Staff

Scott Berry is the Director of Policy and Government Affairs for the US Water Alliance. He leads the Alliance's engagement on policy issues out of their Washington DC office. Previously, he was Director of the Utility Infrastructure Division, Environment, and Trade at the Associated General Contractors of America. There he spent 9 years as their head lobbyist on water infrastructure and water policy issues and member services lead for water, sewer, power, telecom, and underground construction. He has served on the Water Infrastructure Network, the Sustainable Water Infrastructure Coalition, the Common Ground Alliance, and the Waters Advocacy Coalition. 

Abigail Gardner serves as the Communications Director for the Value of Water Campaign and the US Water Alliance. She handles press requests and media relations on behalf of the Campaign and the Alliance.

For more than a decade, Abigail has worked with communications and media at the intersection of politics, campaigns, and advocacy. Prior to her work with Value of Water and the Alliance, Abigail was a Vice President at SKDKnickerbocker, where she served as a communications consultant for several political candidates, issue advocacy campaigns, and clients in need of crisis-management. During her time at SKDK, she developed a specialty in the transportation and infrastructure space.  She also served in the official office of Congressman Dan Maffei (D-NY) and Governor Eliot Spitzer and worked on several political campaigns before joining SKDKnickerbocker. Abigail is a graduate of the University of Virginia and a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a city famous for its three rivers.

Katy Lackey is a Program Manager at the US Water Alliance’s Oakland office. She works on initiatives for One Water leadership, equity in climate resilience, onsite non-potable water systems, and agriculture-municipal partnerships. Katy has seven years of experience leading research and programming in the water sector. Prior to joining the Alliance, Katy was a Research Manager for The Water Research Foundation. Her portfolio covered One Water, cross-sector collaboration, extreme events, green infrastructure, decentralized systems, and sustainable energy management. In DC, Katy also served on the Executive Board of the Women’s Aquatic Network (WAN) for four years. Katy holds a M.A. in Natural Resources and Sustainable Development from the United Nation’s University for Peace in Costa Rica, as well as an M.A. in International Affairs from American University’s School for International Service in Washington, DC. A Colorado-native, she loves hiking and is in constant awe of the interconnections and beauty of all our water resources.

Kip Peterson is the Vice President for Engagement at the US Water Alliance.  He has almost two decades of communications, government relations, and public policy experience at the local, state, and federal levels. Prior to joining the Alliance, Kip was the Communications Director for KC Water where he built a Communications Division responsible for the utility’s external and internal communications, media relations, digital presence, marketing and branding, and Voice of the Customer program. Prior to joining KC Water, Kip was the Director of Government Relations and Communications for the Kansas Board of Regents, the governing and coordinating board for the state’s public higher education system. He has also served as a Legislative Assistant to a Kansas Congressman in Washington, DC, handling transportation and infrastructure policy issues, and as a Chief of Staff to a Kansas Lieutenant Governor and as an Aide to a Kansas Governor. Kip earned a Bachelor’s in Political Science and History from Bethany College, a Master’s of Public Administration from the University of Kansas, and he completed Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government’s Senior Executives in State and Local Government program.

Zoë Roller is a Program Manager at the US Water Alliance. She is primarily focused on An Equitable Water Future, an initiative exploring the intersection of water management and disadvantaged communities.

Zoë’s background is in international development and city planning. She spent three years managing community development projects in Rio de Janeiro’s favelas, addressing issues that included food security, environmental justice, violence reduction, public health, and education. Zoë worked with the Centre for Urban and Regional Excellence as a USAID Global Development Fellow, creating a sustainable water management plan for a slum in Delhi. She holds a Master’s degree in City Planning from the University of California, Berkeley. When she is not thinking about water infrastructure, Zoë enjoys boxing and reading science fiction.

Emily Simonson is a Program Manager at the US Water Alliance. She is primarily responsible for coordinating and implementing the Value of Water Campaign, an initiative focused on building the public and political will to realize the many benefits and opportunities of investing in our nation's infrastructure while mitigating the incredible challenges all of us will face if we fail to act. Emily became passionate about the role water plays in our lives while working in Ghana for the community development nonprofit, Global Brigades. She was responsible for mobilizing hundreds of students to build rainwater harvesters and deliver hygiene education workshops in rural communities lacking access to piped water and sanitation services. She graduated from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University with Masters degrees in Public Administration and International Relations after a brief stint as an intern with the United Nations in Switzerland. Before coming to the US Water Alliance, Emily spent two years at EPA as an ORISE Fellow with the Urban Waters Program where she took on conference planning, strategic communications, and initiatives to increase government's ability to provide an integrated approach when working side by side with communities to restore their waterways and promote economic and social prosperity. Off the clock, Emily will use any excuse to get outside and especially likes frisbee, biking, paddling, and hiking with friends.