A veteran journalist who has covered water issues across the West
for some 25 years, Jenn joined the Water Education Foundation in
2014. She directs the development of Western Water news,
the Layperson’s Guide series on key water topics, the
Foundation’s Colorado River project, water maps and tours, and
various workshops and conferences. She oversees the Water Leader programs and leads
fund-raising, external communications, and website and social
media efforts.
In December 2016, she led an international journalism
workshop on water issues for UNESCO (United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization). Held in Tehran, the
workshop included participants from Iran, Pakistan, Turkmenistan,
Oman and Malaysia. You can read her blog about the experience
here.
Brian works with a dedicated team of workshop facilitators to
provide engaging, hands–on Project WET (Water Education Today)
professional development trainings for educators who teach K-12
across California.
Brian coordinates supplies and support to assist facilitators in
organizing workshops, writes the California Project WET
newsletter to provide guidance for educators in using Project WET
activities that engage students in current water issues and
topics. He personally leads a number of workshops each year.
Patrick, a veteran of the non-profit world, re-joined the Water
Education Foundation in 2024 as its Deputy Executive Director.
In his role, Patrick is responsible for operations and boosting
revenue streams that allow the Foundation staff to achieve our
important mission and maximize our impact in California and the
West.
Jennifer Fergesen is a journalist who curates the Foundation’s Aquafornia daily water news roundup. As a writer, she focuses on the intersection between food, migration and the environment.
Her work has appeared in publications including the San Francisco Chronicle and the Financial Times, was anthologized in Best American Food Writing 2023, and has received awards and nominations from the James Beard Foundation, the International Association of Culinary Professionals, the California News Publishers Association and others.
Nick manages many of our workshops, conferences and tours of key
water regions across California and the Southwest, bringing
attendees up close to dams and other water infrastructure,
wildlife areas, farms and other sites involved in water.
Matt is the writer for the Foundation’s Western Water online magazine and series of Layperson’s Guides, and assists with the daily Aquafornia news feed of top water news. He joined the Foundation in 2025 after nearly 25 years covering water issues in the West.
A former staff editor for High Country News and Nature Conservancy magazines, Matt has also written for a variety of publications including The New York Times, Smithsonian magazine and Saveur.
Marilyn is involved in various aspects of the Water Education
Foundation, assisting with programs and member benefits while
ensuring everything operates smoothly on a daily basis.
Before joining the Foundation in the summer of 2024, Marilyn
built a successful career in software engineering. She later
transitioned to the nonprofit sector, where she applied her
organizational, managerial and technological skills to help
these organizations operate more efficiently.
As programs specialist, Kayla assists with the planning and/or
execution of such programs as Water Leaders, tours and
conferences.
She joined the Foundation in 2021 as an administrative
coordinator and quickly rose to operations manager. When she
started an MBA program at San Diego State University in 2024, she
transitioned to part-time work as a programs specialist.
