The American Public Works Association (APWA) - Wisconsin Chapter is pleased to announce that May 15 to May 21, 2011, has been proclaimed as Public Works Week throughout the State of Wisconsin by Governor Scott Walker. This proclamation coincides with the celebration of National Public Works Week by public works professionals throughout the United States and Canada.

The theme for this year's National Public Works Week is "Public Works: Serving You and Your Community." Though the theme may sound new, public works professionals have been serving communities for well over a hundred years by providing clean drinking water, sewerage treatment, safe transportation routes and corridors, solid waste disposal, maintenance of public buildings and facilities, and operation and maintenance of parks.

Public works professionals are also recognized as First Responders and are typically the first to arrive and last to leave natural disasters such as floods, hurricanes, tornados, snow storms and other natural disasters. Public works professionals operate in relative anonymity, perform extraordinary feats in the face of adversity, always move forward no matter the circumstances, all to make life better for every community and the residents who reside therein.

Public works professionals are leaders in their field and have faced ever tightening budgets but have maintained a level of service that is unparalleled. Public works professionals join forces with other public works agencies to create operational and capital cost savings and efficiencies and are constantly proposing newer and more efficient ways in which to provide services to our communities.

Please help celebrate National Public Works Week by recognizing and acknowledging the many hard-working public works professionals who make our communities a better place to live.

American Public Works Association (APWA) Announces the Celebration of National Public Works Week May 15-21, 2011

For more information on National Public Works Week, please contact Mike Dailey, APWA-Wisconsin Chapter President at 608-266-4058 or mdailey@cityofmadison.com or Scott Brandmeier, Chair of the Public Relations Committee for the APWA-Wisconsin Chapter at 414-351-8900 or sbrandmeier@vil.fox-point.wi.us. We would be happy to discuss in more detail the important role public works plays in our everyday lives.

Originally chartered in 1937, APWA is the largest and oldest organization of its kind in the world, with headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri, an office in Washington, D.C., and 67 chapters throughout North America. APWA provides a forum in which public works professionals can exchange ideas, improve professional competency, increase the performance of their agencies and companies, and bring important public works-related topics to public attention in local, state and federal arenas. The Wisconsin Chapter was chartered in 1954 and celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2004.