Jack C. Dozier has served as the Executive Director of the Georgia Association of Water Professionals (GAWP) since 1990. GAWP is a not-for-profit Association with membership of over 5,000 water and wastewater treatment plant operators and managers, municipal and industrial officials and environmental managers, civil engineers, environmental engineers, scientists, manufacturers and their representatives, contractors, elected officials and others concerned with Georgia's water resources. The Association’s chief purpose is to educate and assist those who have an interest in the proper management and protection of Georgia's water resources. GAWP’s membership consists largely of the professionals who implement State and Federal water supply, water protection, and water resources laws and regulations. GAWP also owns and operates the Georgia Water and Wastewater Institute (GWWI), which provides the vast majority of training for water and wastewater treatment plant operators, laboratory analysts, and other water industry professionals in Georgia. For further information on GAWP and GWWI, visit www.gawp.org.

GAWP is a respected and welcomed authority on water related issues in Georgia and is routinely turned to by the media, elected officials, policy leaders, and the public for accurate water related information and assistance. GAWP has increased the scope of its professional outreach activities and the depth of its technical support capabilities immensely due to these relationships.

One of the major components of GAWP’s mission statement is “increasing public understanding and promotion of sound public laws and programs.” GAWP has established itself as a respected and welcomed authority on water issues to the Georgia General Assembly and many other professional organizations. In his capacity as GAWP’s Executive Director, Dozier serves as an advisor on many legislative councils, enabling the Association to keep abreast of the latest developments in State and Federal policy. He provides testimony and opinion numerous times during any given legislative session and is a respected source of information at the Georgia State Capitol. He also serves in an advisory capacity on numerous policy-oriented committees and boards, including:

• Georgia Water Alliance: Dozier played a leadership role in the formation of a loosely knit coalition of some thirty organizations and industries known as the Georgia Water Alliance. This group, with GAWP as one of its key leaders, has provided a collective voice of reason to ensure that Georgia’s environmental planning efforts maintain a balanced focus so that the mutual goals of protecting the environment, protecting the public health and safety, and providing for a strong economy are all taken into consideration.
• Serves as an Advisor on water issues to Georgia Municipal Association, Association County Commissioners of Georgia, and other organizations
• Serves on Statewide Water Study Plan Advisory Committee
• Serves on Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Drought Management Task Force, Conservation Task Force, and others
• Serve on Georgia Department of Community Affairs WaterFirst Steering Committee

Under Dozier’s leadership, GAWP’s efforts and outreach require the support of seven full-time staff employees in the administrative offices, and four full-time employees at GAWP’s training center. This dedicated and energetic group of professionals brings expertise from many different backgrounds to include water treatment, wastewater treatment, biosolids, safety, security, emergency response, industrial pre-treatment, backflow prevention, water resource planning, public education, meeting/conference planning, and many others. In addition, GAWP has 31 volunteer committees that are comprised of professionals from every segment of the water and wastewater industry. These committees are responsible for many major functions of the Association – from conference program development to public education and outreach.

GAWP currently conducts numerous professional conferences and workshops throughout the course of the year. The Association’s Annual Conference is one of the largest professional meetings held in Georgia and routinely draws an attendance of more than 1,000. This meeting also includes one of the largest Exposition Halls in the state with approximately 200 vendor displays and company exhibits.

Dozier has been heavily involved in the development and implementation of State water policy throughout his 35-year professional career. As Georgia has struggled to cope with an extended drought of unprecedented proportions over the past five years, he was worked closely with the golf course industry to promote best management practices and to ensure that the golf course industry was treated fairly as the State was forced to implement increasing draconian restrictions on outdoor watering. Dozier is a frequent speaker at water policy meetings, and has become the leading advocate for the Georgia golf course industry’s proactive approach to drought response; in fact, he has frequently pointed to the golf course industry’s approach as a model to be followed by other industry sectors.

Prior to accepting his current position, Dozier worked for 15 years at the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, and served as chief of the Division’s Water Protection Branch with responsibility for all of the State’s water programs during his last five years there.

Dozier holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and a Master of Science in Environmental Engineering, both from Duke University. He is a registered Professional Engineer in Georgia, and is a Certified Association Executive. He currently lives in Marietta, Georgia with his wife Shirley. They attend Due West United Methodist Church. They have two sons, Jeff (29) and Jody (25), both of whom live in metro Atlanta. Dozier recently received the Clifford M. Clark Award from the Georgia Society of Association Executives. This award is GSAE’s highest level of recognition. It is given to the association executive in Georgia who has demonstrated exemplary personal leadership and service to his or her own association, the association community, and the general community.

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