DENVER, May 12, 2005 -- The American Water Works Association (AWWA) announced that UNICEF Chief of Water Vanessa Tobin will speak at the 124th Annual Conference and Exposition (ACE05) to be held June 12-16, at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, Calif.
Tobin will be the keynote speaker during the Technical & Educational Council Plenary Session on Monday, June 13, from 1-1:45 p.m. Her talk, "After the Tsunami: UNICEF's Efforts in Restoring Water and Sanitation in Indonesia," will update ACE05 attendees on the steps UNICEF and its many partners took to install safe drinking water points and construct sanitation and bathing facilities for temporary shelters in the areas of Indonesia hardest hit by the December 2004 tsunami. Tobin will also speak on UNICEF's ongoing efforts to work with local water authorities to repair water pipes and systems.
Tobin has held the post of chief of water, Environment and Sanitation Section, UNICEF, New York since May 2001. Prior to her appointment as chief of water, she served for two years as senior adviser to the Health Section, Program Division, New York. She has also worked as a project officer and program officer for water and sanitation in Nepal, Pakistan and Egypt. A national of the United Kingdom, she obtained her bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Birmingham University, in England, in 1978 and a master of science degree in public health (MSPH) from the UK's London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in 1985. Tobin obtained a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University in 1999.
As the world's water event, ACE05 is expected to draw more than 12,000 water professionals and 480 exhibiting companies. It will feature a professional program with more than 100 sessions and 17 in-depth Sunday workshops -- the largest professional program of any industry conference. Topics covered will include infrastructure management, security, emerging issues, water conservation and water resources, legislative and regulatory issues, engineering and construction, distribution and plant operations, public affairs and international issues.
For more information on the conference and registration, visit
www.awwa.org/ace2005 or call toll-free 1-800-926-7337.
Established in 1881, AWWA is the oldest and largest nonprofit scientific and educational organization dedicated to safe water in North America. The largest organization of water professionals in the world, it has over 57,000 members -- and its 4,700 utility members serve 80% of America's population.
In related news, see: "Ex-U.S. presidents visit Sri Lanka villages aided by ITT water relief effort".
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