North America celebrates 52nd annual National Public Works Week

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The week of May 20-26, 2012, marks the 52nd anniversary of National Public Works Week (NPWW), which is sponsored by the American Public Works Association (APWA) and Canadian Public Works Association (CPWA) to draw attention to the vitally important contributions of public works professionals and the crucial role that infrastructure, facilities, and services serve in the quality of life in our communities. To mark this year’s anniversary, cities, towns, counties, districts, and APWA and CPWA chapters across North America are holding public events and celebrations.
“Every year, APWA and CPWA honor the men and women who play a key role as public works professionals in the sustainability of our communities,” said APWA President Diane Linderman, P.E., PWLF. “This week is about honoring the enormous contribution that public works professionals make in serving their communities, and in providing and maintaining our transportation, water systems, utilities, emergency response operations, and other essential infrastructure,” Linderman said. “In North America, the National Public Works Week celebrations and events are marked with resolutions and proclamations by a number of governors, provincial premiers, mayors, and other city and county officials”
Since 1960, APWA has sponsored National Public Works Week across North America by encouraging and participating in a wide variety of community activities such as displays of public works equipment, presentations on recycling, demonstrations of community efforts to improve water quality, high school essay contests, school tours of public works facilities, open houses, media events, and other programs for civic organizations. In 1960, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution affirming the first NPWW. Presidents Dwight Eisenhower, Lyndon Johnson, and George W. Bush have sent letters of acknowledgement, and a Presidential Proclamation was signed by John Kennedy in 1962. Since his election to office in 2006, The Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper, P.C., M.P., the Prime Minister of Canada, has sent National Public Works Week greetings to public works professionals in Canada.