Contact: Tara Moran, President and CEO, California Water Data Consortium, tmoran@cawaterdata.org, 650-796-2546
The California Water Data Consortium (Consortium), a nonprofit organization that supports cross-sector collaboration to ensure high-quality, accessible water data for the benefit of everyone living and working in California, is pleased to welcome three new members to its Board of Directors. The new Board members include Ashley Boren with Sustainable Conservation, Kristine Johnson with the Kingfisher Foundation, and Mitra Rogers with Amazon Web Services. Each of these individuals and the organizations they represent bring a strong history of leadership and a unique perspective to data management, policy, and improved water and community outcomes in California and beyond.
“I am very excited to have these individuals joining the Consortium. As the organization transitions from its startup phase to an established nonprofit organization, having committed, innovative leadership that understands the critical nature of data and information in creating a resilient and equitable water future is imperative,” said David Orth, Board Chair and Founder of David Orth Consulting.
“To meet our rapidly changing climate, California needs more effective water governance. The California Water Data Consortium addresses this need by collectively improving and increasing access to high-quality, comprehensive data that informs water decision-making,” said Ashley Boren, CEO of Sustainable Conservation, a nonprofit advancing the collaborative stewardship of California’s land, air, and water for the benefit of both nature and people. “I am proud to support this vital element of a sustainable water future for our state.” Ashley has directed the strategy, growth, and operations of Sustainable Conservation since 1997. In 2007, she was awarded the James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award for her commitment to innovative environmental problem-solving in California. Prior to leading Sustainable Conservation, Ashley oversaw inventory management and retail merchandising at Smith & Hawken. She had previously worked at The Nature Conservancy’s International Division in program development and fundraising. Ashley serves on the Board of California Trout and on the University of California President’s Advisory Commission on Agriculture and Natural Resources.
“I am so pleased to be joining the California Water Data Consortium’s Board of Directors,” said Kristine Johnson, Founder and Executive Director of the Kingfisher Foundation in San Francisco, California. “The Consortium, in partnership with State agencies, is doing work essential to ensuring a resilient water future for everyone living and working in California. Kingfisher Foundation is proud to support this important work.” The Kingfisher Foundation strives to foster resiliency in marine fisheries and freshwater systems by supporting projects advancing leadership, capacity, and regulatory clarity for the management and use of environmental information enabled by modern technology tools. A long-time supporter of the Consortium, Kristine has served on the Board of the Environmental Defense Fund, the San Francisco Asian Art Museum, and the Advisory Board of Sustainable Conservation. Before transitioning to the nonprofit sector, Kristine worked for 18 years as a software product manager and advisor for early-stage software companies.
“My daily work at Amazon Web Services gives me a front row seat to data’s positive role in solving complex challenges,” said Mitra Rogers, Public Policy Manager at Amazon Web Services (AWS). “Having access to quality data is critical in creating a resilient and equitable water future and California Water Data Consortium is leading the way. Water resiliency is a crucial issue for our state, and I see a lot of opportunities for California Water Data Consortium to collaborate across sectors to support our state leaders. I’m grateful for the opportunity to join the Board of Directors and participate in this important work.” Mitra leads public policy efforts in California on behalf of Amazon’s cloud computing business. These efforts include supporting AWS’s efforts to build a sustainable business for its customers and communities, including its commitment to be water positive by 2030. Before joining Amazon, Mitra was Senior Manager of California Government and Community Relations for the Boeing Company.
“We are thrilled to have Ashley, Kristine, and Mitra joining the Consortium’s Board of Directors. They each bring such a unique and important perspective to improved water stewardship in California and the importance of data in improving those outcomes. We are excited to have their experience, expertise, and leadership as part of our team,” said Tara Moran, CEO of the Consortium.
The Consortium Board of Directors and staff wish to offer their profound thanks to founding Board members Debbie Franco, formerly with the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research and now at Water Solutions Network and Mike Myatt, formerly with the Water Foundation and now at Environmental Defense Fund for their tireless work in envisioning, standing up, and building the California Water Data Consortium. Similarly, the Consortium Board and staff extend a huge thank you to outgoing Board member, Rick Callender, CEO of Valley Water, for his leadership and innovation in the water data space.
“Rick, Debbie, and Mike have been instrumental in establishing the Consortium and enabling the exciting momentum for our first strategic partnerships. Their inspiring leadership and deeply collaborative approach will continue to have lasting impacts on the future of water data innovation,” said Meredith Lee, Board Vice-Chair and Chief Technical Advisor to the Associate Provost, UC Berkeley Computing, Data Science, and Society.
Learn more about the California Water Data Consortium, subscribe to our listserv, and view a complete list of the Consortium’s Board of Directors at https://cawaterdata.org.