Groundwater Week 2025 was a record-setting event for the National Ground Water Association.
The annual conference set a record of 81,900 square feet of exhibit space, saw its highest attendance ever for an event not held in Las Vegas, Nevada, with 4,712 attendees, and elected a woman as president for the first time in Association history.
The event, which co-located with the Irrigation Association, was held December 9-11 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Seth Kellogg, PG, became NGWA’s 2026 Board of Directors president at the Association’s Delegates Meeting.
“We’re grateful for another record-setting Groundwater Week that caps a successful and busy year for the industry,” said NGWA CEO Terry S. Morse, CAE, CIC. “We appreciate everyone taking time from their busy schedules to meet, learn, network, and be encouraged about the industry’s future.”
In the Exhibit Hall, 299 exhibitors displayed their commitment to continual innovations in the groundwater industry that prioritize safety, efficiency, and adaptability on 81,900 square feet of exhibit space. The crowded Exhibit Hall featured 38 first-time exhibitors.
A comprehensive lineup of nearly 40 workshops addressed industry challenges taught by industry experts and explored solutions for them across eight different topic areas. Attendees came from 35 countries and all 50 states with numerous networking opportunities.
For the first time, a program track was created that crossed over into all four membership sections. Titled “Crossroad of Collaboration: Better Together in Action,” seven workshops addressed topics ranging from well development concepts and considerations to finding and mentoring your replacement to understanding well fouling in advance of well rehabilitation or failure.
Workforce development — the industry’s top concern — was explored in multiple workshops as was advancing women in the groundwater industry. A new marketing video on workforce development debuted at the Delegates Meeting. Click here to watch it.
The kickoff of the 2026 Darcy Lecture was presented by Steven P Loheide II, Ph.D., on “Groundwater Recharge Regimes Are in Flux.” The Science & Engineering Forum featured numerous platform presentations on topics such as:
- Groundwater Modeling
- Groundwater-Surface Water Interactions
- Managed Aquifer Recharge
- PFAS
- Geophysical Techniques and Applications.
For the fourth consecutive year, a tour of the Exhibit Hall led by seasoned groundwater veterans took place explaining how the tools and machinery seen on the floor are used daily in the industry.
The NGWA Delegates Meeting saw four professionals elected to the NGWA Board of Directors:
- Contractors John Boyette Jr., CVCLD, of Boyette Well & Septic Inc. in Wilson, North Carolina, and Buddy Sebastian, CWD/PI, of Sebastian & Sons Well Drilling Inc. in Springport, Michigan, were elected to additional terms
- William McPike of Geothermal Drilling Inc. in Huntsville, Texas, was elected to his first term
- Kevin McGinnis of Cotey Chemical Corp. in Lubbock, Texas, was elected secretary of the Manufacturers Section Board of Directors, a position that also serves as a director on the NGWA Board of Directors.
The Scientists and Engineers Section membership elected Erica DiFilippo, Ph.D., of S.S. Papadopulos & Associates in Rockville, Maryland, and John Spencer, PG, of Geosyntec Consultants Inc. in Tampa, Florida, to second terms as sectional directors. Leslie Dumas, PE, D.WRE, CGWP, of Woodard & Curran Inc. in Frederick, Maryland, was elected to her first term as a sectional director.
Kellogg, a senior principal geologist at Geosyntec Consultants in Pennington, New Jersey, who was profiled by Water Well Journal in its November 2025 issue, will tackle the chief concern in the groundwater industry: workforce development.
As NGWA Board Director, Kellogg has worked with NGWA’s Workforce Development Task Force in recent years on tools, ideas, and strategies to recruit and retain individuals working in the industry. While the Task Force has lately discussed what the lifecycle of a groundwater career looks like, Kellogg envisions a five-year workforce development plan with measurable goals so her presidential successors can track progress.
“We want to make sure we’re good stewards of the Association’s resources,” said the 53-year-old who is NGWA’s 75th president.
The NGWA Awards of Excellence Ceremony & Keynote Address spotlighted the industry’s best while musicians from the world-famous Preservation Hall took attendees through a brief history of jazz in New Orleans, with the band performing classic pieces and sharing the stories behind them.
Missed a session? Groundwater Week 2025 attendees will have access to all contractor workshops in NGWA’s Learning Center from February 1-15.
Save the date and venue: NGWA will host Groundwater Week 2026 December 8-10 in Las Vegas, Nevada, and co-locate again with the Irrigation Association.