Rebecca Andrus is a Professional Engineer with over 25 years of experience. She has worked for public agencies and private firms in California, Utah, Arizona, Virginia, and Colorado. Over the past 14 years, she has worked for municipalities providing infrastructure engineering, capital improvement planning, design, construction management, and asset management. Serving as the president of the Central Utah Branch of the American Public Works Association, she advocated for recognition of municipal infrastructure personnel as pre-first responders who are essential for emergency response. Rebecca started working for the City of Greeley in February 2023 and was recently promoted to be the Deputy Director of Water and Wastewater Operations for the City of Greeley where she has over 100 people on her team. Rebecca is an experienced and thoughtful leader, skilled civil engineer and committed to workforce development.

Dr. Gregg Canady is currently the Sr. Manager of STEM and Student Experience for DSST Public Schools in Denver. Current projects at DSST include CubeSat Teams working with multiple aerospace and science mentors. Before coming to DSST, Dr. Cannady was Director of Collaboration and Concept Development at the STEM School Highlands Ranch in Colorado. Global efforts can be seen in the nonprofit Dr. Cannady co-founded, called One Voice 4 Change. Dr. Cannady received a D.M.A. in Choral Conducting and Literature from the University of Colorado, a M.A. in Music Education from the University of Wyoming, and a B.A. in Music Education from Colorado State University. Choral ensembles under his direction have performed at several state and national conferences and have toured extensively in the United States, China, Italy and Germany.

Makenzie Chesak, P.E. (she/her) is a Water and Wastewater Engineer with Kimley-Horn. She graduated from Oklahoma State University with a B.S. in Civil Engineering in 2018 and began her career in water & wastewater in Dallas, TX. In March 2020, she relocated to the Colorado Springs area and has been working on projects throughout the State. Her project experience includes water storage facilities, pipeline design, hydraulic modeling, and system master planning. Makenzie is active in the water community and serves as the Chair of the Young Professionals Committee for the Rocky Mountain Section of American Water Works Association (AWWA) She can be reached by email at Makenzie.Chesak@kimey-horn.com.

Mary has worked for Aurora Water for seventeen years, initially in water quality compliance and then in water education and learning initiatives. Under Mary’s leadership, the Aurora Water Environmental Education & Outreach Team won the 2021 Project WET water educators of the year award. She has a BS in chemistry from Auburn University.

Leah is an undergraduate at MSU Denver, studying political science with a minor in water studies and history. Leah’s interest is in water policy, law, and practices with a focus on understanding and addressing the complexities of water for a sustainable future. Currently, Leah works as a TA for the Global Water Concerns course and tutors several courses on campus as well. Leah is also the treasurer for The Mock Trial and Environmental Science club. When not engaged in schoolwork or working, Leah is rock climbing, skiing or making art.

Jill is a seasoned higher education professional with a passion for serving her community.  She is dedicated to student success and positively contributing to the economic and workforce needs in the region.  With a keen eye for detail and a creative mindset she thrives in dynamic environments where she can collaborate with diverse teams to achieve impactful results. Jill joined CSU in 2017 as the Director for CSU at the Sturm Collaboration Campus in Castle Rock. Sturm is a unique partnership between the CSU System, Arapahoe Community College, and Douglas County School District whereby students can obtain a bachelor’s degree without having to leave Douglas County.  The educational environment is focused on pathways, work-based learning and building a local talent pipeline for employers. Outside of work Jill enjoys reading, exploring the outdoors with her family, and the Castle Rock community where she has lived for over 20 years.

As a Colorado Native, Evani Gomez has witnessed the change in flow of the Colorado River first-hand. Evani is a fifth-year student at Colorado Mesa University in the Environmental Science and Technology program focusing on restoration and minoring in Watershed Science. She strives to create a more sustainable future for the American Southwest with emphasis on the Colorado River and its supported communities. It is her belief that public education, involvement, and outreach are the facilitators to supporting healthier exploitation regimes.

Breanna González serves as the Supervisor of the Environmental Justice and Outreach Unit at CDPHE APCD, where she leverages her extensive background in public health, education, and conservation to foster meaningful connections and empowerment with diverse communities. As a member of the Metro Roundtable, Breanna advocates for equitable representation that mirrors Colorado’s diverse stakeholders. She is also an active participant in the Next 100 Colorado coalition, driving forward initiatives centered on water and public lands conservation and advocating for inclusive policies on their policy team.

TR is a Ph.D. student studying Forest Sciences at CSU. TR is currently working on a project supported by the Transformation Network (NSF-funded) to identify the impacts of laws and policies created under settler-colonialism and the contemporary implications for Indigenous water rights and management. TR is collaborating with professionals within his newly formed Indigenous advisory council to help guide his project and to gain a more in depth understanding of Indigenous worldview and ontology in terms of water and natural resources.

Dream Lang is a High School student at Littleton Public Schools and is advancing her education in water at the EPIC Campus. She is currently enrolled in EPIC’s Water/Wastewater Operator Training class and hopes to get her Class D license by the end of the semester in May!

Chris Madsen, a dedicated educator at Arvada West High School, brings over two decades of experience to teaching and mentoring students. Over the last seven years, he has played a pivotal role in allowing students to earn concurrent enrollment credits through Red Rocks Community College’s Water Quality Management program as part of his Water Quality Management CTE pathway. Collaborating with the Colorado Certified Water Professionals (CCWP), Chris has enabled pre-graduation students to qualify for Class D operator exams, broadening their professional horizons. Additionally, he developed the curriculum for the Colorado Trout Unlimited’s Trout in the Classroom program, effectively integrating academic study with practical environmental stewardship. His contributions reflect a deep commitment to enriching education with meaningful, real-world experiences.

Dr. Kaitlin Mattos is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Environment and Sustainability and the Interim Director of the Four Corners Water Center at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. She completed her B.A. in Environmental Studies at Washington University in St. Louis and her M.S. and Ph.D. at the University of Colorado Boulder. Dr. Mattos is an environmental scientist, engineer, and community engagement specialist with over a decade of experience working on the intersecting goals of environmental protection, human wellbeing, and community resilience. Her current research involves understanding interconnections between human and environmental systems, advocating for local waters, and designing and evaluating sustainable infrastructure and lifestyles.

Ruthie Redmond is a Senior Program Manager of Strategic Initiatives at the US Water Alliance, a national nonprofit organization advancing policies and programs that build a sustainable water future for all. As part of the One Water Hub, Ruthie helps innovative policies and practices develop and spread. Her passion for water stewardship stems from both learned and lived experience, as her family is from a rural central Texas town that has struggled to provide residents with clean drinking water for decades. Ruthie has a B.S. in Geography from Texas State University and over thirteen years of experience in environmental and water policy. 

Victor is the Chair of the Rocky Mountain Sector of the American Water Works Association (RMSAWWA) Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. Victor is also an engineer and the Inclusion and Diversity Champion for the Water Business at Stantec. He has experience designing water and wastewater treatment systems and is versed in water quality analysis and source water management. He is passionate for fostering effective team work through collaboration with diverse groups, abilities, and backgrounds. He has presented on the subjects of teamwork, diversity, and sustainability in local and national platforms. He is a native to Colorado and enjoys cooking across regional and world cuisines.

Karen Schlatter is the Associate Director of the Colorado Water Center at Colorado State University. She leads the development and implementation of the Center’s outreach and engagement strategy, including the Water Workforce Program. She specializes in stakeholder engagement, water education, watershed planning and management, and dialogue facilitation. Karen previously led landscape-scale restoration of the Colorado River Delta in Mexico for a decade, combining the hydro-ecological-social science of restoration with binational partnership building and local community engagement. More recently, she worked to improve water management in Florida through projects related to climate, water quality, agricultural management practices, and wildlife corridors. Karen has a BS in biology from McGill University and an MS in environmental studies from the University of Colorado Boulder. She served as an agricultural extension volunteer in the Peace Corps in Paraguay.

Since 2013, Nona has held many titles at the One World One Water Center from Manager to Co-Director. Before coming to the OWOW Center, Nona had worked on the statewide Colorado Water 2012 campaign with Water Education Colorado. Originally from Northern Virginia, Nona moved to Denver in 2011 as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer and loved the experience so much she decided to stay in Colorado and pursue further water education opportunities. She has a BA in Communications from Lynchburg College, an MA in Biological Sciences from Miami University, Ohio, and welcomes the opportunity to incorporate her degrees with her passion for raising the awareness of precious environmental resources and creating intersectional education opportunities for all people.

Claude is the Executive Director of Colorado Rural Water Association. He is responsible for personnel management, grant and contract administration, along with multiple other leadership roles. Prior to becoming the Executive Director of CRWA, Claude was the Deputy Executive Director. Before his employment with CRWA, Claude served on the Board of Directors from 2016 to 2021. While attending college for Business Management/Accounting, Claude began his career in the water and wastewater industries. He currently holds Class A Water and Class A Wastewater Treatment Operator’s Certifications along with Class 4 Distribution and Class 3 Collections Certifications. Claude has been certified in the water industry for 30 years.

Jessica Thrasher is the Water Equity Programs Leader at the Colorado Water Center at Colorado State University. She has a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Southern Methodist University and a master’s degree in Anthropology from Colorado State University. She creates and directs programs that promote a diverse water workforce representative of the communities served, equitable access to water resources and information, and develops resources supporting the advancement of equity in the water field. She is dedicated to fostering collaboration, innovation, and inclusion of diverse perspectives to build a sustainable water future for all.