LOUISVILLE, Ken. – The National Rural Water Association opened its 33rd Annual Conference and first ever H2O-XPO with largest crowd and most influential speaker list in the organization’s history. U.S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary for Rural Development Dallas Tonsager and Rural Utilities Service Administrator Jonathan Adelstein both spoke at the ceremony.
                 “I remember growing up on the farm,” Tonsager said. “I remember he was reluctant to give $500 to become part of the rural water system when he had a perfectly good well.”
               It was one of the under secretary's early experiences in the Under Secretary’s long career dealing with rural water. He went on to describe seven priorities for the future of rural development. They include the creation of regional food systems, support of alternative energy, moving capital into rural America, building communities, expanding broadband communication, business creation, and working with strategic partners.
                 The priorities are all part of the varied development efforts, that include everything from establishing utilities to building homes.
                 “Secretary Vilsack called this the ‘everyday, everyway department,’” Tonsager said of USDA’s development efforts.
                 Administrator Adelstein spoke later, expressing his excitement about working with rural water.
                 “This group is about as red, white and blue as it gets,” he said.
                 Adelstrein is new to RUS, after serving with the Federal Communication Commission. It is work he looks forward to, however.
                 “One thing I lover about this job is you get to get out of Washington to see the work being done,” he said.
                 The opening ceremony also included a memorial tribute to Bill Parnell, a past president and former NRWA project manager who died this year. Rob Johnson, NRWA CEO presented memories of Parnell while a slideshow of images played on the ballroom screens.
                 The audience for the opening ceremonies was the largest for any NRWA conference. The registration, even before the first official day, was larger than any previous event.

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