The American Public Works Association, Florida State Chapter’s Gold Coast Branch, has been thrilled about some of their goals for this coming year and years to come. We have an annual scholarship program that has been running for many years and it has been very successful. We have raised a lot of money over the years and as a result sponsored many recipients.
We have couple of new programs this year, one is our Education and Training program and the second is our Grant program. Our Education and Training program goal was to be the founding organization to develop a “Public Works Academy” here on the east coast of Florida. One already exists on the west coast. The Academy will help our members and others who currently need certification training in the various disciplines of Public Works. In the future we hope to extend our curriculum to students as well as adults. We have established an Education and Training committee and we are pleased to announce we will have our first class this fall.
The second is our Grant program. The APWA Gold Coast Branch Executive Board had discussed weather or not to fund a Work Skills Program in Boynton Beach. The program was to help young kids learn valuable work skills for their future growth and development. The work would take place at the City of Boynton Beach’s Utility Department. A unanimous decision was in favor of funding the summer work skills program. The program description was a perfect fit for the type of new grant or funding support the APWA Gold Coast Branch Board and members were looking for and anxious to support.
(From Left to Right,) Tony Lombardi, APWA Gold Coast Branch Chairman, Vickie Henderson, Youth Violence Prevention Program Director, Melanie Katz, APWA Gold Coast Branch Secretary, Simon Coleman, APWA Gold Coast Branch Treasurer, Ricky Petty, Work Skills Program Facilitator.
During the summer, the kids will learn about what it takes to make drinking water and how to deliver it through the distribution pipe system to our customers. They would learn about the wastewater and storm water systems and also learn some valuable IT information and how it relates to running a utility department. They would also learn work ethics, job safety and earn a little bit of money during their experience. We hope by supporting this type of environment and growth will give our youth a better understanding about Public Works and maybe impact them to seek a career in our industry. We will keep in touch throughout the summer program and monitor their results as well as meet with them at the conclusion.
On behalf of the APWA Gold Coast Branch, I wish the kids all the best; it has been our privilege to support your group, makes us very happy to see their smiling faces and we look forward to supporting this type of development for our youth so that they may seek a career in the Public Works Industry.
Anthony J. Lombardi
Anthony J. Lombardi, APWA Gold Coast Branch Chairman