NADB established the Utility Management Institute (UMI) in 1999 for the purpose of reinforcing the managerial, financial and leadership capabilities necessary to operate a successful water utility in the modern U.S.-Mexico border economy. UMI offers on-going and focused professional development opportunities for utility managers and their staffs.

Programs

Basic Water Utility Program
The basic program consists of four modules focusing on day-to-day issues faced by utility managers in the border region. The modules are designed to be taken in the specified sequence, as each subsequent module builds on the previous session. For detailed information about the topics covered in each module, click on the module title below:

Module I: Planning, Designing and Implementing a Successful Utility
Module II: Financial Administration
Module III: Financial Planning
Module IV: Leadership in the Utility

Intensive Seminars
UMI also offers in-depth seminars on complimentary topics pertaining to the long-term development and management of water utilities.  The following seminars are currently available:

Capital Improvement Planning
How to Implement Rates Successfully
How to Plan and Manage a Project
Quality Service in Border Water Utilities
Successful Crisis Management
What’s Sustainable in Uncertain Times
With Good Negotiations, Everybody Wins

Location

The basic program is offered once a year to U.S. and Mexican utility professionals at the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) in San Antonio, Texas.  Sessions are held in the Dr. Burton E. Grossman International Conference Center located at 847 East Hildebrand Avenue at Hwy 281. Dormitory-style accommodations for UMI participants are provided at UIW.

In addition, all UMI seminars can be presented locally to regional groups.  Large utilities, state agencies and water associations interested in sponsoring a seminar in their area, should contact UMI to make arrangements.

Operations

The UMI faculty is comprised of experts in the fields of water and wastewater utility management and leadership from the United States and Mexico, including practicing professionals, consultants, and academics. Instruction is provided in both English and Spanish. 

Participants will find the program beneficial not only for their utilities, but for their own career development. Participants who attend individual modules of the UMI curriculum receive a certificate from the Institute for that module; those who complete the entire basic curriculum earn a certificate from the University of the Incarnate Word.

In the four U.S. border states, utility operators can also apply participation in UMI seminars towards the continuing education credit hours required to maintain their operating licenses. For each module or seminar participants can earn the following credit:

State Agency	Credit Hours
Arizona Department of Environmental Quality	20 hours
California Department of Health Services	20 hours
New Mexico Environmental Department	18 hours
Texas Commission of Environmental Quality	20 hours

Registration

Eligible participants of this program must be employees of public water or wastewater utilities located within 100 kilometers (62 miles) north of the international border in boundary in the four U.S. states of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California and within 300 kilometers (about 186 miles) south of the border in the six Mexican states of Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, Coahuila, Chihuahua, Sonora, and Baja California.

To promote discussion and interaction, classes are kept small, with no more than 30 participants at a given time. Acceptance is subject to availability.

UMI covers all the course-related expenses of the participants, including the materials, ground transportation during the course, lodging and most meals. The cost of transportation to San Antonio is the responsibility of the participant.