IDA to launch Young Leaders Program

The International Desalination Association (IDA) will use its World Congress in Dubai in 2009 to launch a Young Leaders Program for younger industry professionals and students to promote opportunities in the industry, support career advancement, and provide a forum for communication and the exchange of ideas among committee members and the industry at large.

The program will be led by a peer group of younger IDA members, and Victor Verbeek, business development manager, Toray Membrane USA, and Tarik Bushnak, director of education and training, Bushnak Group, are serving as interim program coordinators.

The stated mission of the Young Leaders Program is to strengthen the level of interest in desalination, reward outstanding desalination-related work accomplished by young engineers and professionals, and communicate to the rest of IDA the opinions and ideas of younger members regarding current topics and issues in the desalination industry.

“The desalination industry continues to grow as desalination becomes an increasingly important part of the solution to the world’s water problems. It is critically important to support the industry’s growth and sustainability by increasing efforts towards attracting and retaining qualified young professionals. Through this program, we hope to reinforce the exciting opportunities that this field presents and draw more talented people to the industry,” said Patricia Burke, Secretary General of the IDA.

Call for Members

In anticipation of the program launch in Dubai, IDA is now accepting applications from industry professionals interested in becoming members of the program.

To apply, candidates should send their resume along with a brief statement of purpose (a maximum of 500 words) to Patricia Burke, Victor Verbeek or Tarik Bushnak.

To qualify, candidates should play an active role in the desalination industry and must be 33 years of age or younger. They must also be members of IDA. The selection committee will give consideration to geographical locations of applicants to ensure appropriate representations from all regions of the world.

Award for Best Paper

As part of the program launch, IDA will present an award for the best paper presented during the 2009 World Congress proceedings by a member of the Young Leaders Program.