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AWWA Hawaii Section/HWEA Young Professionals Committee This year, the American Society of Civil Engineers Younger Members Forum (ASCE YMF) organized a drive for the Lokahi Giving Program where members of YMF and the Young Professionals (YP) came together to help those who are less fortunate during the holiday season. On an early Saturday morning, volunteers arrived bright and eager at the Lokahi Warehouse to take inventory and organize the donations that were received. In addition to helping organize new Christmas gift donations, we also came to understand that one person’s surplus can be another person’s treasure, so no gift or monetary donation is too small. YP wishes to thank YMF for organizing the service event, Lokahi supervisor Lynn Waiamau for guiding our group while volunteering, YMF and YP volunteers, and to all donors who contributed to this worthy cause. (Highlights courtesy of ASCE YMF President Lisa Takushi and YP co-chair Timothy Lum Yee; photos courtesy of Florence Ching.) AWWA Hawaii Section/HWEA Young Professionals Committee The Young Professionals (YP) Committee strives to provide events that may be of interest to students and younger professionals and to offer opportunities for professional development. In November 2007, YP was fortunate to join forces with the ASCE Hawaii Section YMF and the ASCE UH Chapter to host two technical sessions about financial management and professional liability, respectively. On November 2, 2007, YP kicked off its “Passport to Success” Technical Sessions by having Grant Hashiba, financial advisor of the Financial Network Investment Corporation, to discuss ways in which young people can better manage their finances, purchase a home, and/or prepare for retirement. Mr. Hashiba underlined the specifics about 401(k)s, IRAs, and Roth IRAs, explained how they differ, and elaborated on the advantages and disadvantages of each plan. He also talked about stocks and mutual funds, helping YPs begin an action plan towards financial success. The following week, November 9, 2007, Chuck McKay, of Rosenberg and McKay, spoke about professional liability, but more specifically about what is entailed when drawings and reports are stamped. Mr. McKay went over the Hawaii Administrative Rules (HAR) pertaining to engineers and architects in a very interesting way, and helped young engineers to better understand the responsibilities and commitments to the profession and to the welfare of public. In addition to listening to the invaluable lectures, attendees also enjoyed pizza, refreshments, and the chance to win AWWA and HWEA door prizes. Due to the success of these sessions, YP plans to host future lectures in 2008. If you have any suggestions for topics or know of someone who you think might be interested to speak, contact YP co-chairs Lyuba Puzakova at lpuzakova@hdrinc.com or Timothy Lum Yee at tlumyee@hdrinc.com. Special thanks go to AWWA Hawaii Section, HWEA, and ASCE Hawaii Section, speakers Grant Hashiba and Chuck McKay, the University of Hawaii at Manoa Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) Department, and to all the students and young professionals who attended. (Highlights courtesy of YP co-chairs Lyuba Puzakova and Timothy Lum Yee; photos and refreshments courtesy of former YP co-chair Lauren Arizumi) AWWA Hawaii Section/HWEA Young Professionals Committee
On Saturday, July 28, 2007, the Young Professionals Committee (YP) hosted a behind-the-scenes tour of the Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park in Kapolei, Hawaii. JC, the Park’s technical operator, guided the YPs through the Park’s pump/filter building and the chlorine room. Here are a few interesting facts learned:
After the tour, the YPs enjoyed sandwiches, chips, and drinks under a shady tree outside the Park before riding the Shaka! Thank you to Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park for the tour, to AWWA and HWEA for your continued support, and to all the Young Professionals who made it out that day. We hope to see you all at our next event!
(Highlights courtesy of Timothy Lum Yee and Young Professional Co-Chair Lyuba Puzakova; Photos courtesty of Wendy Chen and Young Professional Co-Chair Lauren Ishima) AWWA Hawaii Section/HWEA Young Professionals Committee Second Annual Mixer - "YP Boozter" On Friday, June 15, 2007, the Young Professionals (YP) Committee hosted their second annual mixer called "YP Boozter". More than 80 young professionals showed up at Dave and Buster's (D&B) to share a night of food, fun, and games. To kick start the night, AWWA Hawaii Section Chair Elson Gushiken and HWEA President John Katahira each provided brief descriptions of their organizations. From there, everyone immersed themselves in playing pool, networking among fellow young professionals, and eating the ono grindz. After the mixer was officially over, the party kept going strong as many continued to play games and socialize with friends. The attendees gained the benefits of networking and building relationships with their colleagues in the water and wastewater industry. Overall, the mixer was successful at reaching out to young professionals and encouraging them to get involved with AWWA, HWEA, and the YP Committee. Those interested in becoming more involved should contact YP Co-Chairs Lyuba Puzakova or Lauren Ishima by phone at 524-3771, or email at lyubov.puzakova@hdrinc.com or lauren.ishima@hdrinc.com. Thank you to our sponsors AWWA and HWEA, the hard workers who helped organize the YP Boozter, and to all the Young Professionals who made it out that night. Special thanks to Susan Uyesugi, Jon Muraoka, Elson Gushiken, and John Katahira for coming out to support the social. We look forward to seeing you all at our next event! (Highlights and photos courtesy of Timothy Lum Yee and Young Professional Co-Chairs Lyuba Puzakova and Lauren Ishima) 33rd Annual AWWA Hawaii Section Conference Click here for highlights from the conference. AWWA Hawaii Section/HWEA Young Professionals Committee Beach BBQ (Photos and highlights courtesy of Young Professionals Co-Chair Lyuba Puzakova) AWWA Hawaii Section/HWEA Young Professionals Committee Bus Tour On Saturday, February 17, 2007 the Young Professionals Committee (YP) took a bus tour of one of Oahu’s primary watersheds. The tour was sponsored by the Ala Wai Watershed Association and the Honolulu Board of Water Supply. For those of you who are not familiar, the Ala Wai Watershed Association was formed to develop community-based stewardship to improve environmental conditions within the Ala Wai watershed. The Association has provided and continues to provide community seminars, educational tours, work projects, technical assistance, and support to volunteers and community organizations that share the value of environmental health and safety. The tour featured Nuuanu Reservoir, Moanalua Stream, Halawa Xeriscape Garden, the Pearl Harbor Aquifer, and a view of the watershed from Keehi Lagoon. Thank you to the
Ala Wai Watershed Association and the Honolulu Board of Water Supply
for hosting the tour and to all the YP’s who made it out that day. We look forward to seeing you at our next event! (Photos courtesy of Timothy Lum Yee and Young Professionals Committee Co-Chairs Lyuba Puzakova and Lauren Ishima) 2007 AWWA Winter Board of Director's Meeting The 2007 AWWA Winter Board of Director's Meeting was held in Honolulu January 19 - 21, 2007. Saturday afternoon’s special session was spent reviewing the financial reports and discussing AWWA’s relationship with Rural Water Association and WEF. A reception was held on the Sheraton Waikiki’s Diamond Head Lawn. The picture perfect weather had everyone in smiles. The Hawaii Section donned their Mamo Howell shirts and muumuus and passed out kukui nut leis to the attendees and their guests. At the Sunday morning meeting, Illinois Director Jeff Fischer modeled the Hawaii Section Mamo Howell shirt and announced that the Hawaii Section would sell the shirt for $40 - $35 for the shirt and a $5 donation to WFP. The shirts were sold out in minutes and fortunately Sheryl Suzuki from the Honolulu Board of Water Supply went to HBWS, picked up the rest of the shirts and brought them to the Sheraton Waikiki. Eric Yamashige was in charge of collecting the funds and managed to sell 48 shirts! The highlight of Sunday’s meeting were the elections for President-Elect, two vice-presidents, and a director-at-large. Mike Leonard was selected for President-Elect, British Columbia Director Don Degen and Iowa Section Director Jerry Stevens were selected as new vice-presidents, and Pam Marchand was selected for the director-at-large position. Also on the agenda, were many items including the approval of numerous awards, policy statements, standards, and section by-laws. A reception and dinner was held Sunday night at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. Children from the Kelakela group of the Halau Hula Olana gave leis to the attendees before putting on a jawdropping performance for the audience. The musicians that provided the beautiful Hawaiian music were led by Natalie Ai Kamauu, 2006 Na Hoku Hanohano Female Vocalist of the Year. Accompanying Natalie were husband Iolani Kamauu, father Howard Ai, brother Chad Ai, and kumu hula Olana Ai. The musicians also provided dinner music in the Monarch Room. I have to put a special note here that I was so proud of Halau Hula Olana since this is the halau that I belong to. Everyone – and I mean everyone – had to tell me how beautiful and poised the children were, even the very youngest. They danced so gracefully and looked so confident even when weaving through the crowds while dancing. Many people remarked that this was the highlight of their trip. On Monday morning a small group went on a tour of the Honolulu Board of Water Supply’s Waihee Tunnel and Halawa Shaft. The facilities are normally not open to the public so mahalo to Manager and Chief Engineer Clifford Lum for allowing the directors to see the facilities. I hope everyone had a safe trip home and carried with them many happy memories of Hawaii. Please click on the thumbnails below to view various highlights of the meeting events. (Photos and summary courtesy of AWWA Hawaii Section Director Susan Uyesugi) |
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