I must say that this was the best APWA PWX conference I have attended. I was so busy, and the energy around the event was noticeable. My time in Houston included committee meetings, networking, presentations, meetings with customers and many of our 35 fellow partners in the exhibit hall, as well as some Major League Baseball and great local food, including BBQ and Tex-Mex.
A Busy Start to PWX
My week started early with duties related to my membership on the Technology Committee on Saturday, August 29. First up was the State of APWA Breakfast, where all the committee members and delegates gathered for a presentation from APWA CEO Scott Grayson and new and past presidents Robert Garland and Vic Bianes. The presentation included the strategic plan and other information on the status of the organization. This also included engaging table discussions.
Then I headed to the Technology Committee meeting. The committee chairperson position passed from Tracy Warner to Eryn Stone. We worked on our activity plan and discussed the popularity of the data center toolbox and ideas for additional toolboxes. We then met with representatives from the Facilities and Grounds, Fleet Management, and Solid Waste Management committees to discuss AI and how we can provide resources for APWA membership.
After a volunteer appreciation lunch with all the committees and delegates, the Technology Committee met with representatives from the Utilities and Public Rights-of-Way Committee to discuss issues related to striking underground utilities and how we can collaborate to help APWA membership avoid these critical accidents.
The day ended with a meeting of all the Integrated Strategy Committees (Asset Management, Leadership and Management, Sustainability and Resiliency, and Workforce Development) to discuss ways we can collaborate. It was a long but successful start to PWX.
The Exhibit Hall Opens
On Sunday, the Exhibit Hall opened, and the Esri PWX Team was very busy at our booth. For the first time at PWX, our booth included a theater where we could deliver valuable content to attendees on the latest public works technology trends and applications.
We held five presentations in the booth on Sunday, including Rocky Agbunag from St. Johns County, FL, on their capital project management solution built on ArcGIS; Dan Colbert and Brad Johnson from Trimble on pavement asset lifecycle management; and others on ArcGIS Solutions, field operations, and eight steps to maximize your investment in GIS.
Public Works Exchange and Monday Activities
Monday started off early as Suzy Timani and I attended the very first Public Works Exchange. This was an invite-only event limited to 100 public works directors, designed to provide opportunities for networking and group discussions around their challenges, along with suggestions for potential solutions.
Esri was one of the sponsors of this valuable event, and I presented on how ArcGIS powers public works. The camaraderie was invigorating, and the group overwhelmingly recommended that this event continue at future PWX conferences. I’m proud that our sponsorship of this event raised funds for the APWA Foundation.
Monday included more busy traffic at our booth and presentations, including one from Esri partner Raven Connected on Building Ground Source Truth with ArcGIS, one from Anthony Powell of Houston, TX Public Works on Building a Centralized Enterprise Geospatial Environment and Culture, as well as others on Real-Time GIS, AI, and Next-Gen Public Works Powered by ArcGIS.
I also co-presented two sessions in the Exhibit Hall with Trimble:
- Fast-Tracking the Future: A Geographic Approach to Modern Permitting
- Location-Intelligent Permitting: Accelerating Public Works and Community Growth
These sessions were well attended and showed that the need for streamlining permitting is pervasive.
Monday ended with my meeting as a representative on the APWA Foundation Board of Trustees. The chairperson role transferred from Joubin Pakpour to Dominick Longobardi, and we discussed ideas to ramp up fundraising efforts.
For some team building, the Esri PWX Team attended the baseball game between the Houston Astros and Chicago White Sox. It was a lot of fun and a win for the home team.
Tuesday Sessions and Storm Awareness
Tuesday brought more booth traffic and two presentations, one from Novotx, If It’s Not on the Map, Does It Exist?, and one from Esri colleague Jason Latoski on Smarter Facilities and Vertical Asset Management with ArcGIS.
Everyone at the conference was distracted by the untimely arrival of Tropical Storm Edouard, which came ashore on Tuesday east of Houston, near Johnson Bayou, LA. While we were spared from any major effects in Houston, our thoughts were with those affected by the storm and all the public works professionals and first responders working hard to provide emergency responses to the communities in the storm’s path.
Stay up to Date
A huge thanks to all who made PWX possible: the APWA Texas Chapter, APWA staff, and all the attendees, presenters, sponsors, and exhibitors. We are already looking forward to PWX 2027 in Phoenix, AZ. See you there!
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