Circular Water Economy Summit 2024 Speakers
The CWE Summit will use a variety of formats – including keynotes, principal speakers, facilitated panel discussions, and World Café roundtable discussions – to provide education, collaboration, and networking opportunities for attendees.
Speakers and sponsors will focus on their stories and the solutions they have found.
Featured Speakers
Rhys Roth, Executive Director of Center for Sustainable Infrastructure
Steve M. Worley, P.E., Public Works Director for the City of Vancouver
Robert Bornhofen, Ph.D., Innovation Leader for DC Water
Tom Birmingham Water Team Manager, Meta Platforms, San Francisco
Angela Fasnacht, Ph.D., Gerhard R. Andlinger Visiting Fellow, Princeton University
Gopi Sandhu, Vice President of Environmental Sustainability, Nestlé Purina PetCare
Matthew Jalbert, Trinity River Authority, Texas
Rep. Mike Chapman, Washington state Legislature
Elizabeth Fazio Hale, CEO/General Manager Gulf Coast Authority
Benedikte Borg Pedersen, Embassy of Denmark (in Washington)
Paul Bowen, GHD & Benerage Industry Environmental Roundtable
Tracy Ekola, Brown and Caldwell
Mark Nelson, Institute of Ecotechnics
Travis Numan, University of Nevada-Reno
Gigi Karmous-Edwards, BlueTech Research
Edmundo Ortega, Machine & Partners
Betsy Hickman, Anthesis Group
Barry Liner, The Water Council
Nidhi Menon, Imagine H2O
Lauren Greenlee, XPRIZE
Charles Werth, Department of Energy
Earl Jones, DCVC
Gregory Madden, H2O Innovation
Daniel Baker, Manulife Investment
Pradipta Parhi, JP Morgan
Kathleen Shaver, Alliance for Water Stewardship
Lucy Pugh, AECOM
Rhys Roth, Executive Director of Center for Sustainable Infrastructure
Rhys Roth is the executive director of the Center for Sustainable Infrastructure (CSI) in Olympia, Wash., which is helping to bring innovation, new tools, and sustainability excellence to infrastructure planning and investment in the Pacific Northwest. Rhys authored CSI’s influential inaugural report, Infrastructure Crisis, Sustainable Solutions, and the subsequent three reports in the 5 Big Goals for 2040; Rewiring the Northwest’s Energy Infrastructure, A Northwest Vision for 2040 Water Infrastructure, and From Waste Management to Clean Materials. Prior to founding CSI, Rhys co-founded and helped lead for over 15 years the non-profit group Climate Solutions.
CSI is a nonprofit organization based in the Pacific Northwest focused on catalyzing state-of-the-art sustainable infrastructure solutions that help communities of every kind thrive economically, socially, and environmentally. Through blueprint reports, value planning, and knowledge exchanges, CSI helps bridge the gap between sustainability and community and industry infrastructure needs.
Steve M. Worley, P.E., Public Works Director for the City of Vancouver
Steve has 37 years of experience in the public-works field, including civil, transportation, planning, design, and construction management. He is currently the public works director for the City of Vancouver.
Prior to his work with Vancouver, Steve was the public-works director for the city of Pasco for nearly six years, where he helped oversee one of the largest capital improvement programs in the city’s history. This included transportation, water, sewer, municipal and industrial wastewater-treatment plant improvements.
Prior to Pasco, Steve worked a short time with the city of Fife as their deputy public works director, where he managed several major transportation projects for this bustling city adjacent to the third-largest cargo gateway in the United States.
Steve also worked 14 years for the city of Spokane Valley as manager of the capital improvement program, overseeing the funding, design, and construction of capital projects including roads, bridges, parks and community buildings.
Steve also spent eight years with Spokane County in the Stormwater Utility, managing the study, design, and construction of regional stormwater facilities. Prior to moving to Spokane, Steve worked for a private engineering consultant in Monroe, WA and with the Corp of Engineers, Alaska District in Anchorage.
Steve has a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, and is a licensed professional engineer in Washington State.
Robert Bornhofen, Ph.D., Innovation Leader for DC Water
As the innovation leader for DC Water, Dr. Robert Bornhofen is tasked with formulating and executing a comprehensive strategy across the entire organization.
As an academic, he teaches innovation strategy at Cornell University. He also teaches the MBA capstone course at the University of Maryland.
His past industry experience includes such well-known companies as IBM, Citibank, and Delta Air Lines. He also holds two U.S. Patents for original and patentable technologies.
Experienced in leading change initiatives, Robert embraces the creative spirit that goes into innovation, where smart people come together to address key challenges, where great ideas get transformed into extraordinary outcomes.
His niche is helping organizational leaders formulate and execute strategy.
Tom Birmingham Water Team Manager, Meta Platforms, San Francisco
Tom Birmingham currently manages the Water Team at Meta Platforms in San Francisco. Tom is a professional engineer with more than 25 years of experience in the water and wastewater industry.
He graduated from Worcester Polytechnic Institute with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering. His experience includes 17 years as a consultant with Brown and Caldwell, where he served as a project manager for multiple master planning and infrastructure improvement projects.
From there, Tom spent five years with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, where he managed the new recycled water facility on Treasure Island.
Angela Fasnacht, Ph.D., Gerhard R. Andlinger Visiting Fellow, Princeton University
Dr. Angela Maria Fasnacht is a distinguished figure in the field of environmental engineering, recognized for her strategic leadership and profound commitment to sustainability and public health.
As a Gerhard R. Andlinger Visiting Fellow at Princeton University, she has made significant contributions to renewable energy research and the decarbonization of the water sector. Her work is particularly noted for addressing the pressing environmental challenges posed by contaminants such as PFAS.
Throughout her illustrious career, Dr. Fasnacht has held several key positions in major organizations. As Vice President for Technical Services at SUEZ, she led customer service initiatives, ensured regulatory compliance, and managed engineering and asset management on a system-wide scale. In her role as Vice President of Transformation at Veolia, she was instrumental in the successful merger with SUEZ, streamlining processes to enhance revenue and profitability.
Her innovative spirit was evident during her tenure as Principal Product Manager at American Water, where she focused on developing digital solutions for water quality monitoring. This role underscored her expertise in environmental compliance, a field in which she has provided leadership for Public Works Divisions, managed environmental programs, and facilitated crucial compliance initiatives.
In her current role with the Environmental Protection Agency's National Advisory Committee, Dr. Fasnacht lends her voice to strategic advisory on matters such as waste reduction, water management, and environmental justice, to name a few.
With an academic background that includes a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from Drexel University and an MPH in Global Environmental Health from Emory University, Dr. Fasnacht is also an active participant in technical committees and a board member of multiple associations where her influence extends to global water initiatives and collaborations between industry and academia.
Dr. Fasnacht is not only a dedicated professional but also a passionate advocate for workplace diversity and inclusion, pushing for a positive and efficient work environment through collaborative approaches and agile principles.
Her linguistic proficiency in both Spanish and English, coupled with numerous accolades such as the Water for People: Kenneth J. Miller Founder’s Award, and recognition as NAWC's Living Water Award recipient, further exemplify her exceptional contributions to the sector and communities worldwide.
In recognition of her transformative impact and her drive for excellence, Dr. Fasnacht continues to be a vital voice and leader at the forefront of environmental engineering and public health.
Gopi Sandhu, Vice President of Environmental Sustainability, Nestlé Purina PetCare
Gopi Sandhu is the vice president of Environmental Sustainability at Nestlé Purina PetCare (NPPC) at the company’s headquarters in St. Louis.
He began his career in environmental consulting, supporting a wide range of industrial clients, including aviation, petrochemical, energy and consumer products. In 1998, Gopi joined Purina as an environmental engineer. He spent the next 24 years working to promote sustainable manufacturing practices throughout Purina’s North American operations, enabling Purina’s factories to grow responsibly, follow environmental laws and achieve the Company’s sustainability targets for manufacturing. Gopi was promoted to his current role in 2022 and now reports to NPPC’s president and chief growth officer. In this capacity, he partners with top management and functional leaders across NPPC’s entire value chain to develop and drive the Company’s environmental sustainability priorities.
Gopi received his bachelor's degree in civil/environmental engineering from the University of Missouri in 1990, and is a member of the Water Environment Federation. His technical background includes water and effluent management, energy conservation, renewables, and carbon and water benefits accounting. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family, which includes his dog Milo, and enhancing biodiversity and water stewardship at home through native gardening.
Matthew Jalbert, Trinity River Authority of Texas
Matthew Jalbert has been with the Trinity River Authority (TRA) since January 2015.
In 2006, Matthew received his bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M University. In 2012, he received his master's degree in civil engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington.
He worked with three engineering firms prior to 2015. He worked in the position as the engineering manager at Trinity River Authority's (TRA’s) Central Regional Wastewater System. In April 2019, he moved into the Planning, Design and Construction Administration group for TRA, where he served as the manager, engineering services and managed their capital improvement program. In April 2022, he was appointed the executive manager, Northern Region, in which he oversees the operation and maintenance of five wastewater treatment and one water treatment facilities.
He holds his professional engineering license in the state of Texas as well as a TCEQ Class B Wastewater Operator license. He is actively involved with the Water Environment Association of Texas and served as its president from 2022-23. He currently serves as the WEAT immediate past president, and as a delegate to the Water Environment Federation. He was recently appointed to the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies Board of Directors.
Sally Brown, Ph.D., Research Professor, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington
Sally Brown is a research professor at the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences at the University of Washington. She has a bachelor’s degree from Williams College, and a master’s and doctorate in soil science from the University of Maryland.
Her research focuses on different aspects of the use of biosolids and composts, including risks associated with contaminants, in situ restoration of contaminated sites, carbon balance for different end use options, and integration of residuals use in green urban infrastructure.
She is a Fellow and former board member in the Soil Science Society of America, a former board member in the U.S. Compost Council, and was a two-term member of the National Academy of Science (NAS) Standing Committee on Soil Science. She also was a member of the NAS committee on the bioavailability of contaminants in soils and sediments.
She has co-edited two books on urban agriculture and was a member of the USDA Committee on Urban and Innovative agriculture. She has written a column for Biocycle Connect for close to 20 years.
Washington State Rep. Mike Chapman
Mike Chapman served for a decade as a local law-enforcement officer and U.S. Customs and Border Protection inspector. He then served four terms as a Clallam County commissioner.
He received his master’s degree from Duquesne University, his bachelor’s from Northwest College, and his associates of arts and sciences degree from Shoreline College.
Chapman currently chairs the Washington state House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, and also serves on the Transportation and the Consumer Protection & Business committees.
Morgan Welch previously worked at Bowery Farming as the senior manager of the agriculture systems development team. During his 4 years with the startup, he developed novel treatment methods for continuous reuse of irrigation water in hydroponics for large scale indoor growing and led an effort to categorize the companies water use efficiency metrics, which was later shared with the Resource Innovation Institute to help benchmark indoor agriculture. Before Bowery Farming, Morgan worked at the USDA - ARS as an agricultural engineer where he supported precision agriculture and water use efficiency through the use of in-situ soil moisture sensors and surface temperature fluctuations. For those that enjoy fishing, he also dabbled in aquaponics development for a few years after completing his M.S. in biological engineering at the University of Arkansas. Morgan currently resides on his farm in central Virginia with his wife, Jaime.
Elizabeth Fazio Hale (“Liz”) has worked at the Gulf Coast Authority (GCA) for more than five (5) years, serving as its Chief Executive Officer and General Manager for more than three (3) of those years. During her tenure with GCA, Liz has worked with her team to tackle Strategic Planning and Implementation as well as Major Master Planning for Infrastructure while continuing to treat approximately 50 MGD of wastewater for primarily industrial users at over five (5) GCA facilities across the State of Texas.
Prior to joining GCA, Liz served as the Executive Director/CEO for Riverbend Water Resources District in Northeast Texas and served as the Director for Natural Resources in the Texas House of Representatives under Chairman Allan Ritter. There, she played an instrumental leadership role in the development of the State Water Infrastructure Fund and Revenue Fund for Texas (SWIFT/SWIRFT). Liz also worked on the prioritization and enactment of numerous financial, legal, environmental, conservation, and special district policy measures during her tenure with the legislature from 2001 – 2015.
Elizabeth serves on the Board of Directors for the Texas Lyceum, National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), Texas Water Foundation, Texas Water Conservation Association (TWCA) Executive Committee, TWCA Risk Management Fund, Economic Alliance Houston Port Region, and Water Environment Association of Texas; and as Vice President of the Gulf Coast Industrial Development Authority, and Treasurer of the Texas Conservation Fund.
Elizabeth is a dual-degree graduate of the University of Texas at Austin with a B.A. in Government and a B.S. in Communications. She holds her J.D. and LL.M. in Taxation from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law.
Benedikte Borg Pedersen has served as Commercial Advisor as part of the Energy Team at the Embassy of Denmark in Washington, D.C since 2022.
Benedikte has a background in climate, environmental, and sustainability policy working at Denmark’s Permanent Representation to the European Union in Brussels.
In addition to strategically identifying and maturing project opportunities in the US and Canadian energy sectors, she is responsible for creating strong partnerships with key stakeholders in the private sector and authorities on behalf of Danish companies in her work within re-industrialization, which includes sector coupling, industrial symbiosis and energy clusters.
Benedikte’s educational background includes a Master’s degree in Political Science from University of Copenhagen and a Bachelor’s degree in Social Science from Roskilde University in Denmark.
Paul Bowen, GHD & Benerage Industry Environmental Roundtable
Paul Bowen retired in 2020 from The Coca-Cola Company where he served in various capacities. His 20-year plus career included roles in CCNA as a technical expert on water/wastewater treatments, a role as a Global Technical Lead in water/wastewater and a leadership role as Director of Sustainable Operations. His primary focus was on improving water efficiency, developing water reuse, and promoting compliance with corporate wastewater standards. His work helped reduce water use ratio of bottling operations by over 35%. In addition, over 80 facilities installed wastewater treatment plants to meet Company requirements. He served as a technical expert for developing water reuse with corporate quality standards.
His work at The Coca-Cola Co. on water efficiency led him to collaborate with other beverage companies. As a result of his efforts the Beverage Industry Environmental Roundtable (BIER) was founded in 2006. This group of over 15 global beverage companies focuses on sustainable practices in the water and climate space. Paul continues to provide leadership to BIER as the Chair Emeritus of the Steering Council.
Following his tenure at Coca-Cola, Paul joined GHD as a parti-time senior water consultant. In this role he provides technical leadership on the beverage industry and water reuse to GHD staff and clients. He also briefly worked for Cox Enterprises as a Senior Water Technology Expert. He provided technical support for Cox Enterprises companies on water treatment and reuse. Prior to joining The Coca-Cola Company, he was an assistant professor at the University of Oklahoma and a Vice-President/Senior Staff Consultant with Metcalf & Eddy, Inc. Paul served on the Water Environment Federation Board of Trustees and served as WEF President. He currently serves on academic advisory boards for the Environmental Engineering Department and School of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
Paul’s career spans more than 40 years with experience in academia, consulting, and industry. Paul earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Mercer University, and a master's and doctorate in environmental systems engineering from Clemson University.
Tracy Ekola is a member of the WEF Board of Trustees and a senior director and vice president for Brown & Caldwell, a water and environmental consulting firm. With more three decades of experience in the water sector, she has held executive leadership positions in municipal utilities and consulting engineering firms. Her expertise covers all aspects of water and wastewater treatment systems, from design to project delivery, operations management, and strategic planning. Ekola has worked extensively with industrial wastewater treatment and water reuse with industrial clients as well as in collaboration with municipal clients through their significant industrial user programs. Ekola graduated with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Minnesota, with a focus on water and the environment and completed Stanford Graduate School of Business Executive Education program. Working and growing up on a farm taught her the benefits of conservation, reuse, and regenerative practices to preserve our land and water. With a passion for systems thinking, Ekola is continuously collaborating to innovate and improve the implementation and operation of water systems with a focus on circular water economy.
Kathleen Shaver, Alliance for Water Stewardship
Kathleen is a recognized sustainability thought leader and passionate advocate for business as a force for social and environmental good. With more than thirty years of experience, Kathleen has driven sustainability strategies in several industries with a focus on transforming global supply chains. In 2023, Kathleen founded a consultancy that provides strategic advice to manufacturing firms, investors and industry associations aimed at strengthening the resiliency and social benefit of business operations.
Previous experience includes leadership roles at Apple, Cisco Systems, Mattel, and Honeywell where she has driven responsible supply chain design and operations to ensure safe working conditions and the resiliency of the communities in which factories operate.
Kathleen serves as Deputy Board Chair of the Alliance for Water Stewardship. She has previously represented the US business community as a member of the Global Reporting Initiative’s (GRI) Technical Advisory Committee and chaired the Board of Directors for the Responsible Business Alliance. Ms. Shaver earned her M.S. in environmental management from the University of Oklahoma School of Public Health and a B.A. from American University in Washington, DC.
