2019 Year in Review

Melissa Noble, President

2019 has been quite the year. This was my first full calendar year as your president. I have really enjoyed the opportunity to get to know you all better. The biggest benefit of my position is the amazing women I get to work with on the Women of Water board! These women embody our mission to Engage, Empower, and Educate. I am awed by their ingenuity, integrity, talents, and stamina.

We were lucky this year to have some insightful speakers, engaging tours, and fun social events. Do you know the connection between polar bears and the Great Salt Lake? You do, if you attended the January meeting. We have this amazing lake in our back yard; it was fantastic to learn more about it. It can be easy to get focused only on the water, but we learned about the amazing creatures that use and inhabit that salty lake of ours.

Those that attended the brewery tour at the Shades Brewery in February learned how great our water can taste, with a few additions. We really enjoy having social gatherings with Women of Water. It is important to strengthen networking opportunities, and to have a good time doing it.

The legislative update in April was, as always, informative. We also learned how to get involved in the legislative process. What happens with regards to water in the legislative session affects our work, play, and even home lives. We plan to continue providing this informational opportunity.

As spring sprung, we found our way outside and a little north to tour the Bountiful water treatment plant. We think it’s worthwhile to tour facilities throughout the valley. We’re really grateful to the facilities that open their doors to us, and give us fantastic tours!

July we learned about leadership and communication. Where are you headed in your career? We hope to be an organization that supports your progress. Which is why we think it’s important to include professional development opportunities.

Sometimes you’ve just got to have fun! That was our August event. Hello paint night, Women of Water style! It was really fun to let loose, paint, and laugh! (That’s what I did most of the night). Plus, I have a beautiful piece of art to remind me of the evening. This is another event we plan to repeat in 2020.

This fall we learned about Salt Lake County flood control. There are some important and fascinating projects occurring in the Valley. We hope to continue to showcase different, maybe even little known, aspects of the water industry.

We finished 2019 learning about public engagement for Salt Lake City water projects. It was great to learn about strategies SLC uses to engage the public. Bonus was the introduction to their new wastewater treatment facility.

Thank you all for attending our events this year. It really has been a fabulous year! I look forward to a fantastic 2020.

Melissa Noble