On Saturday, July 13, three graduates of the WELL UnTapped Fellowship Program, Ralph Galvan, Director, Valley County Water District, Class of 2023; Cesar Garcia, Mayor Pro Tem, City of Duarte, Class of 2024; and Sergio P. Jimenez, Councilmember, City of Monrovia, Class of 2023 cohosted a WELL Legislative Workshop in the City of Baldwin Pak with California Assemblywoman Blanca Rubio, 48th District.

This report details our accomplishments from 2012 to 2023. As a statewide nonprofit organization that has trained more than 1,300 local elected officials  since 2012, WELL seeks to create a “bench” of elected officials composed of women, Latinos, and other people of color who are ready to take the helm and lead California toward sustainable water policies.

Meet the WELL UnTapped Fellowship Program Summer Class of 2024! After a competitive application process, we have selected 12 locally elected Latino leaders in California to embark on the UnTapped Fellowship program. This class comes from all areas of the state, yet they are united by their passion for water knowledge and supporting their communities.

Over the next six months, beginning in July, these Fellows will embark on their water education journey to help them learn how to make an impact on California water policy while addressing their individual community water challenges. The UnTapped program creates an opportunity for local leaders to engage with water issues by exploring California’s water history and governance, infrastructure, finance, and the impact of climate change on water supply and quality. This curriculum is taught through the lens of the human right to water, with eyes on diversity, equity, and inclusion within the water sector.

WELL’s 12th Annual statewide conference was hosted from Friday, March 15 – Saturday, March 16, 2024.

Friday began with a tour of the Silicon Valley Advanced Water Purification Center hosted by the Santa Clara Valley Water District. The tour was followed by the Evening Reception hosted at San Jose City Hall Rotunda. The reception included a moment of remembrance honoring the late Olivia Trujillo, Mayor, City of Arvin, and WELL UnTapped Fellowship Graduate, Class of 2020.

On Saturday, the conference was hosted at the Hilton in San Jose. The Lunchtime Inspirational Water Conversation featured two esteemed panelists, WELL Boardmember Tony Estremera, and Director, Santa Clara Valley Water District; and Adan Ortega, Chair, The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, and focused on strategies both small and large water districts can implement to prioritize equitable water management strategies in a changing climate. The conference ended with our traditional moment of unity, singing De Colores.

Thank you to our Associate Members, AARP of California, Association of California Water Agencies, California American Water, California Water Service, The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Pepsico, Valley Water, Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District, and The Water Replenishment District of Southern California! To learn more about the WELL Associate Membership and how to join, please review our Associate Membership page.