APWA stands for American Public Works Association. It is a nonprofit professional association that is made up of multiple different private companies, individuals, and public works agencies. The goal of this group is to promote professional excellence as well as public awareness of various public works and infrastructure issues. They do this largely through advocacy, education, knowledge exchanges, and other activities designed to bring people together and support their goals.
The APWA was first started in the United States in 1937. They currently have 55 chapters in the US as well as 8 in Canada, with the headquarters located in Kansas City, Missouri. They also have a significant office in Washington DC. With more than 30,000 members, this is a large and influential group. In general, the local chapters will meet at a convenient location for those in the area, often a meeting room owned by one of the members.
Many businesses and leaders join this group to keep up to date on the latest trends, technologies, events, and other activities that they participate in. The APWA also puts on conferences where thousands of members and other interested parties can get together to learn more about what types of public works events are happening during the year.
Even those who are not members of the APWA can benefit from the work that they do. The APWA, for example, publishes a variety of different reports on many key topics. For example, you can read their roadway maintenance guide, a buyer’s guide for public works projects, a report on construction inspections, and much more. They also have a convenient salary calculator to help individuals and businesses keep up with what types of salaries those working in public works can expect to make.
