Letter from the Executive Director

Apr 22, 2025

“One band, one sound”.

These words, from the movie Drumline, were chosen by DC Water’s CEO and General Manager, David Gadis, to welcome attendees to the National Water Policy Fly-In held earlier this month in Washington, DC. His words reflected the importance of the water sector speaking as a singular voice when advocating for water’s greatest needs.

This phrase in many ways characterizes my experience as I close out my first three months with WCDA. Much like the different instruments in the band, WCDA members and collaborators bring their unique talents and perspectives to the organization to form a single and powerful voice that has been extraordinarily welcoming, supportive, and, most importantly, focused on collectively working to advance collaborative delivery in the water sector. I am grateful for the kind words and warm welcome I have received from the WCDA community.

WCDA was proud to be a 2025 Water Week Partner to help ensure water’s voice is heard in our nation’s capital during a time of uncertainty. It was a privilege to participate in the week’s events, engage with members, and visit Capitol Hill to advocate for what water needs most. Water Week is one of many events on WCDA’s calendar for 2025. In addition to our upcoming association meetings and growing calendar of education workshops across the country, WCDA plans to have a presence at the following upcoming events:

• AWWA Annual Conference (ACE25) – We will be launching our updated Fixed-Price Design-Build Procurement Guide from our booth (#4125).
• WateReuse Association/WEF Industrial Water Solutions Conference
• NACWA Utility Leadership Conference

As WCDA’s 2025 event calendar continues to evolve, we will keep you informed about where you can find the WCDA team and how you can help to amplify the voice of our growing WCDA community to transform the water sector through the power of collaborative delivery.

In collaboration,
Barb Martin