Foundation Seeks Emerging Leaders Alliance Conference Applicants To Better Groundwater Professions

The National Ground Water Research and Educational Foundation is seeking applications for the Emerging Leaders Alliance Conference taking place November 8-11, 2015 in Reston, Virginia.

NGWREF is offering young professionals the opportunity to apply to receive free registration valued at $1,500.Applications are being accepted now through until June 30.

Formed in 2008 as a cooperative project of organizations, including NGWREF, the Emerging Leaders Alliance seeks to foster leadership in the engineering and scientific community. In addition to technical competency, today’s engineering leaders need broad skills to meet the real problems facing mankind including energy, sustainability, and health care. Furthermore, NGWREF believes strong leadership is one of the keys to fulfilling its mission to “enhance the future effectiveness of groundwater professions and to maximize the impact of groundwater for society.”

“In so many industries, including the groundwater industry, individuals go to school and learn their industry through experience. When you reach a certain level of competence, you are asked to manage and no one has trained you for that,” said Rachel Geddes, NGWREF administrator. “This conference is about teaching those who haven’t gone to business school how to lead the people in their company and industry.”

Eric Swanson, an employee of LAKOS Separators and Filtration Systems, and attendee of the 2015 ELA Conference, had this to say about the event, “This has been the most beneficial conference I have ever attended.”

Those who would benefit from the conference include:

• Groundwater industry professionals
  • Rising or current middle management (or equivalent) with demonstrated potential for upper level/executive management
  • Rising or current technical staff leaders (e.g., associate research consultant, research specialist) with demonstrated potential for corporate fellow (or equivalent) and/or technical society or National Academy fellow
• Government agency personnel
  • Same as preceding
• University personnel (i.e., professors)
  • Six or more years of experience (including leading research groups or centers) with aspirations for university leadership positions (department chair, dean, or higher) and/or demonstrated potential for technical society/National Academy fellow.

About NGWREF
NGWREF, founded in 1994 as an IRS-approved public charity, is operated by the National Ground Water Association as a 501(c)(3) public foundation focused on conducting educational, research, and other charitable activities related to a broader public understanding of groundwater. NGWA, a nonprofit organization composed of U.S. and international groundwater professionals — contractors, equipment manufacturers, suppliers, scientists, and engineers — is dedicated to advancing groundwater knowledge. NGWA's vision is to be the leading groundwater association that advocates the responsible development, management, and use of water.