Records of the American Public Works Association, Colorado Chapter

The American Public Works Association (APWA) is a professional and educational organization that facilitates the exchange of knowledge and techniques related to various urban concerns - from sanitation and transportation systems to water supplies, flood control, and stormwater drainage. Created in 1937 by a merger of the American Society of Municipal Engineers, the International Association of Street Sanitation Officials, and the International Association of Public Works Office, the organization provides a forum for public agencies, private companies, and individuals to share ideas about public works.

The APWA's predecessor organizations were formed in response to the challenges of America's rapid urbanization in the late nineteenth century. Early municipal agencies such as these were usually independent from one another, each pursuing separate approaches to interrelated urban problems. Because these problems could rarely be overcome by a single professional specialty or within any one political jurisdiction, the APWA was chartered to promote broad coordination between all entities involved in public works. The association currently serves more than 25,000 members from 67 local chapters throughout the United States and Canada, publishing a variety of educational materials and sponsoring numerous workshops and symposiums.

The Colorado Chapter of the APWA was founded in 1962, with Bill Korbitz as its first president. Since then, its membership has grown to nearly 700. The chapter promotes public works statewide by encouraging professional development and public outreach through seminars and research, addressing issues of regional concern such as flood control, transportation, sanitation, construction quality, liability insurance, water resources, and administrative management. In addition, the Jim Murray Scholarship Fund, named after one of the chapter's founding members, supports education by offering financial backing to select university students in Colorado. The chapter also honors outstanding contributors to public works by bestowing annual awards, such as the Contractor of the Year Award and the Top Ten Public Works Leaders of the Year Award. The chapter distributes these and other awards to recognize achievements of both public employees and private individuals.