From the Illinois Section American Water Works Association.
Mission Monday is the Illinois Section’s new webinar series designed with its mission in mind: To provide resources for the advocacy of safe and sustainable water through enriching membership, mentoring, and increasing public awareness. The education that you receive from this series is focused on the topics that you need to continue to supply safe and sustainable water to all of Illinois. Once a month the Illinois Section brings education to you on the topics you need the most. This series is free for members and $25 for non-members.
Summary: This Mission Monday webinar highlights how Cook County’s leadership is being translated into real‑world impact for households and municipalities and explores how this work can inform, strengthen, and scale future regional and statewide progress. Staff from the Cook County Bureau of Economic Development and the nonprofit Elevate will showcase their innovative programmatic partnerships to address water affordability and lead in drinking water. Speakers will share early, data‑driven lessons from implementing direct household assistance, municipal capacity‑building, and public‑health protections.
Goals:
- Highlight Cook County’s role in advancing innovative programs and initiatives
- Share early, data‑driven lessons to underscore the need for—and potential impact of—local capacity‑building
- Promote replicability and adaptation beyond Cook County, and invite partnerships to support scaling and long-term sustainability
- Inform and shape policy discussions among governments, researchers, advocates, practitioners, and funders on water affordability and lead in water
Presenters:
- Justin Keller, Strategist, Water Programs, Elevate
- Dominic Tocci, Deputy Bureau Chief, Bureau of Economic Development, Cook County
- Caroline Pakenham, Director, Water Programs, Elevate
- Rachael Burchett, Program Manager, Water Affordability, Elevate
- Bethany Olson, Program Manager, LeadCare Cook County, Elevate
- Ruth Kerzee, Senior Project Manager, Cook County TAP, Elevate