Annual Virtual Event

Deb Haaland served from 2021 to 2025 as the United States Secretary of the Interior. She was the first Native American Cabinet secretary in US history. Deb is a 35th-generation New Mexican, a member of the Pueblo of Laguna, a small businesswoman, a working mother, and a former congresswoman. Deb brings her personal experience as a military kid, a single mom, and a Pueblo woman to stand up for working families, Native and underserved communities, and to address the climate crisis. 

Dr. Newsha Ajami is an internationally recognized expert in sustainable water resource management, smart cities, water policy, and finance. Currently, she serves as the Chief Strategic Development Officer for Research in the Earth and Environmental Sciences Area (EESA) at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBL) where she spearheads interdisciplinary and impact-driven research initiatives at the nexus of water, energy, and climate. Over the years, she has led groundbreaking research using data science principles to study the human and policy dimensions of resilient urban water and hydrologic systems, particularly in the context of a changing climate.

Suzy Kummer, Group Category Manager, leads the Connected Leak Detection Category for Fortune Brands Innovation. She joined Fortune Brands and Moen in 2015 and is responsible for leading and growing the development of the smart water security platform across Moen and the rest of Fortune Brands. Prior to joining Fortune Brands Innovations, Suzy was at TTI Floorcare – where she spent time developing her love for product and category management working on various brands such as Hoover, Dirt Devil and Oreck vacuums.

Christoph Lohr, P.E., IAPMO’s Vice President of Technical Services and Research, provides industry leadership by participating in strategic initiatives and offering technical support to all IAPMO business units. With over a decade of experience in designing plumbing systems, Christoph is a results-oriented expert, especially in the field of balancing waterborne pathogen prevention and water sustainability. His focused approach aims to identify long-term, holistic solutions that positively impact public health and safety. Christoph, a distinguished graduate from the Virginia Military Institute with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, actively shapes the industry through speaking engagements and writing.

Katherine Jashinski manages the Onsite Water Reuse & Reclaimed Water Development Program for the City of Austin. Her team is responsible for implementing the City’s onsite water reuse and reclaimed water initiatives through ordinance development, plan review and permitting, and regulatory oversight. Katherine has a Master of Science in Environmental and Water Resources Engineering from University to Texas at Austin and has held various water reuse planning and regulatory roles at Austin Water for the past 14 years. She is a member of the National Blue Ribbon Commission for Onsite Non-potable Water Systems which was created to advance the best practices of onsite water reuse systems in the U.S.

Joaquin Murrieta-Saldivar, PhD, is the Cultural Ecologist Director at Watershed Management Group (WMG) since 2013. WMG is a local nonprofit organization that develops community-based solutions to ensure the long-term prosperity of people and health in the environment. Joaquin is responsible for managing a variety of community-based projects, with an emphasis on the interface of water, people, and culture. Specifically, Dr. Murrieta looks at the role of urban-built environments in the overall management and health of watersheds and communities. Primary responsibilities of the job include managing the schoolyard and Faith Based Organizations program, international and U.S.-Mexico border region, expanding and coordinating activities with Native cultures of the Sonoran Desert, and leading rain water management project implementation and strategies.

Mary Ann Dickinson is the Director of Land and Water Policy for the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, where she works on the better integration of land and water policy in the US and globally. Prior to joining the Lincoln Institute, she was the founder and President/CEO for 15 years of the Alliance for Water Efficiency, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the efficient and sustainable use of water in the United States and Canada. A graduate of the University of Connecticut with a degree in environmental planning and Master’s coursework in environmental management with over 50 years of professional experience in the water and land conservation fields, Mary Ann has served in numerous local, national, and international organizations. 

She is the past Chair of the Efficient Urban Water Management Specialist Group for the International Water Association, past Chair of the American Water Works Association National Water Conservation Division, past President of the California Irrigation Institute, past President of the Lake Arrowhead Community Services District, and past Treasurer of the Texas Water Foundation. She currently serves as Co-Chair of the Water and Planning Network at the American Planning Association, and as the Executive Director of the California Irrigation Institute.

Laura Allen is the co-founder of Greywater Action, where she educates about sustainable water solutions through trainings and online classes. She authored Greywater, Green Landscape and The Water-Wise Home: How to Capture, Conserve, and Reuse Water in Your Home and Landscape. Laura is a technical advisory committee member for the International Association of Mechanical and Plumbing Officials’ (IAPMO) Water Efficiency Standard (We-STAND).

Alisha is co-founder and CEO of RainStick Shower, a clean technology company committed to cutting residential water usage in half. Rainstick is a high-flow shower system of 3GPM that saves 80% water and 80% energy through point-of-use recirculation and real-time cleansing. Alisha holds an MSc in Climate Change and Development and a Bachelor in International Business, majoring in Sustainability. In 2020, she came first place in the Communitech's Fierce Founder's Competition and is also the recipient of the Caldwell Partner's Future CEO Award, Royals Roads Leadership Award, and the TD Sustainability Award. She has spent time working, studying and living in Kenya, China, The Netherlands, the United States and Canada, where she currently lives today.

Alisha is co-founder and CEO of RainStick Shower, a clean technology company committed to cutting residential water usage in half. Rainstick is a high-flow shower system of 3GPM that saves 80% water and 80% energy through point-of-use recirculation and real-time cleansing. Alisha holds an MSc in Climate Change and Development and a Bachelor in International Business, majoring in Sustainability. In 2020, she came first place in the Communitech's Fierce Founder's Competition and is also the recipient of the Caldwell Partner's Future CEO Award, Royals Roads Leadership Award, and the TD Sustainability Award. She has spent time working, studying and living in Kenya, China, The Netherlands, the United States and Canada, where she currently lives today.

Katherine Jashinski manages the Onsite Water Reuse & Reclaimed Water Development Program for the City of Austin. Her team is responsible for implementing the City’s onsite water reuse and reclaimed water initiatives through ordinance development, plan review and permitting, and regulatory oversight. Katherine has a Master of Science in Environmental and Water Resources Engineering from University to Texas at Austin and has held various water reuse planning and regulatory roles at Austin Water for the past 14 years. She is a member of the National Blue Ribbon Commission for Onsite Non-potable Water Systems which was created to advance the best practices of onsite water reuse systems in the U.S.