The Water Education Foundation is governed by a volunteer board
of 33 members representing a broad cross-section of water,
education, business, environmental and public interest
communities.
Terry Fulp is the former regional director for the Bureau of
Reclamation’s Lower Colorado River region, where he played a lead
role in negotiating drought contingency plans, river operating
guidelines and binational agreements with Mexico before retiring
in October 2020.
During his 31-year career with Reclamation, Fulp’s
responsibilities included implementation of the Interior
Secretary’s watermaster functions in the Lower Basin, management
of hydropower operations and maintenance of federal facilities
including Hoover Dam, and implementation of the Lower Colorado
River Multi-Species Conservation Program.
Eric Robinson is managing shareholder and a water resources
lawyer at Kronick Moskovitz Tiedemann & Girard.
He has more than 20 years of experience practicing water
resources law in California, providing counsel on obtaining and
defending water rights and water supplies, obtaining
environmental compliance approvals for development projects under
local, state and federal laws, and litigating in state and
federal courts.
JaNell Cook is the Regional West Director for HDR,
overseeing engineering projects in the American West, Hawaii and
Guam.
Previously, she was Director of US Business Development &
Strategy for MWH Americas, Inc. In California, the
company specializes in hydropower, soil and groundwater
remediation. During her tenure at MWH, Cook oversaw several
projects, including the Central Valley Flood Management Program
and the San Joaquin River Restoration project.
Ane D. Deister is executive director of the Urban Water Institute
and a consultant for HDR Engineering. She has more
than 30 years of experience in the water resources and
environmental management business, with more than 25 years
in executive leadership appointments.
Andrea Abergel is manager of water policy for the California
Municipal Utilities Association. She represents CMUA’s water
member agencies on issues before various California agencies
including the State Water Resources Control Board and Regional
Water Quality Control Boards, Department of Water Resources and
California Water Commission. Andrea is a practicing attorney
licensed in California and is an alum of the Water Education
Foundation’s 2022 Water Leaders class.
Jennifer Allen is an alumnus of the Water Education Foundation’s
2011 Water Leaders Program. As the Director of Public Affairs at
Contra Costa Water District (CCWD), she oversees the outreach and
education programs offered to customers, students, and employees,
and facilitates media relations.
Richard Aragon is the Chief Financial Officer/Treasurer for
Rainbow Municipal Water District in Southern California, where he
oversees the District’’s accounting, finance and
purchasing/contracting departments.
He previously served as director of finance for Coachella
Valley Water District; senior adviser to the Regulatory
Commission of Alaska, and assistant general manager-chief
financial officer for Rancho California Water District in
Temecula.
Thomas M. Berliner is a partner in the San Francisco office of
Duane Morris LLP. He focuses his practice on water, energy,
environmental and governmental/municipal law and is chair of the
Duane Morris Water Resources and Renewable Energy and
Sustainability practice groups.
John Bezdek is a shareholder with the Water and Power Law Group
PC in Washington, DC. He is an expert in Western water resources,
especially Indian water rights, listed species protection,
habitat restoration, development and implementation of water
resources projects, and Reclamation law.
Dave Eggerton is executive director of the Association of
California Water Agencies (ACWA), a statewide association whose
more than 450 local public water agency members are responsible
for about 90% of the water delivered in California.
Carl Evers III is director of sustainability for AgIS Capital,
where he is responsible for the company’s sustainability and
environmental, social and governance (ESG) efforts.
Previously, Evers was vice president of water resources for
Hancock Natural Resource Group, where he was responsible for the
management of water policy at the state and national level for
the company’s agricultural investments in the western United
States. Earlier, he led farming operations for the company’s
38,000 acres in California and oversaw farm developments in
Australia.
Bart Fisher, a third-generation farmer from Blythe, is
a member of the Palo Verde Irrigation District board of
trustees, where he currently serves as board chairman.
Fisher also was the longtime chairman of the Colorado
River Board of California, where he represented California’s
rights in the Colorado River to the other six states with
entitlements to the river, and also to the federal
government and to the government of Mexico.
Brian Golding Sr. is the economic development director for the
Quechan Indian Tribe of the Fort Yuma Indian Reservation along
the Colorado River in Arizona and California. Since 2004, he has
been responsible for managing community development projects,
leasing, grants and contracts and acting as liaison on economic
development initiatives with local, state and federal agencies,
and private development entities.
David J. Guy is the President of the Northern California Water
Association (NCWA). For the past several decades he has worked in
various capacities to advance economic interests that promote the
conservation of California’s special places and their precious
water and land resources.
Cheyanne Harris is a civil engineer with Brown and Caldwell
supporting program management, conveyance and pump station
projects. She is based in her hometown of Sacramento.
Thomas Harter joined the faculty at the Department of Land, Air,
and Water Resources at University of California, Davis in 1995.
His research focuses on nonpoint-source pollution of groundwater,
groundwater resources evaluation under uncertainty, groundwater
modeling and contaminant transport.
Ann Hayden is associate vice president of Environmental Defense
Fund’s Climate Resilient Water Systems Program and oversees
strategy development and implementation of sustainable water
management approaches across the arid U.S, including California
and the Colorado River Basin.
Lily Lopez is director of external affairs at Walnut Valley Water
District, where she has overseen strategic communications and
public education efforts since 2019. Previously, she worked for
two communications consultants handling a variety of assignments.
In 2014-2015 she was a member of the Jesse M. Unruh Assembly
Fellowship Program.
Sandi Matsumoto is director of The Nature Conservancy’s
California Water Program. She leads a multi-disciplinary team
focused on securing a sustainable and resilient water future for
California. The Water Program is working to secure the wintering
grounds of the Pacific Flyway, revive healthy rivers to sustain
salmon, and advance sustainable groundwater management that
ensures drinking water for people and supports nature.
A sixth-generation farmer, Cannon Michael is president of Bowles
Farming Company headquartered in Los Banos, Calif. There, he
oversees an 11,000-acre farm where the company grows cotton,
fresh market and processing tomatoes, field crops, and other
commodities.
Leslie Moulton-Post is president and chief executive officer of
Environmental Science Associates (ESA). She has more than 35
years of experience in environmental consulting focused on water
management projects and programs.
Stacey Olson is a program manager at Resources Legacy Fund, a
nonprofit that works with diverse partners to promote public
policy and secure public funding for conservation, environmental
equity and justice, and climate resilience.
Olson implements philanthropic programs that advance biodiversity
conservation, public lands protection and equitable access to
land and water.
Christopher Park is a water resource planner with CDM Smith in
Sacramento.
He has nine years of experience focusing on environmental impact
assessment and permitting for both local and statewide water
planning projects for clients that include the Bureau of
Reclamation, Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers, the Santa Clara Valley Water District and the
Cambria Community Services District.
Jennifer is the president and founder of Jennifer Persike &
Company, a consulting firm focused on innovative management and
strategic communications.
Previously, she served as the executive director of Leadership
California, a network of more than 1,600 accomplished women,
dedicated to advancing the leadership role of women in business,
communities and public policy.
Sara Reid is Vice President and Credit Manager for CoBank, ACB
(part of the Farm Credit System) and an alumnus of the Water
Education Foundation’s 2015 Water Leaders Program. Sara
oversees the credit review and loan decision-making process for
CoBank’s 400-plus borrowers in the Western region.
Ronald B. Robie has served as an Associate Justice on the
California Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District, since 2002.
Previously he served as a judge of both the Sacramento Superior
and Municipal Courts. He was presiding judge from 1994 to 1995.
He was named “Judge of the Year” by the Sacramento County Bar
Association in 2002.
Attorney Alfred Smith, chair of Nossaman’s Water Group, has
extensive experience in water, environmental, transportation and
public agency law. He has successfully litigated multiple water
right adjudications.
Rebecca Smith is a partner at Downey Brand specializing in
water law, a practice that includes work on groundwater
management and the state’s 2014 Sustainable Groundwater
Management Act, as well as the firm’s Food and Ag practice.
Tama Snow is a vice president and regional business leader for
Stantec’s water team in California and Hawaii. She is based in
San Diego.
A professional civil engineer, Snow has immersed herself in
all aspects of water resources planning over the past 33 years.
She fills roles as project manager, principal in charge and
technical lead on some of California’s most challenging water and
recycled water projects.
