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MGWA Progress Continues!

Strategic Vision and Planning

Operational Enhancements

Administrative Advancements

Membership Strategy

Transition

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2024-2025 Board Initiatives Progress

Operations

Board Structure Update [2013]

Board Vacancy Filling

Operations Manual Update [2011]

Bylaws Review and Update [2008]

Strategic Plan Update – Vision, Mission, Goals

Code of Conduct Review [draft 2018]

Membership

Growth Strategies

Board, ECP, Alumni

New Branding

Marketing Materials

Social Media Presence

Social/Networking Events

Website Update

Collaborations

Coordination with MGWAF

Growing and Fostering Partnerships: MGS, Freshwater, NGWA, MWWA, MN Brownfields, MNWOO, MEP, etc.

MGS Contact: tippi001@umn.edu

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New Board Structure

President

Vice President

Treasurer

Membership Coordinator

Early Career Professionals Group*

Alumni Group*

Marketing & Communications Coordinator

Events Coordinator

Committee Coordinator

Foundation Liaison (Past President)

Newsletter Liaison*

White Paper Committee Liaison*

Education Committee Liaison*

7 Voting Members

Yellow outline – unfilled position

Contractor: Admin/Contracts/Legal and Bylaws Coordinator

Executive Director

Elected Directors

Appointed Directors

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Executive Director Search

ADVOCATE FOR GROUNDWATER

STRATEGIC PLANNING

VISIONARY LEADERSHIP

RELATIONSHIP BUILDING

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MGWA Award Nominations

Looking Ahead

Groundwater Recharge in a Changing Climate and Emerging Contaminants Beyond PFAS

Elections!

2025 Fall Conference Announcement!

We heard your feedback. We are announcing the next conference topic now so we can all start to prepare the best programing possible.

Lifetime Achievement, Outstanding Project, and Outstanding Service

Elections for President, Vice President, and Treasurer will occur in association with the Fall Conference. I’ve been on the MGWA board for 3 years through the transition and ongoing reinvention. The last year and half has been truly inspiring to see how much potential and resiliency this organization has. With the new business operations in place, finances in the black, a strong organizational foundation, and an incoming executive director, the stage is set for you to define the next chapter of MGWA. Keep an eye out for officer nomination information. If you are interested in learning more please reach out to any board member for a no pressure conversation.

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Calling All Student & �Early Career Professionals

Engagement

Opportunity

Value

Development

In the last two years, MGWA has done some soul searching. What is at the core of MGWA? Why are here? What does MGWA offer our members that other venues do not?

We believe is answer people. Making connections, developing as professionals, all in the name of water.

All of us are here to see our colleagues, develop as professionals, and learn about a different aspect of water.

Most of us here are fairly well established in our careers. We have a niche or specialty. We have a network. You look around the room and you know more than a dozen names.

What this organization needs, is a group that can also benefit greatly from what we have to offer. We need our students and our early career professionals.

MGWA can offer these folks networking, a chance to showcase their work, ways to demonstrate project management skills, and greatly improved professional visibility. We have the resources to support a well proposed initiative. With such a great value propositions, what are we missing? Why haven’t we been able to attract and engage with these populations? I believe the answer is marketing and intent.

We have been content talking to ourselves, but it is time to reach out and grow. We have several ideas that we are looking to implement in the next year and grow going forward. Having a full board with champions, and an executive director, will greatly help speed things along.

In future conferences we would like to hold lightning talks for students and ECP.
Have the spring conference with the academic calendar in mind and hold it closer to the students
Hold board meetings on campus and invite student groups to participate.
Have some happy hours closer to campus. Have an active early career group that plans fun outings and activities (we have a budget!)
Reach out to student groups and professors directly. Have professors encourage or give credit for attendance
Reach out to departments beyond geology and engineering. Include law, environmental policy, and env. science
Maybe create some sort of “Corporate Memberhip” that includes all staff with 0-3 years of experience.
Set up a “mentor program” where students can connect with established members to discuss careers.

There is so much we could do. Some of these efforts have already started. Some of them need your help to get off the ground.

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Support for Science in Crisis

Federal, State, and University budget crisis are displacing numerous scientist and stressing budgets.

MGS is facing large budget cut as the University of Minnesota makes major budget adjustments to lower costs for students. Professionals across the state reached out with calls and letters to policy makers. In the Senate Finance hearing Republican Senator Eric Pratt called out the MGS cuts citing the agency’s work tied to natural resource and drinking water decisions. Senator Omar Fateh said he would work offline with Pratt. The next stop for the U of M budget is at the House to negotiate the final budget.

Several State agencies are facing budgetary crisis as essentially all federal dollars are being taken off the table. This has already hit MDH and MNIT who have done layoffs. Budget cuts and potential layoffs are expected to continue across the state due the loss of federal dollars and the State’s budget deficit.

Federal cuts have been severe displacing many scientists in the EPA, USGS, USDA, NOAA, Dept of Education, Dept of Energy, and more. The loss of these Federal collaborators and programs will continue to cause ripple effects across state operations.

Universities across the region continue to consolidate their programs often meaning combining various earth/physical sciences and losing their Geology and Hydrology programs.

MGWA is doubling down in the face of these challenges to provide meaningful value to our membership across our environmental sector. We stand shoulder to shoulder with those affected, willing to create spaces to network, provide paths to continue being present at our events and be part of a community of emotional support. These impacts may hit our bottom line, but we are here to demonstrate resiliency in times of hardship. If you or someone you know needs help, please reach out to the MGWA Board members and be sure to share our job postings through the Newsletter and social media pages and send us your job postings to broadcast.

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Committee Updates

Newsletter

Emily Berquist (MDH) Sherri Kroening (MPCA) Matt Meyer (DNR) Jere Mohr (Barr Engineering)

White Paper Committee: Groundwater Data

In-Progress

Our MGWA White Paper Committee is working on the Groundwater Data White Paper which provides a primer on Minnesota’s groundwater resources, Statutes and Regulation of Water Resources, Types of Groundwater Data, Sources of Groundwater Data, our Groundwater Data Ecosystem, Challenges in Data Integration and Management, access, use and maintenance of data. It wraps up by posing challenges and successes of data management and recommendations for short-term resource improvement opportunities.

We expect the paper to be reviewed and published late this calendar year.

The newsletter team is always busy looking for content to share with our membership, including new stories from the field, news-worthy events and groundwater resource developments. They’re also happy to welcome any folks interested in joining their team.

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Summer Social!

High Pines Brewery

Roseville

Thursday, June 26, 4-7pm

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Miigwetch!

Thank you!

MGWA & MGWA Foundation Boards