WWEMA 117th Annual Meeting & Emerging Leaders’ Meeting
November 11-14, 2025
Francis Marion Hotel – Charleston, SC
WWEMA is excited to welcome you to its 117th Annual and Emerging Leaders’ Meeting in Charleston, South Carolina! This year’s gathering promises to deepen our understanding of the water industry’s most pressing challenges and emerging opportunities. The Annual Meeting offers WWEMA members a valuable opportunity to engage with industry peers, exchange insights, and explore the latest trends and innovations shaping the future of our sector.
Held just before the Annual Meeting, our Emerging Leaders Meeting offers interactive sessions, dynamic panel discussions, and valuable networking opportunities, all designed to inspire and empower the next generation of leaders within your organization. Special discounted pricing is available for Emerging Leaders!
We’re pleased to once again host our Annual Golf Outing ahead of the Annual Meeting. Additional details will be shared soon.
| Tentative | Schedule | of Events |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday, November 11 | ||
| 12:00 pm -5:00 pm | Golf Tournament - Charleston National Golf Club | |
| 6:00 pm-7:30 pm | Emerging Leader Reception (All registrants welcome to attend) Tommy Condon's Irish Pub & Seafood Restaurant, 160 Church Street |
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| Wednesday, November 12 | ||
| 9:00 am - 5:00 pm | Registration | |
| 8:00 am - 12:00 pm | Emerging Leader Meeting | |
| 8:00 am - 9:30 am | Informal Executive Committee Breakfast | |
| 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm | Marketing & Membership Services Committee Meeting (All registrants welcome to attend) | |
| 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm | Legislative/Regulatory Committee Meeting (All registrants welcome to attend) | |
| 3:30 pm - 5:30 pm | Board of Directors Meeting (Board Members Only) | |
| 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm | Welcome Reception (All registrants welcome to attend) | |
| Thursday, November 13 | ||
| 8:00 am - 5:00 pm | Registration | |
| 8:00 am - 8:45 am | Networking Breakfast | |
| 8:00 am - 8:45 am | Manufacturers Rep Council Breakfast Meeting (Rep Members and Special Guests Only) |
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| 8:45 am- 3:00 pm | Thursday Guest Experience (Registered attendees only) | |
| 9:00 am - 9:15 am | Welcome from the Meeting Chair Jay Conroy, Meeting Chair 2025 WWEMA Board of Directors Chair; President, Hydro-Dyne Engineering |
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| 9:15 am - 10:15 am | Keynote Speaker Bruno Pigott, Executive Director, WateReuse Association Mr. Pigott's keynote will tease out a number of topics in our conference agenda. Water reuse is a key issue for a number of our members and also in addressing the rise of the building data centers and other AI related facilities as well as cybersecurity. |
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| 10:15 am - 10:30 am | Networking Break | |
| 10:30 am - 11:30 am | Economic Outlook for the Water and Wastewater Sectors Thomas Decker, Owner, Thomas E. Decker Consulting, LLC The water sector is still experiencing growth, but with so many uncertainties and potential challenges to federal funding and state resources, the need to understand the key economic indicators – including GDP trends, inflation, labor market dynamics, tariffs and other inputs – is increasing. Mr. Decker will offer insights into where the market is headed and assess the outlook for sustained growth to help WWEMA Members make decisions. |
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| 11:30 am - 12:15 pm | Navigating Uncertainty through the Power of Collaborative Project Delivery Barbara Martin, Executive Director, Water Collaborative Delivery Association Ms. Martin will provide an overview of collaborative project delivery and the role it plays in advancing innovation, navigating uncertainty, and managing risk. Presented by the Water Collaborative Delivery Association (WCDA), this interactive presentation will also provide an overview of WCDA, discuss the role of equipment manufacturers in collaborative delivery and the challenges they experience, and explore research areas of mutual interest that help our sector advance better projects, together. |
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| 12:15 pm - 1:00 pm | Networking Lunch Luncheon Keynote (Invited) - Victoria Tran, Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of International and Tribal Affairs (OITA) Ms. Tran will share the work that OITA conducts internationally related to EPA activities and in support of both the Department of Commerce as well as the State Department. In addition, OITA works with tribal nations on important environmental and health issues. WWEMA Members will have the opportunity to discuss opportunities and challenges in both of these environments. |
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| 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm | What Are the Key Issues Impacting WWEMA Members: A Discussion with CEOs Members. Moderator: Claudio H. Ternieden, WWEMA Executive Director Panelists: Henk -Jan van Ettekoven, President, HUBER Technology, Inc. Jay Conroy, President, Hydro-Dyne Engineering, Inc Kelley Dendel, President, Prime Solution, Inc. Mark Turpin, President, Duperon Corporation |
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| 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm | William (Bill) Reh, CEO and Co-Founder of Drone Response For more than three decades of leadership driving technological transformation across global markets and business units, Mr. Reh will discuss the development of intelligent platforms that advance emergency response and critical infrastructure operations, leading to his leadership in AI, data analytics, and commercialization strategy. |
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| 3:00 pm - 3:30 pm | Networking Break | |
| 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm | Left of Boom in the Water Sector Effective and efficient cybersecurity is all about increasing investments in prevention and resilience; we all know that restoration after a cyber incident is more expensive! There have been recent campaigns to promote security-by-design for IT systems and software, but water systems are different. How can we advance security-by-design for control systems and operational technology – specifically, how do we get to engineers who design and maintain these systems? Water system technology manufacturers and asset owners have been early adopters of Cyber-Informed Engineering. This panel will discuss resources available to apply cybersecurity principles to water systems, highlight current implementation efforts, and consider the future of automation in cybersecurity for water systems. Panelists: Cheri Caddy, former Deputy Assistant National Cyber Director for Technology and Research at the White House, and Senior Technical Advisor for Cybersecurity at the Department of Energy William (Bill) Reh, CEO and Co-Founder of Drone Response Chris Haigh, CEO Meerkat Cyber |
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| 4:30 pm - 5:45 pm | Water Funding and What Is Happening in Washington, DC – A “Crystal Ball” for WWEMA Members Fred Andes, Esq. Partner, Barnes & Thornburg LLP This presentation will update and inform WWEMA Members on the regulatory and legislative activities in Washington, DC that impact WWEMA Members. Mr. Andes will discuss WWEMA activities with regulatory agencies and provide an overview of where funding for water and wastewater projects currently stand. |
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| 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm | Chairman's Award Reception (All meeting registrants invited) | |
| Friday, November 14 | ||
| 8:00 am - 12:00 pm | Registration | |
| 8:00 am - 8:45 am | Networking Continental Breakfast | |
| 9:00 am - 9:15 am | Welcome and WWEMA Board of Directors Vote Jay Conroy, Meeting Chair 2025 WWEMA Board of Directors Chair President, Hydro-Dyne Engineering |
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| 9:15 am - 10:30 am | Keynote Speaker Luis F. Arandia, Jr., Partner, Barnes & Thornburg, LLP Where Do Tariffs Fit – Or Don’t – State of Tariffs WWEMA has been tracking tariffs and their evolution. This presentation will provide an overview of the latest developments and trends in tariffs policies, international trade, regulations and strategies to navigate this uncertain area impacting businesses across the United States and abroad. |
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| 10:30 am - 11:00 am | Networking Break | |
| 11:00 am - 12:00 pm | BABA – Still Here – And Not Going Anywhere – What Are the Key Things to Watch Panelists will discuss the latest conversations and interactions with the US EPA on BABA and specifics areas. The panelists will share their recent experiences and interactions in addressing key BABA issues - this will be an opportunity for Members to exchange experiences and discuss where BABA may be headed and its impact so far. Moderator: Tom McCurdy, Director of Environmental Sales, Aerzen USA Panelists: Lee Ann Hellums, Vice-Chair, WWEMA Legislative/Regulatory Committee; Application/Projects Engineering Mgr., Atlas Copco Matt Corbo, Director of Sales, Harold Beck & Sons Benjamin Madison, BABA Compliance, Grundfos |
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| 12:00 pm | Closing Comments and Adjournment | |
| Tentative Schedule of Events | |
|---|---|
| Details Coming Soon! |
Registration
| Category | Early Bird Registration (Register by September 9th) | Rate after September 9th |
|---|---|---|
| WWEMA Member - 1st Registrant | $1150 per person | $1250 per person |
| WWEMA Member - Additional Registrants | $750 per person | $800 per person |
| WWEMA Member - Emerging Leader Registrant | N/A | $650 per person |
| Guest Registrant (includes breakfast, lunch, receptions) | N/A | $350 per person |
| Thursday Guest Experience | N/A | $150 per person |
| WWEMA Non-Member Registrant | N/A | $1900 per person |
Hotel Reservations
The WWEMA 117th Annual & Emerging Leaders’ Meeting will be held at the Francis Marion Hotel, 387 King Street, Charleston, SC 29403. Our group rate is $229 per night and is available by clicking the link below. Cut-off date for reservations is Friday, October 17, 2025.
Golf Tournament
The Annual Golf Tournament is on! We’ll be hitting the greens at Charleston National Golf Club (1360 National Drive, Mount Pleasant, SC) — just a quick 25-minute drive from the hotel. Please note, transportation will be on your own.
Green fees are $130 per person, and club rentals are available for $75. Our first tee time is set for 12:30 PM, so get ready for an afternoon of golf, sunshine, and good company! Once teams are set, we’ll send out more details to all golfers. Got questions? Reach out to Diane Meyer at diane@wwema.org.
Sponsorships
As a sponsor, you’re doing more than gaining visibility—you’re investing in the strength of our member-driven association and helping create a space where everyone can thrive. Sponsorship allows you to reinforce your commitment to our shared mission and position your brand alongside the innovators shaping the future of the water industry.
Exclusive sponsorship opportunities available to WWEMA members include:
| Category | Rate |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer's Representative and Associate Member Co-Sponsorship of Welcome Reception - Make a lasting first impression as the event kicks off | $250 |
| Registration Table Sponsor (Company name and logo displayed on registration table) - Welcome attendees with your brand front and center | $500 |
| Golf Event and Tuesday Reception Sponsor - Build relationships in a relaxed, high-value setting | $500 |
| Emerging Leaders Sponsor - Support the next generation of industry leaders | $500 |
| Coffee Break & Snacks Sponsor (Company name and logo displayed on coffee and beverage break table) - Keep your brand in front during key networking moments | $1,000 |
| Gold Sponsor - High profile recognition throughout the event | $1,000 |
| Platinum Sponsor - Maximum visibility across all platforms | $2,000 |
Sponsorships provide recognition on the WWEMA website, social media platforms, event signage, LED displays, onsite program and in post-meeting announcements—helping you connect with the decision-makers who are shaping the future of water technology.