b'Organizational ChangesTraining Events In normal times, RCACs skilled trainers and Events Team coordinate more than 400 trainings per year, and most trainings are conducted in person. In March, as the COVID-19 pandemic hit RCACs service area, the Events Team faced the daunting task to convert upcoming classroom trainings to online, including com-plex curriculum, like asset management and wastewater system capacity building. Trainers also had to have dis-cussions with state authorities across the West, to make sure that water and wastewater training credits could still be awarded even though the training was offeredAtTendeE Commentsvirtually. RCAC also converted HUD housing counseling trainings to an online format. RCAC staff had to be flex-ible and creative in this new environment so that waterGreat learning format. The program used operators and housing counselors in 13 western states could complete their required trainings safely and stillwas impressive, and the instructors are earn technical credit from the various state agencies.knowledgeable, interesting, and engaging. This new environment also prompted changes or com-plete overhauls in the registration process or the trainersTraining materials are exceptional, and I curriculum. feel they are a huge advantage to our lesser At 2020s close, RCAC completed 579 trainings, more than 400 of which were converted from in-person to onlinetrained operators. Thanks again from New platforms during the spring. Because online trainingsMexico for making this available during were more accessible, RCAC saw its participant numbers soar. By December, 13,706 professionals from across thethese uncertain times when good training West attended trainings, exceeding any previous yearsis scarce.attendance by more than 180 percent. I appreciate that the trainers have hands In 2020, RCAC hired 25 new staff and on knowledge and arent just speaking another 25 promoted to new positions from textbook. So many of the anecdotes serve to illustrate what really can happen to reinforce why the training is so important.14 | RCAC Annual Report'