Committees & Task Forces

As an integral part of its governance pillar from its 2005-06 Strategic Business Plan, NOWRA restructured its Committee’s and their roles and responsibilities in 2006 for greater effectiveness among its membership. Committees are the working Groups of the organization. They exist over time to shape the direction of the organization.

Conference Committee
Craig Gilbertson and Brent Reagor
Role: Serve as the lead committee for the NOWRA Annual Conference by providing an effective committee structure and knowledge of regional industry issues. Works closely with local organizational support team (if available).
Responsibilities: Works with the Executive Director to implement annual conference program activities, identifying and support obtaining keynote speakers and entertainment and conference program social activities; and, provide regional input to the Education Committee on programs forums that benefit NOWRA members and the onsite industry.

Education Committee
Bob Rubin
Role: Advance member education through the NOWRA annual conference, state programs, and other venues or specialty programs. Provide opportunities for essential dialogue on innovative technologies and management through effective forums, and maintain approval of Continuing Education Units (CEU’s) for all NOWRA courses.
Responsibilities: Develop the education program for the Annual Conference and Installer Academy; disseminate training programs and learning skills for all practitioners, coordinate with other organizations and states’ groups.

External Relations Committee
Raymond Peat
Role: Establish and facilitate effective communication and build relationships with EPA and various national water resource related organizations (MOU Partners and others).
Responsibilities: Develop key contacts within NOWRA with MOU partner organizations. Build coalitions with other organizations to deal with treatment issues, funding and regulatory issues. Share conference resources (booths), expand NOWRA’s image at other water resource conferences.

Finance Committee
Greg Graves
Role: Provide effective strategies to obtain funding to maintain and advance NOWRA's programs
Responsibilities: Develop an overall program strategy that secures additional revenues to support NOWRA's ongoing education programs and activities.

Government Relations Committee
Kevin Jehl
Role:Establish and facilitate effective communication and monitoring strategies with local, state legislative and federal regulatory officials.
Responsibilities: Develop legislative strategies, organize and prepare constituent groups and coalitions to advance and achieve acceptance of the NOWRA framework, performance code, and other defined needs of the Association including contractor certification.

Marketing, Communications Membership Committee
Jennifer Cisneros
Role: Develop effective communications and promotional strategies with external partners and other interests that achieves greater public awareness of NOWRA's programs and work on behalf of the onsite industry. Develop strategies for membership growth and retention at the national level and to provide support to affiliate organizations. Oversee the NOWRA website.
Responsibilities: Work with the Executive Director to implement identified strategies that showcase the achievements of NOWRA’s, its members, and its national leadership in water quality protection through production of the Associations publications, website, and homeowners education materials.

Model Code Committee
Tony Smithson
Role: Develop and advance the Model Code Framework and related documents relative to performance standards and operational management of decentralized systems to manage the risk of harm to the human and natural environments.
Responsibilities: Provide an organized effort to develop a national model performance code for use as a decision-making tool for effective management of onsite treatment systems promoting practitioner certification as a necessary program element.

State Leaders Committee
vacant
Role: Serve as communication conduit between the NOWRA leadership and respective local Associations to identify membership needs, and provide essential information developed by NOWRA that contributes to professional effectiveness.
Responsibilities: Provide an organized effort to develop a national model performance code for use as a decision-making tool for effective management of onsite treatment systems promoting practitioner certification as a necessary program element.

Technical Practices Committee
Allison Blodig
Role: Promote sound and appropriate technical practices in the application of onsite wastewater treatment system management.
Responsibilities: Develop technical materials on proven and successful technologies, soil science, transmission, installation, and recycle/reuse practices that ensure the effective implementation of safe onsite systems and water quality protection.

Task Forces

Are working task groups, approinted by the President for a specific purpose. Once their "task" is accomplised they either cease to exist and are disbanded, go inactive or can become a committee. The Task Forces that are currently in use at NOWRA are:

Bylaws Task Force
Currently dormant
Role: Ensure that the Association's governance procedures are current and relevant to its ongoing work.
Responsibilities: Produce an bi-annual review of needed items that ensure legal compliance with NOWRA's corporate status and documentation.

Dues Task Force

Role: Review NOWRA's current dues structure and make recommendations to the Board on possible changes to current practices. Report due in June 2011.

Website/Database Task Force

Bob Mayer

Role: Help identify needs for new website and back-end database to facilitate e-commerce and improve members' experience when visiting NOWRA website.

Resource Library Task Force
Judith Sims
Research info for the development of a NOWRA online resource library. 

2011 Onsite Wastewater Summit Task Force
Craig Gilbertson

ayerRole: Coordinate with NEHA, SORA, NOWRA, and others on a joint conference for 2011, and plan 2012 Annual Conference

Onsite Journal Task Force
Currently vacant
Role: Guide development of the Onsite Journal.

To Join a Committee, please download application. To join a Task Force, contact the Chair.