It’s the final day of the 2021 CSMFO Conference 

On behalf of the CSMFO Board of Directors and Conference Host Committee, welcome. 

Our Host Committee was certainly challenged this year, but boy did they get it right.  And that’s because they kept you in mind and prioritized the value of creating a community experience within our virtual conference. Here are three suggestions that will allow every square, circle, triangle, and squiggle to comfortably engage:

1. Game Time.  CSMFO has already seen the competitive juices of our members from the last two steps challenges.  Now everyone has a chance to finish in the top three winning spots.  Just set up your conference profile and connect with any of our commercial partners or other CSMFO members. 
2. Exhibitors.  Have you ever wondered how CSMFO’s conference rates are so low?  Well, say thank you to our sponsors in the exhibit hall.  Our Premier, Deluxe and Supporting sponsors are one of the biggest reasons why our conference provides so much value to all our members.  Please help them help us and help you by clicking into their booth to say hello. 
3. People.  It may have never been easier to see, click, and connect with any member of our CSMFO family at the conference.  Anytime you see someone’s name or picture, just click to read their profile, and get options to message, connect, or ask for a meeting.

Tremendous Gratitude

As I reflect on what’s coming, I’m overwhelmed with joy and gratitude.

I want to thank our 2020 President Steve Heide, who now joins a distinguished list of Past Presidents.  He provided thoughtful, inclusive, and steady leadership in a year where these values seemed to be in short supply. He was the right person to lead CSMFO in 2020.

And I’m personally grateful for his mentorship, support, and most importantly for his friendship. I hope that we will all remember how CSMFO made us feel in 2020.  It gave us comfort and joy by providing so many ways to remain connected.  It made us feel prepared by providing us timely guidance and best practices in response to the pandemic. And it made us feel normal as it provided us the predictability of our regular training.  

I also want to thank our outgoing Board Members Carrie Guarino and Rich Lee, and of course our immediate Past President Margaret Moggia, for their years of volunteer service.  They all exemplify what it means to be a CSMFO Director, member, and friend to all.

And I must thank our CSMFO Executive Director Melissa Manchester for her guidance throughout this past year, including leading our 2020 Strategic Planning Session.

And what would this conference have been without all the content brought to you by our Program Committee, with this amazing virtual format the Host Committee developed, and with all our key staff who brought all this to life??

My gratitude goes to the entire Program Committee who worked almost weekly throughout this past year to develop the 48 concurrent sessions that will be available to you this week and for the next 6 months.

And I’m forever in the debt of all the volunteers in our 2021 Conference Host Committee.  As I’ve mentioned in past articles, it is remarkable how many iterations of a live, hybrid, and virtual conference our Host Committee researched and considered.  

So, I’ll hope you’ll join me in standing up and cheering them all:

Past President, Steve Heide (Chino Valley Fire District)

Outgoing Immediate Past President, Margaret Moggia (West Basin Municipal Water District)

Outgoing Board Member Carrie Guarino (Cucamonga Valley Water District)

Outgoing Board Member Rich Lee (San Mateo)

The 2021 Conference CSMFO Host Committee

Craig Boyer (Alameda County)

David Cain (Retired)

David McPherson (HdL Companies)

Grace Castaneda (Belmont)

James Russell-Field (Fairfield-Suisun Sewer District)

Jesse Takahashi (Mountain View)

Jennifer Wakeman (Lafayette)

Joan Michaels Aguilar (Retired)

John Adams (Eastern Municipal Water District)

Lily Ng (Bank of the West)

Margaret O’Brien (Oakland)

Mary Bradley (Fremont)

Steve Heide (Chino Valley Fire District)

Terry Shea (RAMS CPA)

Wing-See Fox (UFI)

Our 2020 Program Committee

Dennis Kauffman (Roseville)

Margaret Moggia (West Basin Municipal Water District)

Harriet Commons (Retired)

Karan Reid (Concord)

Laura Nomura (Eastern Municipal Water District)

Mary Bradley (Fremont)

Rich Lee (San Mateo)

Viki Copeland (Hermosa Beach)

Scott Catlett (Newport Beach)

CSMFO Conference Supporting Cast

Beth Ramirez (M&AMS)

David Garrison (SMA)

Harriet Commons Janet Salvetti (M&AMS)

Marisa Anticevich (M&AMS)

Melissa Manchester (MMM Management)

Sarah Erck (SMA)

Teri Anticevich (M&AMS)

Zach Seals (SMA)

Bonus Recipe

CSMFO Salted Peanut Butter Chocolate Rice Crispy Treats

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter

1 bag large marshmallows (10 ounces)

1/2 cup peanut butter, plus 1 1/2 tablespoons, divided

6 cups crisped rice cereal

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

1 1/2 tablespoons peanut butter

Blue gel food coloring

Kosher (or Sea) Salt

Preparation

Lightly grease a 9-inch x 13-inch pan and set aside.

In a large pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the marshmallows and stir constantly until melted. Remove from the heat and stir adding blue gel coloring.  Then add the peanut butter and stir well. 

Add the cereal and stir until well combined. Carefully press into the pan with wax paper or buttered fingers.

Mix the chocolate chips and 1-1/2 tablespoons peanut butter and melt (easiest in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until melted). Spread the chocolate over the crisped rice treats. As the chocolate begins to cool, sprinkle the course salt over the bars.  Let sit until the chocolate is set. 

Cut and serve.