7:00 AM
Registration Open & Breakfast at Fritz Knoebel Events Center at University of Denver
9:00 AM
Tour of Denver Water’s Marston Water Treatment Plant (details developing)
12:00 PM
Networking Luncheon at Fritz Knoebel Events Center at University of Denver
1:00 PM
Opening Keynote: Implementing AWWA’s Water2050 Initiatives, Drought Contingency Financing & More
David LaFrance, Chief Executive Officer, American Water Works Association (AWWA)
1:30 PM
Assessing AWWA’s ‘Beyond the Replacement Era’ Report: What the Findings Mean for Your System
Greg Baird, MPA, Principal Utility Financial Consultant, Black & Veatch
2:00 PM
Rent Due: Implementing a Capacity Rental Charge to Curb Overuse and Protect Future Supply
Elizabeth Gillitzer-Gallardo, Manager of Rates and Charges, Aurora Water
Jason Mumm, Sr. Director of Infrastructure Finance, Brown & Caldwell
2:30 PM
Break
3:00 PM
Enhancing Affordability and Customer Assistance Program Access in the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District
Ken Duplay, Chief Financial Officer, Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District
3:30 PM
From Spreadsheet Chaos to Financial Clarity: How Laguna Beach Transformed Capital Program Management
Heather Rhee, Manager of Engineering, Laguna Beach County Water District (CA)
4:00-5:00 PM
Panel Discussion: Balancing Customer Affordability & Evolving Regional Water Challenges
- Ken Duplay, Chief Financial Officer, Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District
- Mandy Lemig, Budget & Policy Coordinator, City of Westminster, CO
- Pieter Van Ry, Director, South Platte Renew and City of Englewood Utilities
5:00-6:30 PM
Evening Reception
Wednesday August 5, 2026
7:00 AM
Registration Open & Breakfast
8:00-9:00
Morning Panel – Data Centers & Municipal Water: Challenge or Huge Opportunity?
- Lauren Barbir, Associate Vice President & Business Development Director, HDR
9:00-9:30
A.I. Primer
Tacoma Zach, Co-founder & CEO, MentorAPM
9:30-10:00
Break
10:00-10:30
Advanced Metering Infrastructure in Tucson
Silvia Amparano, Deputy Director, Tucson Water
10:30-11:00
The AMI Project Planning Illusion
Jacob Jasperson, Senior Advisor, UMS
10:30-11:00
Update on Federal Funding, Spending Authorizations, and Inflation Impacts
Presented by the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA)
11:00-12:00
Panel – Federal Funding Discussion: Status of Federal Programs & Overcoming Local Implementation Hurdles
Moderated by: Cole Sullivan, Consultant, Stantec
- Ryan Patton, AVP-Analyst, Global Project and Infrastructure Finance, Moody’s Ratings
- Sarah Stone, Deputy Director – Business Solutions and Engineering, City of Englewood, CO
12:00-1:00
Networking Luncheon at Fritz Knoebel Events Center at University of Denver
1:00-1:30
Targeted Wastewater Affordability Programs at Louisville MSD
Yozette Borges, Revenue and Collections Manager, Louisville MSD
Debra Johnson, Customer Assistance Program Administrator, Louisville MSD
1:30-2:00
How to Increase Revenue Without Raising Rates
Gary Sanders, Utility Billing Consultant
2:00-3:00
The Future of Water Reuse: Short and Long-Term Outlook
3:00-3:30
Conference Wrap-Up: Thoughts on Current Potential for Consolidation/Regionalization/Privatization & Open Discussion
Greg Baird, MPA, Principal Utility Financial Consultant, Black & Veatch