Thursday, June 5
1:00pm to 4:00pm MT
Location: The Roundhouse, Room TBD
Funding for anything environmental has all but been stripped away at the federal level. The ramifications are about to be felt at the state and local level. How will water infrastructure projects continue?
The panel will share information on what funding and technical assistance resources still exist, and answer your questions regarding how to access the money and ensure your water system (drinking water, wastewater, stormwater) can meet public and environmental health regulations and provide reliable, sustainable service to your customers.
Panelists will include:
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Wendy M. Blackwell Wendy Blackwell has over 30 years of professional experience in land use planning, floodplain management, and public outreach. With SWCA Environmental Consultants since April 2022, she has focused on expanding climate and resilience planning efforts for clients and partners. Examples include hazard mitigation plans, integrated water resource management plans, Hub Site development, and grant application assistance. Wendy was the Facilitation and Outreach Lead for the New Mexico Integrated Water Financing Plan; the effort involved synthesizing federal funding opportunities and developing creative financing approaches that reflected the goals, strategies, opportunities, and implementation barriers identified through a collaborative facilitated process. Prior to joining SWCA, Wendy served as the New Mexico State Hazard Mitigation Officer and then Preparedness Bureau Chief with the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (NM DHSEM), providing technical assistance and oversight to help achieve natural hazard mitigation goals of state, local, and tribal partners. She has extensive program management experience including Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Assistance grant application development, sub-grant oversight, grant management, regulatory compliance, budgeting, contract management, and staff supervision. In particular, she has assisted state agencies and local communities with successful FEMA mitigation subgrant application development. |
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Eric Christensen Eric serves as a Project Manager for Adelante Consulting, a New Mexican environmental consulting company. He manages the New Mexico C-PACE program, on behalf of the state's Economic Development Department. Before joining Adelante, Eric worked in both the public and non-profit sector in Canada for 10 years. |
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Heather Himmelberger Heather Himmelberger is the Director of the Southwest Environmental Finance Center, a position she has held for the past 27 years. She has worked with water and wastewater utilities of all sizes, on a variety of issues, including, but not limited to: capacity development, asset management, water loss control, rate setting, regionalization/partnering, access to funding, infrastructure development, and regulatory compliance. She is a registered professional engineer with a BS in Environmental Engineering from Penn State University and an MS in Environmental Engineering from Johns Hopkins University. |
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Glenn Schiffbauer, Chair Glenn Schiffbauer, a native New Mexican, received his BBA from New Mexico State University and his MBA from the Robert O. Anderson School of Management at the University of New Mexico. In 2005, he was hired as liaison and project manager for Robert Redford in New Mexico working on a variety of projects in film, government and sustainable construction. In October of 2012, he became the Executive Director for the newly founded Santa Fe Green Chamber of Commerce (SFGCC). The Green Chamber has grown to 180 business members. Mr. Schiffbauer has co-chaired the organization to co-host the Next Generation Water Summit for 7 years, a conference dedicated to water conservation that attracts speakers and attendees from around the world. Arising from that conference came a partnership between the SFGCC and the City of Santa Fe to develop and institute the country’s only Restaurant Water Conservation Program, that expanded to other businesses in 2023. Mr. Schiffbauer was also appointed to the NM Economic Department Sustainable Economic Advisory Council. |
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Hank Habicht Hank Habicht oversees all activities of WFX, including partnership-building, developing the investment pipeline, and establishing the governance and investment process. Mr. Habicht also serves as a Principal at Global Water 2020 and as Managing Director of the U.S. Water Partnership. His 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. EPA as Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Habicht has served as Managing Partner of SAIL Capital Partners and Senior Vice President in charge of acquisitions and other divisions of Safety-Kleen. He is also served on numerous Boards, including as Chair of the Board of WaterHealth International. He serves on the Board of the U.S. Water Alliance and the U.S. Water Partnership, as head of Strategy for SunToWater, LLC, and serves on the Advisory Boards of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. |
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Rebecca Roose Rebecca Roose (she/her) has over 18 years of experience in water policy and infrastructure and currently provides consulting services to the Thornburg Foundation on water policy initiatives. In 2022, Rebecca served on the Executive Committee of the New Mexico Water Policy and Infrastructure Task Force. As Deputy Cabinet Secretary of Program Administration at the New Mexico Environment Department (2021-2022), Rebecca guided key policy and regulatory priorities, including state and federal public health and environmental initiatives, and served as the Department’s lead on infrastructure investments. Previously, Rebecca served two years as the Department’s Water Protection Division Director, where she led surface and groundwater quality, drinking water protection, and wastewater infrastructure finance programs for the State. Prior to joining NMED, Rebecca worked for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for over 13 years. At EPA Headquarters, she devoted 11 years to supporting EPA, states, and Tribes with implementation of the Clean Water Act and other federal programs. During her last two years at EPA, she served as Senior Advisor for Tribal Capacity Development in the American Indian Environmental Office. Rebecca earned her law degree and natural resources law certificate from the University of New Mexico and her bachelor’s degree in Geography from Valparaiso University. |
WERS Multifamily Course
Tuesday, June 3 – Wednesday, June 4
10:00am to 4:00pm MT – Tuesday – Classroom Session
Santa Fe Area Homebuilders Association office
2520 Camino Entrada, Santa Fe, NM 87507
3:00pm to 6:00pm MT – Wednesday – Field Training
Location: TBD
Open to existing water auditors and WERS Verifiers, this course is ideal for those who would like to conduct WERS verifications on multifamily projects, or assist in the decision-making process alongside builders, developers and architects.
This training is FREE with a paid, on-site Summit registration and is offered in conjunction with Triconic, the NGWS’ Education Partner.
Please note that transportation will be needed to both sites. Lunch is provided on Tuesday. For more information on this class, please click here.
Thursday, June 5
5:30 to 7:30 pm MT
Annual Reception
Governor’s Mansion, 1 Mansion Dr., Santa Fe, NM 87501
Summit registrants are welcome, but you must RSVP via the event registration form in order to enter. Hors d’oeuvres will be served. The NGWS Organizing Committee will present the 2025 water conservation awards.
All Tours Will Take Place on Saturday, June 7
9:00am to 11:00am MT
The New Waterwise Garden Tour
Water Conservation Office
801 W. San Mateo Rd. (next to sidewalk in front of Public Utilities Building) in Santa Fe
Join us for The New Waterwise Garden Tour, launching at 801 W San Mateo (next to the sidewalk in front of the Public Utilities building). This self-guided tour highlights a series of native plant and pollinator-friendly gardens, with staff and community partners on-site to answer questions and share expertise. Giveaways include shut-off nozzles, native seeds, and planting guides to help implement water-wise practices at home.
For more information on the City’s efforts, visit www.savewatersantafe.com
11:30am to 1:00pm MT
Drip Irrigation Workshop
The Firebird
1808 Espinacitas St., Santa Fe, NM 87505
Firebird Santa Fe will host a Drip Irrigation Workshop, led by Firebird’s expert staff. Participants will learn how to install and maintain DIY drip irrigation systems—an essential technique for efficient outdoor watering in Santa Fe’s arid climate. Attendees will receive a free drip irrigation guide to support continued success in their gardens.
2:00pm to 3:00pm MT
Plant and Tree Selection Workshop
Plants of the Southwest
3095 Agua Fria St., Santa Fe, NM 87507
The Plant & Tree Selection Workshop at Plants of the Southwest will wrap up the day. This session will explore how to choose the right trees and plants for Santa Fe’s changing climate, with giveaways including a Tree Selection Guide and a Native Plant Guide. Attendees will also receive 10% off for participating in the workshop.
In addition to various giveaways, event participants will be entered to win a rain barrel. For each stop they make on Saturday, June 7, participants will receive a raffle ticket, increasing their chances of winning the rain barrel.