Research/Studies
Legislative Briefing UC Davis and WELL Water Governance Study Release
On August 20, 2025, Water Education for Latino Leaders (WELL), in partnership with UC Davis, hosted a legislative briefing at the State Capitol to unveil a groundbreaking study on inequities in California’s water governance.
Assemblymembers Anamarie Ávila Farías (D-Martinez) and Celeste Rodriguez (D-San Fernando), both WELL UnTapped Fellowship graduates, led the event and introduced the findings. The briefing drew more than 50 participants, including state leaders, staff, advocates, and members of the press.
The comprehensive study, led by Dr. Samuel Sandoval Solis, Professor of Water Public Policy at UC Davis, revealed stark underrepresentation of women, Latinos, and other communities of color on local and regional water boards as well as in executive leadership positions.
Wednesday, August 20, 2025
Educate 2 Lead White Paper
The Educate 2 Lead (E2L) program, a partnership between WELL and the California African American Water Education Foundation (CAAWEF), was created to help build that next generation of leaders in the water and energy sectors.
Independent evaluations, (through Claremont Graduate University) of E2L’s first two cohorts found that participants experienced significant growth in leadership confidence, self-awareness, communication, and readiness to pursue new opportunities. Through a unique combination of graduate-level instruction, experiential learning, mentorship, and peer connection, E2L helps water and energy professionals develop not only the skills to lead—but the confidence and leadership identity to put those skills into action.
Explore the report below to learn more about the impact of Educate 2 Lead and how the program is helping strengthen a diverse and resilient leadership pipeline for California’s water sector.
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A short introduction to the workshop instructors and why their background should inspire potential student’s confidence.