- Date: Tuesday, March 25, 2014
- Time: 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
- Location: WRRC Sol Resnick Conference Room (350 N. Campbell)
- Speakers: Susan Craig, Communications Director, Arizona WIFA, and Melanie Ford, WIFA Technical Program Supervisor
The Arizona Water Infrastructure Finance Authority (WIFA) is known to provide loans and grants for constructing water and wastewater infrastructure. What is not well known, though, is the wide variety of interesting projects WIFA has funded. Some of these projects were critically needed for public health protection in communities otherwise unable to afford them. Some projects solved unique or distinctive problems. Still others showcased WIFA’s encouragement and funding of projects that incorporated state-of-the-art “green” technologies for water and energy efficiency and resource recovery. While WIFA keeps busy with traditional drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects, they are also promoting new initiatives to fund stormwater and recharge projects.
This presentation will describe how WIFA goes about its business and provide a behind the scenes look at the many fascinating projects that WIFA can fund.
Susan Craig is the Communications Director for WIFA. Before joining WIFA, Susan worked at ADWR on the state’s drought and conservation programs and the Arizona Water Protection Fund grant program. Earlier in her career, Susan was with ADEQ where she supervised the watershed management and water quality grant programs. Susan obtained her B.S. in Environmental Science and Management from Indiana University.
Melanie Ford has been a project manager and grant program coordinator for WIFA for four years. Melanie began her career in water resources at the ADEQ in 2000, working in drinking water compliance and watershed management, and then spent three years at the ADWR developing the drought, conservation and community water planning programs. She graduated from the Ohio State University with a B.S. in Environmental Science.