Session 2:
The second cohort of Educate 2 Lead (E2L) continued their leadership journey with a two-day session at Whittier College on October 23–24, 2025.
On October 23, participants were welcomed by Ken Woods, Vice President of Strategic Enrollment Management at Whittier College. Following the welcoming remarks, the cohort began with a meditation practice, led by Giselle Gandara (Civic and Political Engagement Manager, WELL), to help ground and center the group. The day continued with Thriving Together: Coaching & Growth Conversations, led by Heather Dyer (General Manager, San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District) and co-led by Shivaji Deshmukh (General Manager, Inland Empire Utilities Agency and new General Manager, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California). This session emphasized a leader-as-coach mindset, with participants practicing actionable feedback, open-ended inquiry, and strategies to navigate conflicts, strengthen collaboration, and build accountability, trust, and a culture of growth.
Victor Griego, President and Founder of Water Education for Latino Leaders, presented Shivaji Deshmukh with a symbolic pozo (well) to celebrate his new role as General Manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. This pozo reflects WELL’s belief that water leadership is rooted in service, community trust, and the stewardship of precious shared resources. It honors Shivaji’s dedication to advancing innovative and inclusive water solutions for California.
The day continued with a deep dive into the Capstone Project, led by Russell Lowery (Executive Director, California African American Water Education Foundation). The Capstone is designed to allow participants to practice and apply their newly acquired leadership skills by identifying a challenge in their home agency and developing an issue-specific analysis and recommendations for meaningful organizational change.
On October 24, participants engaged in Public Narrative with Miya Cain (Associate Director, FSG) and Christina Sanchez (Consultant, Christina Sanchez Consulting), learning to craft and share their leadership stories. Drawing on the teachings of Harvard University Professor Marshall Ganz and his experience organizing alongside farmworker advocate Cesar Chavez, participants learned to articulate their values, build meaningful connections, and inspire action through powerful first-person narratives.
The cohort also had an opportunity to spend time with E2L faculty members Liji Thomas (Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California), Martha Tremblay (Assistant Chief Engineer/Assistant General Manager, Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts), and Anatole Falagan (General Manager, Long Beach Water).
The E2L program, founded by WELL and CAAWEF, continues to empower mid-level managers to drive change and shape the future of California’s water and energy sectors.
Sessions 4 and 5:
Over the past two months, the Educate 2 Lead (E2L) cohort continued their leadership journey through two virtual sessions focused on self-awareness. On Thursday, November 13, 2026, and Wednesday, December 17, 2026, Dr. Jeremy Hunter, Founding Director of the Executive Mind Leadership Institute, led participants through experience-based leadership sessions designed to strengthen the inner capacities leaders need to navigate complex, high-pressure environments. Grounded in the work of Peter Drucker and other leaders such as Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and Daniel Goleman, the sessions integrated mindfulness, emotional and social intelligence, and self-management into practical leadership action. Through reflection, applied practice, and real-world examples, participants deepened their ability to manage attention, regulate emotions, make wiser decisions, and lead change with clarity, resilience, and compassion—core capabilities for effective leadership in today’s evolving water and energy sectors.
Session 6:
The second cohort of Educate 2 Lead (E2L) continued their leadership journey with two days of professional development on January 22–23, 2025, at the Rancho Dominguez Adobe Museum in Rancho Dominguez, California.
On Thursday, January 22, 2026, Heather Dyer, General Manager, San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District, and Martha Tremblay, Assistant Chief Engineer/Assistant General Manager, Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, led a session on Building a Learning Culture, where participants explored strategies to cultivate a positive, growth-oriented organizational culture, attract and retain top talent, and create environments where individuals can thrive.
Participants then split into groups to discuss their capstone projects, designed to apply their leadership skills to create forward-looking solutions within their organizations, which will be presented to the cohort during the final session. The day concluded with participants uniting in the song This Little Light of Mine, a powerful Civil Rights Movement anthem symbolizing hope, unity, and justice.
The following day, Dr. Rebecca “Becky” Reichard, Professor at Claremont Graduate University and Director of LeAD Labs, and Stacie Takeguchi, Chief Assistant General Manager, Pasadena Water and Power, guided participants through individualized leadership development planning. Using pre-work from the LeADself assessment and personalized feedback reports, participants designed tailored plans to identify strengths and weaknesses, establish goals, create SMART action strategies, and reflect to refine and realign their development. Lorraine Aguilar, Chief Engagement Officer, Working Harmony, Inc., and Anatole Falagan, General Manager, Long Beach Utilities, led a communications session where participants practiced speaking effectively, listening with empathy, managing disagreements constructively, and leading inclusive meetings.
Session 7:
The second cohort of Educate 2 Lead (E2L) wrapped up their transformative leadership journey with two inspiring days of professional development on February 26-27, 2026, at the Los Angeles River Center and Gardens.
On Thursday, CA Speaker Emeritus Anthony Rendon and Academic Dean Alexia Salvatierra from Fuller Theological Seminary’s Centro Latino joined a powerful panel on ‘Leadership as a Beloved Community,’ moderated by Miguel Luna (Urban Semillas & WELL Boardmember). Drawing from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision of justice, equity, and interconnectedness leading to collective fulfillment, the discussion dove deep into fostering genuine happiness through compassionate, community-centered leadership.
Participants built on their LeAD assessment results from LeAD Labs – Claremont Graduate University, sharing personalized Leadership Development Plans with SMART strategies to hone one key skill.
The evening culminated in a joyful final dinner celebration with Shivaji Deshmukh, General Manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and E2L Faculty member, joining us.
Friday, February 27, brought an empowering panel on ‘Overcoming Adversity: Power, Politics, and Gender,’ featuring Heather Dyer (San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District), Liji Thomas (Metropolitan Water District of Southern California), Stacie Takeguchi (Pasadena Water and Power), and Danielle Blacet (California Municipal Utilities Association). Moderated by E2L Cohort 1 Alumni: Malika Jones (Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts) and James Cortes (Day One), the session explored ethical navigation of internal and external politics—leveraging positional, informational, expert, and referent power to build alliances, drive change, and create collaborative workplaces rooted in integrity and mutual respect. Attendees engaged actively with questions on sustaining effective leadership.
The day continued with insightful Career Pathways and Road Maps led by Stephan Tucker (Water Replenishment District), where faculty shared their own journeys. Participants then presented their capstone projects—focused on leadership application to develop forward-looking solutions for their organizations.
The program closed with a heartfelt graduation ceremony, featuring keynote speaker Janisse Quinones (Los Angeles Department of Water and Power), along with honored guests Susanna Aredondo (State Water Resources Control Board) and Adrian Hightower (Metropolitan Water District). We gave a special pozo (well) to Danielle Blacet for her incredible support throughout E2L.
These sessions reflect E2L’s commitment to empowering mid-level managers to strengthen leadership capacity, foster resilient teams, and drive meaningful change across California’s water and energy sectors.