Staff
Sara Allen is the Membership and Development Associate at the US Water Alliance, a national nonprofit organization advancing policies and programs that build a sustainable water future for all. She has over six years of experience in fund development and grants management in the diverse settings of philanthropy, Bay Area affordable housing sector, and rural Rwanda. Prior to her work at family and community foundations, she served in the Peace Corps in Rwanda as a community health worker and as an AmeriCorps volunteer at Habitat for Humanity in Oakland, CA. She enjoys finding linkages between social justice, environmental conservation, and climate resilience. She holds a B.A. in Environmental Policy and Urban Planning from Western Washington University. She enjoys exploring and appreciating city parks, and drinking the Bay’s delicious tap water.
Scott Berry is the Director of Policy and Government Affairs for the US Water Alliance, a national nonprofit organization advancing policies and programs that build a sustainable water future for all. 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 nine years as their head lobbyist on water infrastructure and water policy issues and member services lead for water, sewer, power, telecommunications, 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 Advisor for the Value of Water Campaign and the US Water Alliance, a national nonprofit organization advancing policies and programs that build a sustainable water future for all. 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.
Prior to joining the Alliance, Katie was a Research Manager at the Water Research Foundation where she managed a large portfolio of research on integrated water management, workforce, and communication. Katie is a strong voice for effective communication about water’s value, and has written blogs, essays, and journal articles exploring how to inspire behavior changes that will lead to better management of, and investment in, our water systems. When she’s not thinking or talking about water, you might find Katie drawing, biking, fiddling, or baking.
Sarah Huckins is a Program Manager at the US Water Alliance, a national nonprofit organization advancing policies and programs that build a sustainable water future for all. She works on the Alliance’s policy portfolio as well as The Value of Water Campaign. Prior to joining the Alliance, Sarah served as Partnership Manager for Island Press. She also worked as Environmental Coordinator for Patagonia D.C. and spent time in Amman, Jordan working with EcoPeace Middle East to promote environmental stewardship and regional cooperation as a part of Patagonia’s Environmental Internship Program. Sarah holds a M.A. in Strategic Communication from American University’s School of Communication where she served as a research assistant at the Center for Media and Social Impact. Sarah is an avid consumer of pop culture and donuts, and enjoys biking around Washington, D.C.
Katy Lackey is a Senior Program Manager at the US Water Alliance, a national nonprofit organization advancing policies and programs that build a sustainable water future for all. 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.
Linda Le is the Senior Manager, Events and Operations at the US Water Alliance, a national nonprofit organization advancing policies and programs that build a sustainable water future for all. With over five years of experience in executive assistant positions to top-level executives and a track of strong performance in high-volume, high pressure environments. Linda successfully works closely with the CEO on many key organizational priorities, providing administrative, operational, and development support. Linda also manages the office of the CEO and special projects for the US Water Alliance. Prior to joining the US Water Alliance, Linda served as an Executive Assistant to the CEO and Founder of a local and state government relations and lobbying firm. When she’s not working. Linda enjoys spending time with family and friends, crafting and creating custom events and parties.
Karen Rodriguez is the Vice President for Finance & Operations at the US Water Alliance, a national nonprofit organization advancing policies and programs that build a sustainable water future for all. She has spent the last 20 years serving various nonprofit organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area in a similar capacity. Prior to joining the Alliance, Karen served as Controller for CollegeSpring, Director of Finance & Administration for Amazon Watch, and Chief Financial Officer for California Humanities. She enjoys helping intrepid nonprofit organizations create and maintain systems that enable them to more efficiently fulfill their missions. She holds a B.A. in International Relations from San Francisco State University, and avidly enjoys traveling and singing when she can.
Emily Simonson is the Director of Strategy at the US Water Alliance, a national nonprofit organization advancing policies and programs that build a sustainable water future for all. She is responsible for supporting the CEO on high-priority strategic initiatives, philanthropic engagement, and organizational positioning and planning. Emily also coordinates staff engaged on the Alliance’s Equitable Water Future portfolio. She was formerly responsible for coordinating and implementing the Value of Water Campaign, an initiative focused on building the public and political will to invest in water infrastructure.
Emily became passionate about the role water plays in social and environmental prosperity while working in Ghana for Global Brigades, a community development nonprofit. She was responsible for mobilizing students to build rainwater harvesters and deliver hygiene education workshops in rural communities without access to piped water and sanitation services. She graduated from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University with Master’s 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.
Yasmeen Smalley-Norman is the Communications Manager at the US Water Alliance, a national nonprofit organization advancing policies and programs that build a sustainable water future for all. Yasmeen brings over six years of experience leveraging communications strategies to advance solutions to environmental issues. Her background in communications includes a fellowship as a Fulbright Scholar in the Philippines, where she created 3D models of threatened coral species and co-wrote a coral identification book. Prior to joining the Alliance, Yasmeen served as the Marketing and Communications Manager at the Coral Reef Alliance, where she created communications materials and strategies and integrated them into multi-channel marketing campaigns. Yasmeen’s connection to water began with the murky water of Galveston Bay, where she fell in love with the ocean. She’s now training to be a scuba instructor, so she can connect others to water.
Gina serves as a Senior Fellow at the US Water Alliance, a national nonprofit organization advancing policies and programs that build a sustainable water future for all. Gina is an independent consultant in the water and environment sectors, with a 25-year career in the water industry. A former US Water Alliance Board member, she led water marketing, sales, and strategy at CH2M (now Jacobs) and now operates Lakeview Strategic Services, a certified woman-owned business in Chicago. She is a mindfulness meditation teacher-in-training and is passionate about reforming systems and policies to build racial equity. The primary author of the Alliance’s One Water for America Policy Framework, Gina was also a key contributor to the Michigan governor’s Water Advisory Task Force Final Report on the Flint water crisis in 2016. She has co-authored other water industry publications such as AWWA’s Avoiding Rate Shock: Making the Case for Water Rates.
