New 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 - [email protected]

Lori Spragens, Executive Director - [email protected]
Jennifer Burns, Training Director - [email protected]
Ross Brown; Conferences, Membership, Marketing, Sales & Promotions - [email protected]
Katelyn Riley, Communications Manager - [email protected]
Michaela Royse, Programs Support Associate - [email protected]
Brittany Lewis, Office Assistant - [email protected]

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?

A community of all 51 State Dam Safety Agency heads. On the web: Access State Dam Safety Programs & Contacts. 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.
Discounted fees on ASDSO Conferences & Training.
Free access to ASDSO's Webinar (Live and On-Demand) Program courtesy of our partnership with the FEMA National Dam Safety Program. (Contact Jennifer Burns for more information: [email protected] - 859-550-2788.)
Support for Strengthening State Dam Safety Laws and Policies.
National Advocacy Support for Funding the National Dam Safety Program, which provides Assistance Grants to State Dam Safety Programs.
Educational Resources for Dam Owner. 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: [email protected] - 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.
Program Peer Review. 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 Lori Spragens for more information. [email protected] - 859-550-2788 X 106.)
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.
ASDSO provides a dedicated page on this website to house helpful resources for State Dam Safety Programs, Resources for State Dam Safety Officials.
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: [email protected] - 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.