New ASDSO State Representative Welcome Page

New ASDSO State Representative Welcome Page

Congratulations on your recent appointment as the ASDSO State Representative for your state.

To ease the transition to your new role as the ASDSO voting member for your state, the ASDSO staff has put together information here. We hope it assists you. Please do not hesitate to call or e-mail us whenever you have a question or comment:

General Office - 859-550-2788 - info@damsafety.org

On behalf of the ASDSO Board of Directors, we look forward to working with you to advance dam safety in the U.S.

Lori C. Spragens, Executive Director

What is a State Representative?

ASDSO was started by State Dam Safety Agencies in the early 1980s. The States' mission for the organization was and is to: Improve the condition and safety of dams and reduce the consequences associated with dam incidents, through education, support for state dam safety programs and by fostering a unified dam safety community. Under ASDSO’s Bylaws, each U.S. state and territory may designate an individual to represent its dam safety program in the Association. Most states designate the head of the state dam safety program. State reps are also the voting members of the Association. As such, they are eligible to be on and elect people to the Board of Directors, and elect the Association’s officers. They vote on resolutions and any amendments to the Bylaws. They shape the strategic direction for the organization.

The current roster of voting members includes representatives from all 50 states, plus Puerto Rico. Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands are not represented.

State Representative Member Benefits and Resources

What do your State Dues and State Rep Designation Provide to You?

  1. ASDSO provides a dedicated page on this website to house helpful resources for State Dam Safety Programs, Resources for State Dam Safety Officials.
  2. Your state's membership and participation creates a national voice for strong dam safety programs across the U.S.
  3. A community of all 51 State Dam Safety Agency heads. On the web: Access State Dam Safety Programs & Contacts. Your state personnel will have access to all ASDSO resources, networking platforms and discounts under your State Voting group membership.
  4. A strong network of professionals. Through ASDSO's Collaborate Site: as a State Rep, you are automatically enrolled in ASDSO's State Representative Community. Be sure to log-in to Collaborate, using your ASDSO user ID and password to start communicating.
  5. Support for Strengthening State Dam Safety Laws and Policies. (Contact Government Affairs Manager Cody Holt to discuss: cholt@damsafety.org)
  6. National Advocacy Support for Funding the National Dam Safety Program, which provides Assistance Grants to State Dam Safety Programs. (Contact Government Affairs Manager Cody Holt to discuss: cholt@damsafety.org)
  7. Access to Training Programs.
  8. Educational Platforms
    • DamFailures.Org  - Presented within this website are links to individual case studies as well as lessons learned pages that summarize historical dam incidents and failures and the valuable information gleaned from them.
    • DamToolbox.Org  -  This website serves as a repository for current guidelines and recommendations related to dam safety. Website content is written collaboratively by volunteers and approved prior to publication by ASDSO’s Dam Toolbox Committee.
    • Dam Safety Resource Database  -  Embedded within ASDSO's main website is a vast database of documents, papers, reports, and audio/visual resources. This database is searchable and includes many references including all ASDSO papers, reports and guidelines. Members receive access to all ASDSO materials including all conference or journal papers.
  9. Educational Resources for Dam Owners.
    • ASDSO has several 'on-the-shelf' one-day workshops available to States and can provide instructors, as needed. Read more. (Contact Jennifer Burns for more information: jburns@damsafety.org - 859-550-2788.)
    • ASDSO's website contains lots of great educational resources for dam owners that state programs can use or pass along to owners. You can use the URL: DamOwner.Org when providing this resource to owners.
    • ASDSO Dam Owner Academy   ASDSO's YouTube channel has a series of dam owner educational videos for dam owners and general audience use. Please pass this link along to your dam owners.
  10. Peer Review Program. ASDSO provides teams of experts to review the efficacy of your program. The ASDSO program features a defined process that leads the agency through an introspective “self” evaluation by a team of experienced dam safety professionals. The review will last up to one week. The 3-member team will provide the state with an oral briefing and a confidential written report on its findings. (Contact Michaela Royse for more information. mroyse@damsafety.org - 859-550-2788 X 107.)
  11. ASDSO coordinates surveys of and for State Dam Safety Programs, oversees an annual program performance data collection process and creates performance reports for State Representative members.
  12. ASDSO creates public awareness publications and other resources that can be provided to States as needed. Two booklets on Living Near Dams are available electronically and in hard copy. State Reps may request hard copies as needed, free-of-charge. Contact Brittany Lewis: blewis@damsafety.org - 859-550-2788.)

Governance and Guidance Documents

Governance of ASDSO is entrusted to a Board of Directors, including four officers and up to thirteen additional representatives of state dam safety programs in each of the 4 geographic regions:

West

Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming

Midwest

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin

Southeast

Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia

Northeast

Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, US Virgin Islands

Members of the Board of Directors are elected by the state representatives in each region. Officers (President, President-Elect, Secretary, and Treasurer) are voted on by the full voting membership (50 state representatives) at the Annual Business Meeting.

Learn More about ASDSO

ASDSO is considered a 501(c)(3)non-profit corporation.

Contact Us: ASDSO Staff and Board of Directors

Mission, Vision and Guiding Documents