines.

The Leadership Academy has a competitive application process. Classes are designed to have a balance of professionals from different fields within the water and wastewater industry; class sizes are limited to provide an enriched experience for attendees.

Application checklist:

- 2-page application (see below)

- Recommendation from work mentor or supervisor (see below)

- GAWP membership application (if not currently an active individual member)

Fees
The GAWP Leadership Academy is made possible with the support of GAWP's
Annual Sponsors. The fee for the Leadership Academy is $1,500. However,
this fee is waived for one employee per year of Annual Sponsors,
Utility Leadership Patrons and CornerStone Contributors to
GAWP's Building Fund.

Questions about exemption eligibility can be directed to Ashley Simeone, asimeone@gawp.org or 770.618.8690.

Invoices for the Leadership Academy will be sent to applicants after acceptance to a course.

Current Course Schedule and Application Deadlines
Level 1 classes will be held in the Spring of 2011. Please check back at
a later date for updated information.

Applicants are expected to attend every class. One (1) absence may be made up by attending the opposing schedule's class, if unavoidable. If only one class is currently running, necessary absences may be made up during the next course schedule. Additional courses for the Leadership Academy will be held. We encourage you to apply for a course when you can commit to attending each session.
Classes are held at various locations and run from 8 a.m. until noon with the exception of Day 3, which runs until 1:30 p.m. (lunch is provided this day).

LEADERSHIP ACADEMY CURRICULUM

Day 1: History of Water Management in Georgia

Water 101 - a legislative history
Water 201 - the really big picture
Session 1-c - Water 201 - the really big picture
- How we make our rules / History & Mechanics
- The political reality

Day 2: Leadership Skills

a. Decision Making
b. Communication
c. Responsibility v. Authority
d. Buddies v. Bosses
e. Delegation
f. Supervision & Management
g. Leading by Example
h. Handling Criticism
i. Balancing Personal Life

Day 3: Professional Perspectives

- The Utility Perspective
- The Consultant's Perspective
- The Manufacturers' Representatives Perspective
- The Contractor's Perspective
- The Environmental Community's Perspective
* Each Perspective is outlined as follows:
O Introduction
O Product Quality
O Customer Satisfaction
O Employee Leadership & Development
O Operational Optimization
O Community Sustainability
O Water Resource Adequacy
O Stakeholder Understanding & Support

Day 4: Aspects of Professionalism

a. Leadership Style & Responding to Leadership styles
b. Ethics and Integrity
c. Professionalism
d. Licensing/ Professional Registration or Certification
e. Equality and being PC in the office
f. Longevity/Loyalty
g. Professional Development Plan (PDP) Discussion & Break-out Groups

Day 5: The EPD Viewpoint

Current Issue Group Discussion
a. Topic will be selected in advance (by class)
b. Group will discuss current issue and potential solutions/outcomes

Day 6: Financing & Management

- GEFA and Municipal Bonds
- Sales Tax
- Rates Setting
- Communicating with the Media

LEADERSHIP ACADEMY LEVEL 2 CURRICULUM

Day 1: Networking and Managing Relationships

- Cross Cultural Communications
- Volunteering/ What hat to wear
- Environmental Stewardship and Community Involvement
- Sustainability/Green
Day 1 Activity: Personality Profile

Day 2: Decision Making/ Negotiating

- Managing Conflict
- Creating a winning proposition for both sides
- Methods for successful conflict resolution
- Impact of cultural differences in the negotiation process
- Listening, Questioning, Communicating
Day 2 Activity: Role Play - Conflict Resolution

Day 3: Water Issues - Current & Future

- Salt Water Intrusion
- SW GA Agriculture Irrigation
- Metro-Atlanta Quantity
- Industry Innovations
- Golf courses
- Ag
- Carpet
- Water/Wastewater Processes
- Future Conservation Steps
Day 3 Activity: Role Play - Draw your position (Coastal, SW GA, Metro-Atlanta) and Defend/Negotiate

Day 4: Legislative / Governance

- Communicating with a Board
- Legal Liabilities of Utilities
- Metrics and Benchmarking
- Freedom of Information Act

Day 5: Finance and Accounting

- Role of Accounting (from Utility & Authority's Perspective)
- Key Concepts of managerial and financial accounting
- Understanding the relationships among profitability, cash flow, liquidity and growth
- Understanding Financial Statements
- Ability to identify red flags in financial statements
- Asset Management
- Revisiting Rates (From Level 1)
- Revenue /Bond Funding (if more needed from Level 1)
Day 5 Activity: Group Work (each group has a different activity & will discuss their results with the class)
- Create/Slash Mock Budget
- Bonding
- What makes a good financial statement?
- Rate Setting - give basic rate structure and adjust to meet goals a, b, c

Day 6: Management

- Performance Counseling
- Succession Planning/ Workforce Sustainability (retention)
- Coaching for Success
Day 6 Activity: Create a Rewards Program

FORMS

Leadership Academy Application (PDF)

Leadership Academy Recommendation (PDF)

Annual Sponsorship Program (PDF)

Utility Leadership Patrons (PDF)