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
Priority Issues Bulletin

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

Comment Letter: Bioenergy Feed-in Tariff Program

To: The Honorable Alice Reynolds, President, The Honorable John Reynolds, Commissioner, California Public Utilities Commission Subject: Need to Extend the Bioenergy Feed-In […]

Dam Safety and Resilience Program – 2024/25 Budget Funds

To: The Honorable Gavin Newsom and Policy Chairs and Budget Subcommittee Chairs Subject: Dam Safety and Resilience Program – Updated 2024/25 […]

Wildfires and Water: The Role of California Public Water Agencies Factsheet

California faces catastrophic climate-driven wildfires, exacerbated by periods of heavy rainfall followed by periods of extreme drought, decades of fire […]

Comment Letter: Draft Sacramento/Delta Bay-Delta Plan Updates

To: Mr. Erik Ekdahl, Deputy Director, Division of Water Rights, State Water Resources Control Board Subject: Draft Sacramento/Delta Bay-Delta Plan Updates Letter: […]

Comment Letter: Proposed Public Health Goal for NDMA

To: Ms. Hermelinda Jimenez, PHG Program, Pesticide and Environmental Toxicology Branch, Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, California Environmental Protection Agency […]

Support for the Fix Our Forests Act

To: The Honorable Bruce Westerman, Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources, and The Honorable Scott Peters, Congressman Subject: Support for the […]

ACWA Scholarship Toolkit for 2025-’26

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

Coalition Letter: Draft Sacramento/Delta Bay-Delta Plan Updates

To: Mr. Erik Ekdahl, Deputy Director, Division of Water Rights, State Water Resources Control Board Subject: Draft Sacramento/Delta Bay-Delta Plan Updates Letter: […]

ACWA 2024 Fall Conference Presentations

Presentations from ACWA’s 2024 Fall Conference & Expo held December 3-5 in Palm Desert are available below. Please note that […]

Comment Letter to Select Committee on Permitting Reform (Climate Projects)

To: Assemblymember Buffy Wicks Subject: Assembly Select Committee on Permitting Reform – Climate Project Permitting Recommendations Letter: The undersigned organizations […]

Outreach Handbook

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

ACWA 2024 Fall Conference Attorney Programs

Presentations from the Attorney Programs held during ACWA’s 2024 Fall Conference & Expo December 3-5 in Palm Desert are available […]

ACWA’s Five-Year Strategic Plan

The ACWA Board of Directors approved a new five-year strategic plan in September 2024. The new plan will afford the […]

2024 Summary of Appellate Cases

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

Suggested News

15 Articles prev next
Bipartisan Bill Aims to Create Atmospheric River Forecasting Program

WASHINGTON, D.C. —U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AL) on Feb. 4 announced bipartisan legislation that aims to […]

February 2025 Priority Issues Update Now Available

The February 2025 Priority Issues Update is now available online to members. The update is a summary of the latest […]

ACWD to Hold Public Hearing on Proposed Increase in Water Related Rates

The Alameda County Water District Board of Directors will hold a public hearing on Thursday, February 13 at 6 p.m., […]

Mesa Water District Board Elects Marice H. Depasquale as Board President

COSTA MESA — Mesa Water District (Mesa Water®) is pleased to announce that the Mesa Water Board of Directors (Board) officially […]

WVWD Enhances Communication with Leak and Payment Notifications

WALNUT – Walnut Valley Water District (WVWD) continues to enhance customer communication through automated text message alerts for water leaks […]

ACWA Responds to Gov. Newsom’s Executive Order on Flood Control, Groundwater Recharge

SACRAMENTO — The Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) issued the following statement from ACWA President Cathy Green regarding Executive […]

Desert Water Agency Announces 2025 Board Members and Positions

Paul Ortega and Kristin Bloomer have started new, four-year terms on the Desert Water Agency Board of Directors. Both were […]

Snowpack Dips Below Average in Second Snow Survey

SACRAMENTO – The Department of Water Resources (DWR) today conducted the second snow survey of the season at Phillips Station. […]

Western Water Board Confirms Leadership Team for 2025

On Jan. 22, 2025, Western Municipal Water District’s (Western Water) Board of Directors voted to appoint Director Laura Roughton as […]

Regional Agencies Come Together to Commemorate Sustainability Milestone

BEAUMONT – San Gorgonio Pass Water Agency (SGPWA) supported its regional partner South Mesa Water Company’s (SMWC) advancement of clean, […]

West Basin Municipal Water District Announces 2025 Board Positions

At the January meeting of the West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin or District) Board of Directors, the board […]

WVWD and Supervisor Armendarez Enhance Community Fire Safety

RIALTO – West Valley Water District (WVWD), in collaboration with San Bernardino County Supervisor Jesse Armendarez, is taking proactive steps to […]

Jose Lopez Re-Elected as Otay Water District Board President for 2025

SPRING VALLEY – At its January meeting, the Otay Water District board of directors elected Jose Lopez as president for […]

YLWD Secures New Authority of $6.5 Million for Water Infrastructure Projects

The Yorba Linda Water District (YLWD/District) is pleased to announce that it has received a significant boost for its water […]

SWP Increases Allocation Forecast

SACRAMENTO – The Department of Water Resources (DWR) on Jan. 28 announced an update to the State Water Project (SWP) […]