Spotlight shines on the Water Workforce Coalition

The Water Workforce Coalition is earning recognition for addressing a shared challenge with regional collaboration and resources. 

This effort to recruit and train the next generation’s crucial public utilities workforce is a partnership of TMACOG, Owens Community College, the City of Toledo, and utility service providers throughout the region. The coalition is creating awareness of career opportunities, centered around offering a fast, affordable, and hands-on education. 

This summer, TMACOG accepted the 2024 Achievement Award from the National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) in recognition of this strong regional partnership. 

Summer General Assembly unveils TMACOG strategic plan 

TMACOG’s new strategic plan was at the forefront of July’s Summer General Assembly, as members and partners learned about a fresh direction that will be guided by five pillars that support the plan. 

Members and staff who led working groups during the strategic planning process presented an overview of how each pillar relates to TMACOG’s new goals, which were created with member involvement over the past several months. 

The presentation also included visioning statements on TMACOG’s role in the region, as well as a primer on its roles in water quality and transportation and its purpose as a council of governments. 

The final plan identifies the pillars as Financial Sustainability, Marketing and Brand, Operations and Staff, Governance and Engagement, and a Cooperative Regional Strategy. 

Click here to view the presentation slides and learn more about specific organizational goals under each pillar. 

“This new strategic plan is a road map for where we want to go as an organization of partners working on behalf of the region,” said TMACOG Executive Director Sandy Spang. “Now, our focus turns to implementing the plan.” 

A quorum of designated General Assembly representatives was not present for the business meeting, so TMACOG will hold a fall meeting to vote on bylaw revisions to take effect in January 2025. 

Notes from the six caucus sessions and the community partner roundtable are now available on TMACOG’s website. Click here to learn more about the key issues members discussed in their meetings.  

For a gallery of photos from the event, click here. 

Thanks to the supporters of the 2024 Summer General Assembly:

• CT Consultants, Inc.
• DGL Consulting Engineers
• The Mannik & Smith Group, Inc.
• Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc.
• Huntington
• OHM Advisors
• Northern Concrete Pipe, Inc.
• Turner Concrete Products
• AT&T
• Penta Career Center 

TMACOG presents: Connections to Regional Resources for Economic Development  

During a July 19 event in Perrysburg, TMACOG introduced the economic development resources we can facilitate now through the Economic Development Administration (EDA), even as we continue to work toward desigation of our region as an Economic Development District.

Lee Shirey, our new EDA representative for Ohio, who also serves Michigan, outlined how programs and funding can be used to support economic development efforts. Nichole Fifer, director of the BGSU Center for Regional Development, explained BGSU’s role as an EDA university center. 

Sandy Spang and Marissa Bechstein explained how TMACOG’s role in regional economic development can connect communities with funding and explained the upcoming process to develop a new Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) for the region. 

“We were thrilled to be able to introduce Lee Shirey to our economic development partners throughout the region,” Spang said. “Making these connections now will become even more valuable as TMACOG takes on a larger role in coordinating regional economic development resources and leads the development of our region’s next CEDS. If members are curious if there is an EDA program that will support a project they are working on, I encourage them to contact me or Marissa.” 

Kingsley Kanjin joins TMACOG to take on 208 planning 

Kingsley Kanjin, a new water quality planner who joined TMACOG in July, will focus on regional wastewater planning and coordination of the Areawide Water Quality Management Plan, also known as the 208 Plan. 

Kanjin, who worked on water accessibility issues in Ghana, recently completed his master’s degree at the University of Toledo after moving to the United States in 2022. He earned a bachelor’s degree in geography and regional planning in Ghana. He has published research on water access and livelihood in Ghana, and mangrove cover change and land surface temperature in Bangladesh.

In the U.S., he completed an internship with the Wood County Engineer’s Office, working with data and images to map stormwater infrastructure.  

Kanjin said he’s passionate about community development and serving rural areas, a focus of his work in Ghana. His personal interests include playing soccer and video games. 

Spang appointed to NARC Executive Directors Council 

TMACOG Executive Director Sandy Spang was elected to serve as an at-large member of the National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) Executive Directors Council at its annual conference this summer. 

NARC serves as the national voice for regions by advocating for regional cooperation as the most effective way to address a variety of community planning and development opportunities and issues. NARC’s member organizations are composed of multiple local governments that work together to serve American communities – large and small, urban and rural. 

“The National Association of Regional Councils and its members are a valuable source of information for the work we do at TMACOG, and I’m pleased to be able to serve the organization in this role,” Spang said. “I hope to continue making strong connections and bringing resources back to TMACOG, while advocating for the value of regional collaboration.” 

Gas cap testing promotes air quality awareness 

TMACOG hosted events this summer to root out leaky gas caps and spread awareness of the importance of protecting air quality. 

At these drive-up events, TMACOG staff perform a quick compression test to check the seal of each vehicle’s gas cap, offering a replacement for each cap that fails the test. 

Older vehicles are more likely to have gas caps that leak, but any vehicle could need a replacement. Some newer models are designed to maintain a seal without a removeable cap. 

The oldest vehicle tested this summer was a 1988 Oldsmobile Toronado. 

TMACOG selected one winner from each public event to receive an electric lawnmower. 

Overall, staff tested nearly 200 vehicles and replaced 21 gas caps across three public events and one organized for a TMACOG member organization. One event was canceled due to poor weather. 

If you represent a TMACOG member organization that may be interested in a 2025 gas cap testing event for employees or your fleet, contact Jodi Cole: cole@tmacog.org. Availability is limited.