The Water Education for Latino Leaders (WELL) 12th Annual Statewide Conference was held from Friday, March 15 to Saturday, March 16, 2024, in San Jose, CA!
The conference brought together top water policy experts and practitioners to share their knowledge on California’s top water challenges and the opportunities to mitigate the impacts.
Click here to view post-conference material, including photos and presentations.
Conference Overview:
Friday, March 15:
- 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Water Tour
- 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm – Evening Reception hosted at the San Jose City Hall Rotunda
Saturday, March 16:
- 9:00 am – 3:00 pm – Conference hosted at the Hilton San Jose Address: 300 S Almaden Ave, San Jose, CA 95110
MC Friday Night: Doriss Panduro, Councilmember, City of Fairfield, and WELL UnTapped Fellowship Fellow, Class of 2024
MC Saturday: Celeste Rodriguez, Mayor, City of San Fernando, and WELL UnTapped Fellowship Fellow, Class of 2024
Panel #1: How can we incorporate principles of equity into the design and upkeep of existing and upcoming water infrastructure projects?
Description: Panelists will share how we can invest and design water infrastructure projects to benefit minority communities that have historically been overburdened with ecological inequities. Questions to ask include: How can we keep water affordable while prioritizing infrastructure maintenance and conservation efforts? What investments in infrastructure improvement projects can be used to provide community benefits, such as local workforce development, neighborhood revitalization, and contracting and procurement for small, minority-owned, and women-owned businesses? What new and existing projects can be designed to preserve the long-term accessibility of water resources without harming local communities or the environment?
Moderator: Destiny Rodriguez, Trustee, State Center Community College District, and WELL UnTapped Fellowship Fellow, Class of 2024
Panelists: Karina Cervantez, Managing Director, California Association of Mutual Water Companies, Clifford Chan, General Manager, East Bay Municipal Utility District, Erick Orellana, Senior Policy Advocate, Community Water Center
Panel #2: How are extreme weather events impacting our water resources, infrastructure, and water quality?
Description: Panelists will share the impacts of climate change on communities and how early investments will support long-term water resources. Questions to ask include: How will climate change impact the long-term reliability of our water resources? How can we prepare our communities to mitigate the impacts of severe weather, droughts, fires, and flooding? How can local elected officials access funding to address water quality challenges in their communities?
Moderator: Danielle Parra, Trustee, State Center Community College District, and WELL UnTapped Fellowship Fellow, Class of 2024
Panelists: Heather Cooley, Director of Research, Pacific Institute, Jeanine Jones, Interstate Resources Manager, California Department of Water Resources, Dr. Jose Pablo Ortiz Partida, Senior Water and Climate Scientist, Union of Concerned Scientists
Panel #3: What state and local policy changes are needed to meet California’s future water needs?
Description: Panelist will discuss the policy changes and water management strategies needed to ensure sustainable water usage. Questions to ask include: How will changes to state and local water policy impact the management of our water resources in the next year? How will the renegotiation of water allocations for the Colorado River impact local and state economies and sustainability goals? How are water shortages in Native American Tribal Lands being taken into consideration?
Moderator: Alma Hernandez, Mayor, City of Suisun, and WELL UnTapped Fellowship Fellow, Class of 2024
Panelists: Dr. Newsha Ajami, Chief Development Officer for Research, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Ngodoo Atume, Water Policy Analyst/Researcher, Bianca Sievers, Deputy Director for Special Initiatives, California Department of Water Resources
