In the News

WELL UnTapped Water Workshop in Inland Empire: Rafael Trujillo, Councilmember, City of Rialto, and WELL UnTapped Fellowship Graduate, Class of 2023, hosted a successful water workshop at the San Bernardino Valley Water District in the Inland Empire. Over 40 local leaders were in attendance.

WELL UnTapped Fellowship 2023 Session 1 in the News: WELL Boardmember Cástulo Estrada, and Vice President, Coachella Valley Water District, interviewed by NBC Palm Springs about the Fellows visit to the Salton Sea. Mayor Anna Velazquez, City of Soledad, was also interviewed by KESQ about the importance of the Salton Sea. Councilmember Manny Acosta is spotlighted for visiting the Salton Sea with his cohort in The Mid Valley News.

Water Talk Podcast: Episode 43 of the Water Talk Podcast: Educating & Empowering Elected Officials, features a conversation with Leticia Gonzalez, Supervisor – District 4, County of Madera and UnTapped Graduate Class of 2022; and Victor Griego, President, and Founder, Water Education for Latino Leaders (WELL). In the episode, Supervisor Gonzalez and President Griego discuss the importance of representation in water governance, service through leadership, and the importance of water education for local Latino elected officials. Click here to listen to the full podcast.

WELL President & Founder, Victor Griego write a guest commentary for Cal Matters: In “Education is vital for California Latinos affected most by the water crisis,” President Griego stresses the importance of educating local leaders, especially those in Latino communities, on water solutions to protect vulnerable residents. “It is a fateful paradox that while keeping our food system functioning falls heaviest on the backs of Latino workers, they are most frequently plagued by water contamination and scarcity. Local Latino elected leaders need to be their voice by being properly informed since they are on the frontlines of passing and administering bond funding, infrastructure contracts, and raising public awareness.” Click here to read the full article.

WELL’s Central Valley Conference, April 2, 2022: Latino leaders address ongoing drought in the Central Valley in Selma, CA (KSEE). On Saturday, April 2, 2022 Latino leaders gathered for a conference about water policies, sustainability plans, and the drought. Click here to view the full news coverage.

WELL at Governor Brown’s Global Climate Action Summit September 2018: WELL is proud to have been involved in the design and planning of September 2018’s Water Pavilion, an affiliated event of Governor Brown’s Global Climate Action Summit. The Water Pavilion gathered tribal, government, business, civil society, scientific and community leaders working toward a resilient water future in the face of a changing climate. Read more.

WELL at United Nations COP23:  WELL at United Nations COP23, November 2017, Attendee Victor Griego said, “I attended the United Nations COP23 in Bonn, Germany, last week and learned a great deal about the ch

allenges facing our planet. I’ve had a chance to reflect on what I learned, and have come away feeling positive and hopeful about our earth’s future, despite ongoing climate change. That hope was sparked by the people I interacted with at the conference, who were there from all corners of the globe as well as from California.” Read more.

Brooklyn & Boyle, December 18, 2017:  Brooklyn & Boyle, December 18, 2017: Report from U.N. Climate Change Conference: Victor Griego said, “I am fortunate to be attending the 23rd Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC), or “COP23,” here. Since my arrival to this historic old-world, yet still very modern European city, I’ve learned a great deal.” Read more.

Impulso de Oaxaca, December 14, 2017:  Impulso de Oaxaca, December 14, 2017: Victor Griego dijo, “La semana pasada, yo participé en la Conferencia de la ONU sobre el cambio climático COP23 en Bonn, Alemania. Esta conferencia internacional reunió a gente de todas las regiones del mundo, entre ellos muchos delegados de nuestro gran estado de California. Regresé de esa experiencia con esperanza por el futuro de nuestro planeta.” Read more.

White House Water Summit, March 22, 2016:  The White House hosted a Water Summit to help raise awareness of water issues and potential solutions across the United States in an effort to accelerate ideas and actions that will build a sustainable and secure future for water through innovative science and technology. WELL Board Member Victor Griego was one of the featured speakers, discussing WELL’s efforts to educate Latino local elected officials about water policy. To watch Mr. Griego’s speech, click here. To read the press release on this event, click here.

Fox News Latino, March 19, 2015:   It may not be DC, but Villaraigosa is surely on the road to somewhere. “We need leaders that are willing to think big, that are willing to be as big as the crisis ahead,” Villaraigosa said at the Water Education for Latino Leaders conference, where he also met separately with local leaders.

The Desert Sun, March 6, 2015:  Villaraigosa: California water bond ‘wasn’t big enough.’ Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa called for Californians to “think bigger” about the state’s serious water challenges, saying the need to invest in water supplies will extend far beyond the $7.5 billion bond that voters passed four months ago.

The Reedley Exponent, April 9, 2014: Councilmembers attend water conference. Mayor Pro Tem Victor Lopez, City of Orange Cove, said, “All the speakers were highly educated and were very familiar with the water issue. There is a lot (of) concern throughout the state. A lot of people said they were ill-informed about the drought in California.”

Santa Paula Times, May 10, 2013:  Water solutions are all around us, according to Adan Ortega, Jr., water expert and keynote speaker, who said, “In essence, our real choice is whether to wait for a crisis to spur change or begin building a robust water system that can in fact be strengthened by any crisis that hits.”