2023 Water Leaders Class Examines Ways to Leverage Green Infrastructure to Help Manage California’s Water
Rising stars in the water world chosen for highly competitive leadership program
Twenty-two early to mid-career
water professionals from across California have been chosen for
the 2023 William R. Gianelli Water Leaders Class, the Water
Education Foundation’s highly competitive and respected career
development program.
This Water Leaders cohort includes engineers, lawyers, resource specialists, scientists and others from a range of public and private entities and nongovernmental organizations from throughout the state. The roster for the 2023 class can be found here.
The Water Leaders program, led by Foundation Executive Director Jennifer Bowles, 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 experts and top policymakers serve as mentors to class members.
Established in 1997, the William R. Gianelli Water Leaders Class is a 10-month program that identifies up-and-coming community leaders from diverse backgrounds to take part in the cohort.
The 2023 class members will spend
their time finding ways to leverage green infrastructure
and nature-based solutions such as floodplain and meadow
restoration to improve management of California water resources.
At the end of their year, class members will unveil their policy
recommendations in a report and present their findings to the
Foundation’s Board of
Directors.
The Wayne Clark Young Professional’s Water Education Scholarship was awarded to Linda Vo, program manager for the California Water Efficiency Partnership. The scholarship was established by the Urban Water Institute in honor of its founder, Wayne Clark, who passed away in 2018.
Additionally, the John P. Fraser Water Leaders Fellowship was awarded to Joel Metzger, general manager of Utica Water and Power Authority. The fellowship was created by the Association of California Water Agencies to honor former long-time ACWA Executive Director John P. Fraser.
And follow along with the Water Leaders cohort this year by signing up to receive Foundation announcements and following us on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook!
