John P. Fraser Water Leaders Fellowship

The John P. Fraser Water Leaders Fellowship was created in 2019 to honor former ACWA Executive Director John P. Fraser for his 22 years of service to the Association and his numerous contributions to the water community, including creating the non-profit organization that would become the Water Education Foundation. The fellowship is presented each year to an individual working at an ACWA member agency who has been selected to participate in the Water Education Foundation’s Water Leaders Class. 

The Fellowship winner will receive funds to cover the program’s tuition, plus reimbursement for travel expenses required by the program, not to exceed $1,000.

Applicant Requirements

  • Applicant must be a full-time employee at an ACWA public member agency.
  • Applicant must be selected to participate in the Water Education Foundation’s Water Leaders Class and satisfy all program requirements and criteria as established by the Foundation.

Recipient Requirements

  • Attend ACWA’s Spring Conference & Exhibition in May
  • Serve on the selection committee to select the following year’s Fellowship recipient
  • Present information from the class written report to an ACWA audience, to be determined, upon request of the Executive Director

How to Apply

Applicants for ACWA’s fellowship must apply through the Foundation’s application process and meet the Foundation’s eligibility requirements. The Foundation’s application will ask applicants to specify whether they also are applying for ACWA’s John P. Fraser Fellowship. The application process begins in Fall of each year. The Foundation will forward all fellowship applicants to ACWA for evaluation.

Selection

A selection committee consisting of members of ACWA’s Communications Committee’s Awards and Scholarships Subcommittee, a minimum of one past ACWA President and the previous Fellowship recipient will evaluate the applications using established ranking criteria in order to determine eligibility and select the top candidate.A representative from the Foundation will serve as an adviser to the selection committee to answer any questions related to the Water Leaders Class and its eligibility requirements.

The spirit of the fellowship is to support young professionals in their career advancement and provide financial assistance to qualified individuals who may otherwise not be able to apply for the program. Therefore, special consideration will be given to applicants who meet one or more of the following criteria:

  • Applicants from member agencies with 100 or fewer employees;
  • Applicants from member agencies with annual adjusted operating budgets of less than $10 million;
  • Applicants from agencies without (or with limited) budgets for professional development

The Selection Committee will notify the Foundation of ACWA’s top candidate. Once confirmed by the Foundation, the recipient is notified and recognized at ACWA’s Spring Conference & Exhibition. Unsuccessful fellowship applicants will also be notified.

Disbursement

Tuition funds are paid directly to the Foundation. Reimbursement for travel expenses required by the program is payable to the fellowship winner or their agency.

Suggested Resources

15 RESOURCES prev next
Comment Letter: Expediting Proposition 4 Funding for DWR’s Dam Safety and Climate Resilience Local Assistance Program

To: Karla Nemeth, Director, California Department of Water Resources Subject: Expediting Proposition 4 Funding for DWR’s Dam Safety and Climate […]

Comment Letter: Draft Final Recommendations and Implementation Steps Released in September 2025

Agency: California Department of Food and Agriculture Subject:  Draft Final Recommendations and Implementation Steps Released in September 2025 Letter Excerpt:  […]

Priority Issues Bulletin

Sorry, but only ACWA members have permission to view this content. Member login is required.

Regulatory Roundup

The following document is released each month and includes policy updates from ACWA’s Regulatory Department. Click on the below link […]

Comment Letter: Horizontal Sliding and Swinging Gates Regulation Recommendations

To: Kevin J. Goddard, Senior Safety Engineer and Committee Chair, Occupational Safety Health Standards Board Advisory Committee Subject: Horizontal Sliding […]

Comment Letter: Draft Land Subsidence Best Management Practices

To: Paul Gosselin, Deputy Director of Sustainable Water Management, California Department of Water Resources Subject: Draft Land Subsidence Best Management […]

Comment Letter: U.S. Department of Agriculture Intent to Rescind the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule—Docket No. FS-2025-0001

To: Brad Kinder, Acting Director, Ecosystem Management Coordination, U.S. Forest Service Subject: U.S. Department of Agriculture Intent to Rescind the […]

Coalition Letter: Request for Signature on AB 149 – Invasive Golden Mussel Protections

To: Governor Gavin Newsom Subject: Request for Signature on AB 149 – Invasive Golden Mussel Protections Letter Excerpt: On behalf […]

Federal Legislative Matrix

Sorry, but only ACWA members have permission to view this content. Member login is required.

Comment Letter: Advanced Clean Fleets Regulation Amendments/45 Day Changes

Agency: California Air Resources Board Subject: Advanced Clean Fleets Regulation Amendments/45 Day Changes Letter Excerpt:  The Association of California Water […]

AB/SB 149 (Committee on Budget) Support Coalition Floor Alert

Subject: AB/SB 149 Support Coalition Floor Alert Alert Excerpt:  Golden mussels were first detected in California in October 2024 and […]

Comment Letter: AB/SB 105 and AB/SB 149 – Support for Proposition 4 Implementation

To: Senate President pro Tempore McGuire, Assembly Speaker Rivas, Budget Chairs Wiener and Gabriel, and Subcommittee Chairs Allen and Bennett […]

Toolkit for Water Professionals Appreciation Week Oct. 4-12

California’s Water Professionals Appreciation Week kicks off Oct. 4, honoring the vital role of water industry professionals and local public […]

Comment Letter: Draft Conservation and Mitigation Banking Guidelines

Agency: Habitat Conservation Planning Branch, California Department of Fish and Wildlife Subject: Draft Conservation and Mitigation Banking Guidelines Letter Excerpt: […]

Comment Letter: GIS Regulatory Language Public Comments

To: Jaime Hastings, Underground Infrastructure Directorate, Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety Subject: GIS Regulatory Language Public Comments Letter Excerpt:  The […]

Suggested News

15 Articles prev next
Members Urged to Sign Letter on Tuolumne River HRL

SACRAMENTO — ACWA is urging members to join an ACWA-led coalition by Nov. 6 that provides input to the State […]

ACWA Member Engagement Survey Underway

ACWA recently launched a comprehensive survey of its members to collect valuable feedback on services and programs, as well as […]

Moulton Niguel Water District Honored for Regional Resiliency & Wildfire Mutual Aid

Moulton Niguel Water District is being honored for its leadership in regional resiliency and providing mutual aid during this summer’s […]

SMWD’s Dr. Betty Olson Reappointed to Regional Water Quality Board

Santa Margarita Water District (SMWD) Board President Dr. Betty H. Olson was reappointed to the San Diego Regional Water Quality […]

Kern County Water Agency Hires Eric Averett as New General Manager

BAKERSFIELD – At its meeting on October 23, 2025, the Board of Directors of Kern County Water Agency (Agency) approved […]

State Water Board Sets Hearing on Bay-Delta Plan Update

SACRAMENTO — ACWA is encouraging member agencies to show their support for the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes (HRL) Program at […]

No Injuries, Lower Costs: Workplace Safety Brings Community Benefits

OXNARD — United Water Conservation District (UWCD) has been recognized by the Special District Risk Management Authority (SDRMA) for achieving […]

PCWA and Partners Co-Sponsor Legislative Forest-Health Tour

On Monday, Oct. 13, the Sierra Nevada Conservancy (SNC), Placer County Water Agency (PCWA), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), and Mountain […]

New Forecast-Informed Decision-Making Tool Implemented at Lake Mendocino

UKIAH – Leaders from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Sonoma County Water Agency (Sonoma Water), UC San Diego’s Scripps […]

ACWA-Supported Forest Act Advances in Senate

WASHINGTON, D.C. —The ACWA-supported S.1462, the Senate version of the Fix Our Forests Act, passed out of the U.S. Senate […]

WVWD Garners Two Wins at CAPIO STAR Awards for Stand‑Out Media Efforts

Walnut Valley Water District (WVWD) is proud to announce that at the CAPIO STAR Awards on October 2, 2025, the District earned […]

WVWD Launches New Emergency Notification Platform to Better Serve the Community

Walnut Valley Water District (WVWD) announced the launch of a new emergency alert platform in partnership with CivicPlus, designed to […]

WVWD Partners with Heli-Hydrant to Enhance Emergency and Wildfire Response

Walnut Valley Water District (WVWD) is proud to announce a strategic partnership with Heli–Hydrant, to bolster wildfire and emergency response capabilities in […]

Miller Reservoir Restoration Ensures Water Reliability for Generations

WHITTIER – Orchard Dale Water District (ODWD) proudly celebrated the restoration of the Miller Reservoir, a $3.9 million Federal Emergency […]

The Pipeline, PWD’s Bilingual Customer Newsletter, Wins PR Award

PALMDALE – Palmdale Water District (PWD) is pleased to announce that its customer newsletter, The Pipeline, has been recognized by […]