Leadership

Committee Mission Statement

“The Students and Young Professionals Committee is a Standing Committee of the California Water Environment Association, hereinafter referred to as the Association, Board of Directors, hereinafter referred to as the Board. The Committee’s mission is to recognize the important role students and young professionals play in the future of our Association by developing and promoting programs for students and young professionals, providing a voice for academia, and encouraging student and young professional participation and membership in CWEA”

Committee Objective

The objective of the state-wide SYP is to promote CWEA and Water Environment Federation (WEF) student and young professional programs;  maintain an effective communication network between CWEA and state and private colleges, universities, and vocational schools that have environmental curriculum and/or technical programs associated with the water quality field;  plan, organize, and implement, activities that promote the mission of the Committee; and coordinate student and young professional activities, related programs and events with the program Committees of the annual and regional conferences.

2022-2023 Leadership Team
Please contact us if you are interested in participating in our committee. If you have ideas for how we can better serve the statewide SYP, your participation can help make that happen.


Julia Asbenson
California Chair
Engineer | MC Engineering
[email protected]


Sarah Perkins
Southern California Vice Chair
Environmental Engineer | CDM Smith
[email protected]


Sam Hawkinson
Northern California Vice Chair
Sr. Engineer | Dudek
[email protected]

Iris Yuen
Secretary
Environmental Engineer | CDM Smith
[email protected]

Leadership Roles and Responsibilities

Chair

  • General supervision of the affairs of the Committee.
  • Preside over Committee meetings.
  • Appoint Committee Vice-Chair(s).
  • Appoint subcommittees as required.
  • Appoint representatives as required.
  • Submit a quarterly report to the Association Executive Director for presentation to the Board, by the date requested by the Association.  The Committee report will contain activities, recommendations, or other information of importance relating to the activities of the committee or Association.
  • Communicate or appoint liaisons with the WEF Student and Young Professionals Committee and other CWEA Committee’s whose objectives and programs may overlap with the Student and Young Professionals Committee (i.e., membership, scholarship, Annual Conference, etc.).
  • Progress automatically to Past-Chair position after one year of service as Chair.

 1st-year Vice Chair

  •  In alternating years, the 1st-Year Vice Chair shall be a representative from the northern region and the southern region, opposite of the 2nd-Year Vice Chair.
  • The 1st-Year Vice Chair shall submit Committee reports/articles to the editor of CWEA member publications for regular publication as assigned by the Chair
  • The 1st-Year Vice Chair shall serve as acting Chair at Committee meetings and Association meetings when the Chair is unable to attend.
  • Attend subcommittee meetings as directed.
  • Provide overall Committee support to the Chair as needed.
  • Record minutes of Committee meetings and Association meetings and distribute to Committee.
  • Progress automatically to Chair position after once year of service as 1st-Year Vice Chair.

 2nd-year Vice Chair

  • In alternating years, the 2nd-Year Vice Chair shall be a representative from the northern region and the southern region, opposite of the 1st-Year Vice Chair.
  • Attend subcommittee meetings as directed.
  • Provide overall Committee support to the Chair as needed.
  • Record minutes of Committee meetings and Association meetings and distribute to Committee when the 1st-Year Vice Chair is unavailable.
  • Progress automatically to 1st-Year Vice Chair after one year of service as 2nd-Year Vice Chair.

Secretary

  • Responsible for taking meeting minutes.
  • Update website or other means of communication of committee activities.
  • Support the Chair and Vice Chair(s) as needed.

 

Past Leadership

 

2022-2023

California Chair: Sam Hawkinson, Northern California Region Vice-Chair: Julia Asbenson, Southern California Region Vice-Chair: Sarah Perkins, Secretary: Iris Yuen

2021-2022

California Chair: Stephanie Douglass, Northern California Region Vice-Chair: Julia Asbenson, Southern California Region Vice-Chair: Sarah Perkins, Secretary: Sam Hawkinson

2020-2021

California Chair: Sami Hunkler, Northern California Region Vice-Chair: Weizhi Cheng, Southern California Region Vice-Chair: Vacant, Secretary: Connie Ho

2019-2020

California Chair: Simon Kobayashi, Northern California Region Vice-Chair: Weizhi Cheng, Southern California Region Vice-Chair: Sami Hunkler, Secretary: Connie Ho

2018-2019

California Chair: Veronica Astells, Northern California Region Vice-Chair: Simon Kobayashi, Secretary: Weizhi Cheng

2017-2018

California Chair: Veronica Astells, Northern California Region Vice-Chair: Simon Kobayashi, Southern California Region Vice-Chair: Veronica Alvarez, Secretary: Weizhi Cheng

2016-2017

California Chair: Noe Meza, Interim Co-Chair: Amanda Schmidt, Interim Co-Chair: Leswin Dcunha, Treasurer: Chathu Abeyrathna

2015-2016

California Chair: Nicole You Smith, Northern California Region Vice-Chair: Leswin Dcunha, Southern California Region Vice-Chair: Jose Saez, Treasurer: Chathu Abeyrathna

2014-2015

California Chair/Northern California Region Vice-Chair: Leswin Dcunha, Southern California Region Vice-Chair: Jose Saez

2013-2014

Various

2012-2013

Northern California Region Vice-Chair: Beth Field, Southern California Region Vice-Chair: Nicole You

2011-2012

Chair: Sandie Dudley, Northern California Region Vice-Chair: Beth Montanez, Southern California Region Vice-Chair: Amanda Schmidt