WESTERVILLE, OH, Jan. 2, 2003 -- The National Ground Water Association has never had a Ground Water Expo like the one that concluded on Dec. 11 in Las Vegas, association officials reported.
The event, which kicked off on Dec. 8, was the Association's 12th in the Nevada city. However, it surpassed all of them, setting several records and featuring many first-time events.
The show established a new total attendance record of 5,561. The mark easily surpassed the 5,093 who attended the Expo in 1994 in Las Vegas.
Other Expo records established were 2,454 attending contractors, 278 exhibitors, 61,100 feet of sold exhibit space, and 51 first-time exhibitors, including the Water Quality Association, which hosted a pavilion showcasing products from the household, commercial, industrial, and small-system water treatment technologies.
Among other Expo highlights was the auction that followed the President's Dinner on Dec. 9, which raised $48,248 for National Ground Water Educational Foundation scholarships. Auctioned items included a NASCAR race package and a mock aerial dogfight in a real fighter aircraft.
Additionally, traffic was heavy in the Expo's exhibit hall, and the Expo's workshops were well attended. Attendance levels were also high for presentations given as part of the Annual Conference and Meeting for the Association of Ground Water Scientists and Engineers (AGWSE), a membership division of NGWA.
At the delegates meeting on Dec. 10, the gavel was officially passed from outgoing president Len Assante, Certified Well Driller/Pump Installer (CWD/PI), to 2003 president Ernest Pender, Master Ground Water Contractor (MGWC). Larry Lyons, MGWC; Thomas Downey, CWD/PI; Scott Fowler, CWD/PI; and Alan Eades, CWD/PI, also were elected to positions on the NGWA Board of Directors. Officers for the 2003 Board of Directors are:
-- President: Ernest Pender, MGWC
-- President-Elect: Ralph Taylor Jr., CWD
-- Past President: Leonard Assante, CWD/PI
-- Vice President/Association Ground Water of Scientists and Engineers Division Chair: Michael E. Campana
-- Vice President/Contractor Division Chair: Larry Lyons, MGWC
-- Vice President/Manufacturer Division Chair: Dan Wright
-- Vice President/Suppliers Division Chair: Richard Burke
-- Secretary: Thomas Downey, CWD/PI
-- Treasurer: Loyd Watson, MGWC
Starting a new tradition, the Board presented Distinguished Partners Awards for 2002 to 10 industry firms. Receiving awards were:
-- Baroid
-- Central Mine Equipment
-- GeoProbe
-- Global Water Instrumentation
-- Goulds Pumps
-- Grundfos
-- A.Y. McDonald
-- Solinst Canada
-- Star Iron Works
-- Sta-Rite Pumps
Selections were based upon the total financial commitment the organization had made to NGWA during the year. The winners each received a crystal and brushed stainless steel award for display at their corporate headquarters.
"The NGWA Board, members, and staff are highly appreciative of the support these organizations make to the success of the ground water industry through their investment in the programs and services of the Association," Pender said.
National Ground Water Association members include more than 15,500 U.S. and international ground water professionals-contractors, equipment manufacturers and suppliers, and ground water scientists and engineers. NGWA provides members, government, and the general public with the scientific knowledge and economic guidance necessary to responsibly develop, protect, and manage the world's ground water resources.
