NWRA FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

As an extension of its already renowned internship program, NWRA recently introduced a fellowship program in an effort to introduce water-industry professionals to the Washington, DC experience. The program is designed as a partnership between NWRA and a member organization, in which the member loans the national association one of its employees. NWRA Fellows have the opportunity to learn how federal water policy is designed and enacted, as well as make valuable contacts within the public policy sector and Congress. The goal is to provide member organizations with employees who are more aware of the methodology behind federal water policy and the legislative process.

"Through my fellowship with NWRA, I have learned a tremendous amount of information about Capitol Hill and the federal system. I cannot think of a better way to gain such valuable information in such a short period of time," said McClain Peterson, the association's first fellow.

McClain was on loan to NWRA for seven weeks from the Colorado River Commission of Nevada. He typified an ideal candidate for the fellowship as he holds both bachelor and masters degrees in the area of environmental policy.

Fellowships can last virtually any length of time, at the member organization's discretion. NWRA will direct Fellows to area-housing sources upon acceptance to the program.

For more information on the NWRA Fellowship Program please call (703) 524-1544.

Jim Davenport Discusses NWRA Fellowship Program

Jim Davenport, chief of the Water Division of the Colorado River Commission of Nevada, shared his views of the National Water Resources Association's (NWRA) Fellowship Program. Below is a transcript of the June 29 interview:

NWRA: Your agency, the Colorado River Commission of Nevada, is credited for providing NWRA with our first Fellowship Program participant, McClain Peterson. Can you tell about your agency and why you enrolled McClain in our program?

DAVENPORT: Sure, the Colorado River commission of Nevada is a state agency that is responsible for protecting Nevada's interest in the Colorado River system. We used the fellowship program of your organization for the advantage of one of our professional employees who we want to improve his capability of knowledge of the federal system and of regional political issues that are of interest to the commission. We found the experience that he had to be very advantageous in meeting those objectives.

NWRA: Specifically what did your organization gain through McClain's Washington, D.C. experience?

DAVENPORT: The chief benefit I would put in the nature of training and development. A person working in the kinds of water policy issues that we work in needs to have a good understanding of the issues that are important to other interests, the political process in which those interests work to meet the objective that they have and a program like the fellowship program at NWRA is perfect for that staff development.

NWRA: Would you consider enrolling additional employees in the Fellowship Program?

DAVENPORT: Oh yes, as money and time permits we definitely would, and I would recommend it to other agencies that have employees that are at the junior to middle grade of management to participate in, very much.

NWRA: McClain was able to spend about six weeks with us here in Washington, do you think that is the optimum amount of time? What would you suggest?

DAVENPORT: Well, I know from speaking with him he didn't feel it was long enough. He liked it so much he would have liked to have stayed. From our perspective, I think it was about right for an initial experience in Washington. I think that for one to take the next step it should probably be longer perhaps a six-month duration, but for a first experience I thought it was just about right.

NWRA: He was a tremendous help for us and people still ask about him up on the Hill and certainly within the House Resources Committee. So from our point of view it was wonderful having him here.