Twenty-two early to mid-career water professionals have been chosen for the 2018 William R. Gianelli Water Leaders Class, the Water Education Foundation’s highly competitive career development program.

The class will spend the year examining how to improve water management through the use of data — a timely topic as the state works to implement the requirements of Assembly Bill 1755, The Open and Transparent Water Data Act. The new law requires the state to make water data more easily accessible to aid water managers, the public and others in better managing water resources. At the end of their year, class members will present the results of their project to the Foundation’s Board of Directors.

The Water Leaders class includes engineers, lawyers, resource specialists and others from a range of public and private entities and nongovernmental organizations from throughout California and Nevada. The list of water leaders can be found here. 

Begun in 1997, the William R. Gianelli Water Leaders Class is a one-year program that identifies up-and-coming community leaders from diverse backgrounds and educates them about water issues.

Led by Foundation Executive Director Jennifer Bowles, the program deepens knowledge on water, enhances individual leadership skills and prepares participants to take an active, cooperative approach to decision-making about water resource issues. Leading stakeholders and top policymakers serve as mentors to class members.