BACWA Spirit & Leadership Award

BACWA Spirit and Leadership Award Nomination Form – 2026 Award

Nominations are due April 8, 2026

This biennial award of $2,500 honors the memory of Arleen Navarret and Dave Williams, two former members of the BACWA community who exemplified public service and environmental stewardship. The funds may be used for conferences, leadership events, classes, or other activities that will support the awardee’s professional development.

Arleen Navarret, a former BACWA Executive Board Chair, spent nearly 30 years with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission and provided leadership to BACWA and Tri-TAC boards and committees. Her combination of technical and regulatory expertise and interpersonal skills was been invaluable to BACWA. Her development of effective relationships with regulators and community-based non-profits has resulted in the development of more thoughtful and effective water quality regulations.

Dave Williams, a former BACWA Executive Director, previously served as the Director of Wastewater for the EBMUD, and on the Board of Directors of the Central Contra Costa Sanitary District. During his long career, he led the region in garnering support for practical science-based regulation, fostered broad collaboration amongst the membership and regulatory bodies, and centered careful and transparent stewardship of public funds.

This is a biennial award honoring emerging leaders in the wastewater community exhibiting characteristics possessed by former Arleen Navarret and Dave Williams:

• Leadership in the workplace and wastewater community
• Commitment to environmental protection
• Mentorship of and compassion for others
• Dedication to development of wastewater workforce
• Technical expertise and innovative problem-solving
• Effective communications with people from diverse backgrounds
• Civic Integrity with a high commitment to ethics, transparency, and public trust