Search for: All records

Building a diverse workforce is a challenge that is mutually experienced across sectors, yet each sector also has successes to share in efforts towards a more diverse and inclusive workforce. This interactive session will highlight case studies across sectors including industry, municipal, academia and professional societies (WEF) and the impacts of various programs on their local communities and provide insights on moving the industry's diversity and inclusion forward as a whole. Panelists will present case studies and experiences highlighting challenges and opportunities to strengthen the pipeline of leaders in the water industry and recruitment and retention strategies to attract a diverse workforce. Panelists will each give a brief presentation, followed by an interactive panel discussion facilitated by the moderator. Participants across sectors, can glean from the various perspectives and experiences of utility leaders, academic professors, professional societies, and students.

African American communities experience higher incidences of health disparities due to inequitable exposures to environmental stressors. With the increase of climate threats, stormwater runoff and flooding are major concerns that can be linked to environmental injustice in African American communities, including illegal dumping, and even proximity to major highways. Efforts to improve stormwater ( management overlap with efforts to increase green space through the implementation of urban green infrastructure ( presenting the opportunity for UGIUGIto be utilized as a measure to improve geographical and social equity. However there are still many communities who have yet to transition into using green infrastructure for SW management and research is limited on how equitable current stormwater best management practices(SW BMPs) are, particularly in regards to management processes and decisions . The goal of this research is to characterize SW infrastructure in an African American community in Tampa, East Tampa, through the lens of sustainability and environmental justice to better inform management practices towards equitable management of SW infrastructure in the community.