Board of Directors
The US Water Alliance is fortunate to have a diverse board of directors to guide our strategic direction. We thank our board members for their contributions to securing a one water future.
Angela Glover Blackwell, President and Chief Executive Officer, started PolicyLink in 1999 and continues to drive its mission of advancing economic and social equity. Under Angela’s leadership, PolicyLink has become a leading voice in the movement to use public policy to improve access and opportunity for all low-income people and communities of color, particularly in the areas of health, housing, transportation, education, and infrastructure. Prior to founding PolicyLink, Angela served as senior vice president at the Rockefeller Foundation, where she oversaw the foundation’s domestic and cultural divisions. A lawyer by training, she gained national recognition as founder of the Oakland (CA) Urban Strategies Council, where she pioneered new approaches to neighborhood revitalization. From 1977 to 1987, Angela was a partner at Public Advocates, a nationally known public interest law firm. Angela earned a Bachelor’s degree from Howard University and a Law degree from the University of California, Berkeley.
Michael Carlin was appointed as the Deputy General Manager and Chief Operating Officer of the SFPUC in 2009. In that role Michael supervises the agency’s efforts in capital planning, emergency response, asset management, and other functions across the three business lines—water, power and wastewater. Prior to this position, Michael served as the Assistant General Manager for Water where he led the effort to diversify the water supply portfolio. He continues in that role leading many of the environmental initiatives including addressing the impact of climate change on the organization. He joined the SFPUC in 1996 as the Water Resources Planning Manager where he led the effort to develop comprehensive capital plans. That effort led to the establishment and execution of the Water System Improvement Program. Prior to joining the SFPUC, Michael worked for more than a decade at the San Francisco Regional Water Board where he was the Planning Chief. Michael is a native San Franciscan and continues to live in the city today.
Albert Cho is Xylem’s Vice President and General Manager, Advanced Infrastructure Analytics. Infrastructure Analytics at Xylem, a global water technology company with $4.7B in annual revenue. In this role, he is responsible for the company’s newest business, which focuses on intelligent infrastructure diagnostics and decision support services across water, wastewater and energy infrastructure. Previously, Albert led Xylem’s corporate and business strategy, mergers and acquisitions, strategic partnerships, market intelligence, and business development activities. Before Xylem, Albert worked as Senior Advisor to the Deputy Secretary at the State Department, where he was a White House Fellow and served on Secretary Clinton’s Policy Planning Staff. Previously, he was an executive at Cisco Systems, where he led innovation projects applying information technology to environmental challenges. He also worked at McKinsey & Company, where he helped found the Sustainability and Resources Practice and advised clients in the industrial, high tech and financial sectors. He served at the United Nations with Undersecretary General Jeffrey Sachs on a global plan for achieving the Millennium Development Goals. He received an M.SC in development economics and an M.B.A. with distinction from Oxford, and graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Harvard College.
Julius Ciaccia was appointed the Chief Executive Officer of the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District Chief Executive Officer in November 2007. In this role he oversees all aspects of managing one of the nation’s largest wastewater management utilities. Included in these responsibilities is the compliance with a $3 billion 25-year consent order for a long term control plan that significantly reduces combined sewer overflows, as well as the development and implementation of a new storm water management program. Julius began his career in public utilities in 1977 with the City of Cleveland. During the 25 years of service at Cleveland Water he oversaw the management of over $1 billion worth of capital improvement projects and maintained the agency’s favorable financial position.
Snehal Desai was named Evoqua’s Chief Growth Officer in January 2018, responsible for Evoqua Corporate Strategy, Corporate Development and M&A, RD&E, Strategic Marketing. Corporate and Marketing Communications, Cross-Selling, and the Company’s smart water efforts. Snehal previously was the global business director for Dow Water & Process Solutions where he was responsible for developing and implementing the growth strategy for the business and leading approximately 1,700 employees worldwide. Earlier in his career at Dow where he worked for more than 20 years across two periods, Desai held various positions in sales, marketing, business development, and technical service and development. Prior to Dow, Desai led commercial and business development for Segetis, a startup focused on developing novel bio-based chemicals, and was vice president and chief marketing officer of NatureWorks LLC, the first company to offer a family of commercially available low- carbon-footprint polymers.
Hank Habicht currently serves as Managing Partner of SAIL Capital Partners. Hank’s career has included leadership positions at the U.S. Department of Justice as Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Environment and Natural Resources Division, and at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as Chief Operating Officer. Hank has served as Senior Vice President in charge of acquisitions and other divisions of Safety-Kleen, a billion-dollar environmental service company. He has also held positions and started ventures in the for-profit environmental arena, including Vice President of William D. Ruckelshaus Associates, which co-managed the successful Environmental Venture Fund, one of the first successful green funds in the 1980s. As Co-Founder of Capital E, LLC, a strategic consultancy for emerging renewable energy products and technologies, he advised Fortune 100 and early stage ventures on sustainable growth strategies. Hank holds an A.B. with High Honors from Princeton University and a J.D. from the University of Virginia.
Mami Hara is the general manager of Seattle Public Utilities (SPU). Before coming to SPU, she served as the first deputy commissioner and chief of staff at Philadelphia Water. Mami holds degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard University and is an advisor to several environmental, philanthropic, planning and design advocacy organizations. She has taught at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Pennsylvania, and Temple University and was principal and owner of the renown planning and urban design firm Wallace Roberts + Todd. Hara is committed to advancing an equitable and sustainable Seattle and region through collaboration, strategic investment, and partnering with community, and seeks to expand this ethic throughout Seattle Public Utilities. Hara brings over three decades of experience in sustainable land and water management practices and advances them through cultivating leaders, partnerships, participation, planning, science/data-informed decisions and knowledge sharing.
George Hawkins serves as Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of DC Water. Under George’s leadership, DC Water is transforming into an innovative, customer-oriented enterprise. DC Water has been the recipient of almost every major award in the industry, including most recently, the 2016 US Water Prize for its resource recovery efforts. George has held executive positions in state and municipal government, environmental and community groups, US EPA, and private law practice. In addition to his work at DC Water, George serves on numerous boards and commissions, including serving as a Board member of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation since 2015. President Barack Obama appointed him to the National Infrastructure Advisory Council in August 2016. George graduated from Princeton University and Harvard Law School. He teaches Environmental Law and Policy at Princeton University.
Erik Meyers currently leads projects on climate adaptation and resiliency, provides leadership on urban and coastal water sustainability, and assists on The Conservation Fund’s mitigation program. Recent projects include pioneering coastal marsh climate adaptation efforts at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge; metropolitan-scale integrated water management; and a national nature-based coastal protection initiative led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Erik formerly chaired the Natural Capital Investment Fund, The Conservation Fund’s $26 million green lending subsidiary, and now co-chairs the Greater Baltimore Wilderness Coalition and Chesapeake Bay Program’s Climate Resiliency Work Group. Previously, he was Vice President and General Counsel for the Environmental Law Institute, initiating its corporate environmental management program, directing legal education and wetlands programs, and serving as chief legal officer. Erik also directed a national public health policy organization and staffed another. He holds a J.D. from Fordham University School of Law and B.S.F.S. from Georgetown University.
Andy Richardson is Chairman of the Board of Directors and the Chief Executive Officer of Greeley and Hansen, a leading global civil and environmental consulting engineering firm. Andy oversees all business operations and directs the implementation of the firm’s strategic plan, and leads the firm’s Executive Management Team. During his more than 38 years at Greeley and Hansen, Andy has been responsible for the coordination and delivery of various major water and wastewater programs and projects for clients across the country. These projects have included the upgrade of New York City’s 300-mgd Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, the City of Los Angeles’ LA-Glendale Water Reclamation Plant Expansion, and the City of Phoenix’ 80-mgd Lake Pleasant Water Treatment Plant. A registered professional engineer in several states and a Board Certified Environmental Engineer, Andy has Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Civil Engineering and an M.B.A in Finance.
Kevin Shafer became Executive Director at the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) in March 2002. Prior to this, he served as MMSD’s director of technical services since October 1998. In his current role as the executive director, he is responsible for the overall management, administration, leadership and direction for MMSD in meeting short- and long-term goals and objectives; coordinates the establishment of strategic goals and objectives and their approval by the Commission; oversees the development of policies and operating plans; and represents MMSD to its customers, bond rating agencies, and the public. Prior to joining the District, Kevin spent 10 years in private industry with an international engineering firm in Chicago and Milwaukee, and six years with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Fort Worth, Texas. Kevin received a bachelor’s degree in science and civil engineering with a specialty in water resources from the University of Illinois in 1982, and a Master’s in Science and Civil Engineering from the University of Texas in 1988.
Cindy Wallis-Lage is President of Black & Veatch’s water business, leading more than 2,600 professionals in over 100 offices worldwide. In this role, she is responsible for the company’s water-related business strategies, development and operations on a global basis, encompassing engineering, construction, consulting and design-build ventures that address the comprehensive needs of water and wastewater utilities. She also serves as a member of Black & Veatch’s Executive Committee and Board of Directors. Well known in the water industry for her expertise in water reuse and treatment, Cindy has been involved in more than 100 projects around the world in both the municipal and industrial sectors. Cindy earned her bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Kansas State University and her Master’s in Environmental Health Engineering from the University of Kansas. She currently serves on the engineering advisory council at Kansas State.
Roger Wolf is the Director of Environmental Programs and Services for the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) and Executive Director of Agriculture’s Clean Water Alliance (ACWA). Since 2000, Roger secured and oversaw investment of more than $20 million and currently maintains an operating budget of around $2 million annually. These programs support work and active engagement on thousands of farms across Iowa and the Upper Midwest farming region as well as coordinating with more than of 35 public and private collaborators annually. Roger is an active proponent of the One Water Management approach with the belief that leaders in agriculture and the water sector have significant opportunities to work together in new and innovative ways to reduce nutrient pollution as well as improve natural resource management in Iowa and within the Mississippi River Basin. Roger has more than 26 years of agricultural conservation resource management experience and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Geography from the University of Iowa. Roger and his wife Anne have four adult children and live near Cumming, Iowa.