W+E Forward: Advancing workforce & Inclusion
The momentum continues to increase for our Water + Energy Forward Engine! September was packed with activities and announcements, including an important partnership on workforce development, a community forum to enhance engine inclusion and the expansion of our engine leadership team.
Water + Energy Forward (W+E Forward) is a consortium of 50+ organizations addressing the water-energy-waste nexus at small and medium-sized manufacturers and wastewater utilities in Wisconsin and beyond. In August, we submitted our pre-proposal to the National Science Foundation for a Regional Innovation Engines award of up to $160 million over 10 years. We hope to be invited to submit a full proposal by the end of October.
Water & Wastewater Workforce Center
On Sept. 5, The Water Council and Veolia North America announced the launch of a Water + Wastewater Workforce Center. The center will address water workforce challenges, such as training and education, outreach, diversity and inclusion, and upskilling. We also agreed to work together to advance new water and energy technologies, a critical piece of the engine.
Work has already begun on this endeavor. Veolia North America is searching for a Workforce Development Manager. This position will align the workforce development goals of Veolia, the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, The Water Council and other water sector stakeholders in the Greater Milwaukee area.
Community Conversation
The following week, we held a Community Conversation inviting Milwaukee residents and local organizations to learn more about the engine and share perspectives on how the engine can benefit a diverse population of residents. We were delighted with the turnout and the ideas and feedback shared.
We have two more Community Conversations scheduled to reach other parts of the engine region:
- Madison: Tuesday, October 22, from noon to 2:00 pm at Element Hall, 5510 Element Way, Madison. Register here.
- Appleton: Wednesday, October 23, from noon to 2:00 pm at the Bordini Center at Fox Valley Technical College, 5 N. Systems Dr., Appleton. Register here.
Please spread the word with your contacts in those areas!
New Leaders
As our work continues to grow, we are thrilled to bring on new engine leaders. The expanded leadership team will help us meet our goals in the areas of research and development, technology commercialization, manufacturing, workforce development and more.
- Balamurugan Balakreshnan, Chief AI Officer/Architect, Microsoft
- Michael Gay, CEcD, Development Specialist, Center for Dairy Research
- John Ikeda, Chief Mission Officer, Water Environment Federation
- Maile Lono-Batura, BCES, MNPL, Director of Sustainable Biosolids Program, Water Environment Federation
- Dave Ross, Chief Sustainability Officer, Veolia North America
- Kevin Shafer, Executive Director, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District
You can find the full list of engine leaders here.