In this interview at AWWA ACE26, Vice President of Content Strategy for the water and energy groups Bob Crossen and AWWA immediate past President Heather Collins discuss the lessons learned from her year leading the association, the importance of relationship-building across the water sector, and the opportunities and challenges shaping the industry's future. Reflecting on her tenure, Collins emphasizes that the most meaningful aspect of serving as president has been connecting with water professionals around the world, sharing experiences, learning from common challenges and fostering collaboration that extends beyond geographic boundaries. 

The conversation explores how those relationships help utilities exchange ideas, solve technical problems and advance industry-wide initiatives. Collins also shares observations from international collaborations, including how utilities in South Korea are leveraging artificial intelligence to improve operations, maintenance and decision-making while supporting — not replacing — the workforce. She notes that AI adoption in North America remains in its early stages, creating significant opportunities for utilities to learn from global peers.

Collins further discusses how serving as AWWA president expanded her perspective on workforce development, affordability, infrastructure, emerging technologies and advocacy. She explains how lessons gathered from utilities across the industry inform her own utility operations and help drive continuous improvement. The interview concludes with advice for incoming AWWA President Brent Tippie, emphasizing focus, momentum and measured ambition during a one-year leadership term.

Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction

00:34 – The most meaningful lessons from a year as AWWA president

02:17 – Global perspectives on AI adoption and innovation in water utilities

03:33 – How the presidency changed her leadership perspective and day-to-day work

05:05 – Bringing industry lessons home through collaboration and technology exchange

06:57 – Advice for incoming AWWA President Brent Tippie

08:00 – Building long-term momentum toward AWWA’s future goals