RAYMORE, MO (Oct. 1, 2025) – The Raymore Public Works Department has recently received full accreditation by the American Public Works Association (APWA) for the third time. This accreditation formally verifies and recognizes that the agency is in full compliance with the recommended management practices set forth in APWA’s Public Works Management Practices Manual.
Open to all governmental agencies with responsibilities for public works functions, initial accreditation from APWA is for a four-year period, during which time semi-annual updates are required to demonstrate continuing compliance. After that time, there is a re-accreditation process which builds on the original accreditation, encouraging continuous improvement and compliance with newly identified practices.
The purpose of accreditation is to promote excellence in the operation and management of a public works agency, its programs and employees. Accreditation is designed to assist the agency in continuous improvement of operations and management and provides a valid and objective evaluation of agency programs as a service to the public and the profession.
"I’m extremely proud of our Public Works team for their unwavering commitment to serving our city with the highest standards of professionalism and dedication,” Public Works Director Trent Salsbury said. “This reaccreditation is a confirmation of their continuous pursuit of excellence and improvement in everything they do."
APWA’s accreditation process includes five major steps:
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Self-Assessment: Using the Public Works Management Practices Manual, an internal review of an agency’s practices combined with a comparison of the recommended practices contained in the manual;
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Application: Once the decision has been made to commit to the Accreditation Program, the agency submits a formal application;
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Improvement: After the agency has completed the self-assessment and identified areas needing improvement, the agency will work to bring all practices into an acceptable level of compliance with the recommended practices;
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Evaluation: Following the completion of the improvement phase, the agency will request a site visit. The site visit will consist of a review and evaluation of the agency to determine the level of compliance with all applicable practices.
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Accreditation: The Accreditation Council will review the site visit results and recommendation from the team, voting to award or deny accreditation.
The Raymore Public Works Department was first awarded APWA Accreditation back in 2017, and was reaccredited for the second time in 2022. Raymore Public Works is one of eight APWA-accredited agencies in Missouri, along with the Cities of Belton, Lee’s Summit, Kansas City, Columbia, Chesterfield, Maryland Heights and Springfield.
For more information about APWA Accreditation, please contact APWA Associate Director of Credentialing Jeanette Klamm at jklamm@apwa.org or 816-595-5295.
About APWA
The American Public Works Association (www.apwa.org) is a not-for-profit, international organization of more than 30,000 members involved in the field of public works. APWA serves its members by promoting professional excellence and public awareness through education, advocacy and the exchange of knowledge. APWA is headquartered in Kansas City, MO, has an office in Washington, DC, and 62 chapters in North America.
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