Conference Agenda

The water industry is composed of a diverse mix of people and businesses with unique perspectives of how to use innovation and inclusion to solve water challenges. The Racial and Social Justice Subcommittee of PNCWA will host a panel with small women- and minority-owned business owners, utilities/clients, and larger (prime) firms in the water industry to talk about what it is like being a Minority, Women and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (MWDBE), the strengths they bring to the water industry, and what challenges they face. This discussion will also provide an opportunity for both large and small firms to have a dialogue about ways to address challenges faced when working together.

This discussion is intended to provide insight into the MWDBE experience, share ideas for better engaging MWDBE firms and leveraging their strengths, and give recognition to the value these critical entities provide from both a technical and a diversity, equity, and inclusion lens.

The panel will have up to 5 speakers, including two MWDBE speakers (e.g., Osborn Consulting, Leeway Engineering), one utility/client speaker (e.g., City of Portland), and one person representing larger firms (e.g., Jacobs). The panel will be facilitated by the RSJ Subcommittee. The intent for this panel is to provide multiple viewpoints into the benefits all firms in the water industry can achieve from inclusivity and open communication, and to highlight how these benefits transcend the professional world and touch our communities.

Building relationships with underserved communities is a hot topic for many utilities. Though relationship building is an important first step, putting relationship building at the core of our efforts can inadvertently cause harm by consuming a community’s capacity without addressing their needs. This presentation focuses on putting community capacity and needs at the heart of our engagement. The first half will focus on applying a capacity-driven model for engaging with communities of color. How can we meet people where they are, augment their capacity, then stand back and let them lead when they are ready? The second half of the presentation will focus on integrating community benefits into project implementation. How do we look beyond the current subcontracting community to create economic benefit for those who need it most?

At the end of the day, relationship building is an important first step but it comes with a responsibility to turn those relationships into positive change for those we want to serve. Only then will we truly be integrating equity into our engagement and our work.