Board of Directors
Chair
Scott C. Beightol
Partner, Michael Best & Friedrich LLP
Scott Beightol serves as outside general counsel to businesses, owners, and boards of directors to ensure legal compliance of their operations and initiatives. Beightol also represents businesses before federal and state courts and administrative agencies throughout the country in all areas of employment law and commercial law. His abilities and professionalism have been observed and recognized by clients, peers, and judges alike. He has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America for more than 10 years. Chambers USA has recognized Scott as a leading labor & employment lawyer since 2008, and he has been named one of the 100 Most Powerful Employment Lawyers by Human Resources Executive since 2011.
Vice Chair
Ken Bockhorst
Chairman, President & Chief Executive Officer, Badger Meter
Ken Bockhorst joined Badger Meter in October 2017 as chief operating officer and was promoted to president and chief executive officer January 1, 2019 and chairman of the board January 1, 2020. He has more than 20 years of experience in global operations management. Prior to joining Badger Meter, he served at Actuant Corporation for six years, most recently as executive vice president of the energy segment. His career also includes product management and operational leadership roles at IDEX Corporation and Eaton Corporation.
Treasurer
Steve Guy
Managing Director, Baird Global Investment Banking
Steve Guy is a managing director in Baird’s industrial investment banking practice and joined Baird in 2000. Over his career, Guy has advised on a variety of mergers and acquisitions and financings for public, private equity and family-owned businesses serving most sectors of the global economy, particularly the water and filtration industries. He serves on the board of trustees of the University School of Milwaukee and the board of directors of Deltrol Corporation.
Dr. Kimo Ah Yun
President, Marquette University
Dr. Kimo Ah Yun is Marquette University’s 25th president, elected in November 2024 after serving as dual acting president and provost. In 2016, he joined Marquette as dean of the Diederich College of Communication, and he was later named provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. Prior to joining Marquette, he was associate dean of the College of Arts and Letters, chair of the department of communications studies, director of the Center for Teaching and Learning, and a professor at California State University, Sacramento. A first-generation college student, President Ah Yun is committed to furthering the university’s mission of educational access and ensuring all students are successful from their first day to their first destination following graduation.
Svenja Ahlburg
Regional Chief Sales Officer Americas & Vice President Latin America
Svenja Ahlburg is the regional chief sales officer Americas of Wilo Group with over 10 years of experience in the pump industry as well as extensive knowledge in the restructuring and implementation of future-oriented business strategies. Previously, she worked as group director Latin America at Wilo based in Brazil. In 2019, as Wilo Group’s government and public affairs group director, Ahlburg established a reliable network to politics, NGOs and private companies in Eurasia, Middle East and Latin America.
Kirk Allen
President & CEO, Sloan Valve Company
Kirk Allen is the president and chief executive officer of Sloan Valve Company, a 115-year-old family-owned commercial plumbing products manufacturer in Franklin Park, Ill.
Steven Booth
Chairman & CEO, Robert W. Baird & Company, Inc.
Steve Booth is chairman, chief executive officer and a member of the board of directors of Baird Financial Group and affiliated entities including Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated. Steve joined Baird’s Investment Banking group in 1994, went on to lead its Industrial and Global M&A teams and, in 2004, became head of Investment Banking, a position he held until January 2014. He was named chief operating officer of Baird in early 2013, became president and COO in 2014, president and CEO in 2016, and chairman and CEO in 2021.
Scott Clawson
Chairman & CEO, Culligan International
Scott Clawson has served as chairman and CEO of Culligan International since 2012. Prior to joining Culligan, Clawson was president and CEO of GSI Group and CEO of Ryko Enterprises. Before that, Clawson held various roles at Danaher Corporation, ultimately as president of Gilbarco Veeder-Root, and he served in various management positions at Alcoa Corporation where he began his career. He is on the boards of KIK Custom Products and Danzer Group and is an advisor to Pritzker Private Capital.
Lafayette Crump
Commissioner of City Development, City of Milwaukee
Lafayette L. Crump, J.D., is commissioner of city development for the city of Milwaukee, a role he has held since July 2020. As commissioner, Crump leads a department charged with business attraction and retention, job and population growth, real estate disposition, commercial corridor development, ensuring sufficient affordable housing and more. Prior to his appointment, Crump served as deputy chief of staff and chief diversity, vendor engagement and opportunity officer for the Milwaukee 2020 Host Committee of the Democratic National Convention and has served as a private practice attorney.
Karen Dettmer
Director of Water Resources, Ramboll Water Americas
Karen Dettmer is director of water resources at Ramboll Water Americas bringing 25 years’ experience in water and environmental engineering, including 16 years in local and federal government. She leads the Water Resources Division in the Americas, manages key client accounts and advises on business development, focusing on sustainable and equitable water policy. Prior to Ramboll, Karen served as presidential-appointed managing director for infrastructure implementation at the U.S. EPA’s Office of Water, where she supported implementation of $50B in water infrastructure investment and advised on regulatory priorities. She spent 15 years of her career with the City of Milwaukee, including in executive leadership roles as commissioner of Public Works and superintendent of Milwaukee Water Works. She serves on the board of the University of Maryland’s Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, is director emeritus at Discovery World Science and Technology Museum, and is a licensed professional engineer in DC, MD, VA and WI.
Thomas Gibson
Chancellor, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Thomas Gibson has served as chancellor of UW-Milwaukee since July of 2025. Previously, he served as chancellor of UW-Stevens Point from 2021 to 2025 and as a professor in the School of Education. Prior to that, he served as vice president for student affairs and vice provost at Bowling Green State University, associate vice president for student affairs at Ball State University and associate dean of student development at York College. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from Eastern Connecticut State University, a master’s in education from the University of New Haven and a doctorate in educational leadership in higher education administration from Johnson & Wales University.
Elizabeth Koehler
Wisconsin State Director, The Nature Conservancy
Elizabeth Koehler serves as Wisconsin state director for The Nature Conservancy, a global organization working around the world to protect important land and water for nature and people. She joined the fundraising staff of the Conservancy in 2000 and most recently served as co-deputy state director. Working closely with volunteer leaders, donors and colleagues, Koehler has helped raise more than $90 million for conservation priorities in Wisconsin and around the world. Current work includes collaborating with farmers for clean water and soil health and investing in nature-based solutions to help address climate change.
John Matthews
Principal, Matthews Strategic Services, LLC
John Matthews is a leadership advisor and strategist who specializes in Environmental, Social and Governance platforms. Matthews works in both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. He was a global senior executive at Diversey Inc., following work at the Foley & Lardner law firm and in state government, where he was chief of staff to Gov. Tommy G. Thompson.
John Miller
Secretary & CEO, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation
John Miller started his career in public service in Washington, D.C., as a congressional staffer and later, deputy chief of staff, serving Wisconsin’s 4th Congressional District. Miller then attended the University of Wisconsin Law School, where he graduated with his degree in 2006. Following this, Miller joined Miller-St. Nazianz Inc., his family’s agricultural equipment manufacturing business, and was later named president and CEO of the company in 2008, becoming the fifth generation of his family to lead the business. In 2015, Miller founded Arenberg Holdings LLC., a venture capital fund in Milwaukee, which works to mentor and invest in early-stage companies in the Midwest.
Mark Mone
Chancellor Emeritus, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Mark Mone is chancellor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) and professor of management in UWM’s Lubar College of Business. During his 11-year tenure as chancellor (2014–2025), Mone led UWM through extraordinary transformation and achievement. Under his leadership, UWM earned national recognition for its research (R1) excellence, community engagement, and commitment to access, becoming the only Wisconsin institution with the prestigious Carnegie triple designation. Mone also co-led the creation of the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin, an initiative that connects the 13 UW institutions through shared curricula and research to solve the world’s water challenges.
Robert J. Pagano Jr.
President & CEO, Watts Water Technologies
Robert J. Pagano Jr. has served as chief executive officer, president and a director of Watts since May 2014 and previously as senior vice president of ITT Corporation. He is a certified public accountant and serves on the board of Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. Watts is a leading manufacturer of water quality solutions that address water safety, flow control, backflow prevention, drainage and more.
Marc Roehl
Executive Vice President, Ixom Watercare
Marc Roehl has nearly 30 years of water industry experience in providing water and wastewater treatment solutions for both municipal and industrial customers. Roehl leads Ixom’s Watercare business, which supports customers across North America and around the globe with intelligent water solutions for making water safe to drink, reuse and discharge. Prior to joining Ixom, he served as vice president and general manager for Evoqua leading its wastewater technologies division.
Karine Rougé
CEO Municipal Water Services, Veolia North America
Karine Rougé has been chief executive officer at Veolia North America’s Municipal Water division since 2022, providing water, wastewater and biosolids management services to almost 21 million people in 35 states. She also chaired NAWC (National Association of Water Companies) in 2024 and has been active as a representative of the industry as a whole, especially on issues involving workforce development, environmental resilience and adaptation. Rougé previously led strategic transformations for Suez in the digital, municipal and industrial water sectors and worked on acquisition and financing projects for the investment banking division of Goldman Sachs in London, Paris and Johannesburg.
Rachel Schneider
Vice President of Sustainability & EHS, Molson Coors Beverage Company
Rachel Schneider joined Molson Coors Beverage Company in 2022 as vice president of sustainability & EHS (environmental, health & safety). She leads the company’s global sustainability/ESG strategy and oversees environmental, health & safety for the Americas. Prior to joining Molson Coors, Schneider was at Harley-Davidson for 12 years, leading sustainability efforts and driving business and strategic planning. She made the switch to the corporate sustainability world after a 15-year legal career. She was an equity partner in the Environmental Law Group of Quarles & Brady LLP (Milwaukee office), specializing in environmental and other regulatory compliance matters, with an emphasis on remediation, transactions, and crisis management.
Kevin Shafer
Executive Director, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District
Kevin Shafer is the executive director of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, a regional government agency that provides water reclamation and flood management services for about 1.1 million people in 28 communities in the Greater Milwaukee Area, and is responsible for its overall administration, leadership, and direction. Shafer previously worked in private industry and for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He holds degrees in civil engineering and is a past president of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies.
Sanjiv Sinha, Ph.D.
CEO, CIS
Sanjiv Sinha, Ph.D., has been the chief executive officer at CIS since 2023 and is a well-known expert in resilient infrastructure. Since 2022, Dr. Sinha has been a member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Environmental Finance Advisory Board, which advises EPA’s administrator and senior leadership on reducing environmental and public health protection costs and boosting investments. He serves or has served on the Board of Directors for three for-profit companies: CIS, NSF International Holdings LLC, and ECT (led Board Governance Committee). He also holds or has held Board positions with three other nonprofits: Delta Institute (ended term in 2024 as Board Chair), Alliance of the Great Lakes (ended term in 2016 as Board Chair), and Michigan League of Conservation Voters (ended term in 2014).
Jim Stern
Executive Vice President, A.O. Smith Corporation
Jim Stern joined A.O. Smith Corporation as executive vice president, general counsel, and secretary on June 1, 2007. He is responsible for overseeing the corporation’s legal, governance, compliance, securities law, and government relations functions. Stern currently serves on the Board of Directors of Jason Industries, Inc. and currently serves on a number of charitable boards, including the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and Fleck Foundation. He also served as a board member of Polar Ware Company, a privately‐held manufacturer of restaurant wares and beverage dispensing machines from 2007 until its sale in 2012.
Emilio Tenuta
Senior Vice President & Chief Sustainability Officer, Ecolab
Emilio Tenuta’s more than 40 years at Ecolab includes more than 25 years of technical, marketing and business management experience in various industries including Food and Beverage, Pharmaceutical, Lodging, Healthcare, Primary Metals and Automotive. Since 2009, Tenuta has led the company’s strategic sustainability journey. He is focused on business growth and impact, corporate responsibility, environmental stewardship and advancing customer goals while delivering sustainable solutions the right way, without tradeoffs. He is actively involved in promoting global sustainability practices, with a significant emphasis on water stewardship and climate action.
Ifetayo Venner
U.S. Wastewater Treatment Practice Leader & Infrastructure Sustainability Leader, Arcadis
Ifetayo Venner has been responsible for the management, planning, modeling, design and startup of municipal wastewater treatment and reuse facilities throughout the United States. She has also engaged with teams in the water and transportation sectors to enhance infrastructure sustainability throughout the project lifecycle and to assess infrastructure project and program sustainability. She is immediate past president of the Water Environment Federation and an officer on the Board of Trustees and a member of the One Water Council for the U.S. Water Alliance.
Paul Jones
Board Member Emeritus
Paul Jones is the retired chairman, chief executive officer and president of A.O. Smith Corporation, (AOS-NYSE), a leading global supplier of water heaters and water treatment products for residential, commercial, and industrial applications with headquarters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The company, with annual revenues of $2.0 billion, employs approximately 11,400 people and has operations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, England, The Netherlands, China and India. Jones co-founded The Water Council and currently holds a seat on the board of Rexnord Corporation.
Rich Meeusen
Board Member Emeritus
Rich Meeusen is chairman of Badger Meter, Inc, a Milwaukee-based company that is a leading manufacturer and marketer of flow measurement solutions, with a primary focus on the water industry. Meeusen co-founded The Water Council in 2007 (formally incorporated in 2009) and is a pioneer of the water industry and has received many awards, most notably, the 2010 Business Leader of the Year award from the Harvard Business School Club of Wisconsin.
The Water Council Team
Karen Frost
Executive Director
Karen was named executive director of The Water Council in June 2025. Previously she served as vice president of economic development and innovation. In her 10 years with The Water Council, she has led the organization’s economic development efforts, global suite of innovation programming and international efforts that serve partners and companies in Europe and beyond. She is an experienced connector and strong relationship builder and collaborator with the water tech and startup community, global partners and funders.
Katie Kollhoff Mouat
Innovation Programs Director
Katie leads The Water Council’s innovation programming: BREW 2.0 Post-Accelerator, Tech Challenge and Pilot Program. She has more than 15 years of experience spanning advanced materials for clean water, entrepreneurship, and chemical process analysis and safety management for R&D and industrial clients. She previously developed and led NUMiX Materials, a startup dedicated to removing heavy metal pollution from water through advanced sorbent materials. She was selected as a Department of Energy Fellow in the Chain Reaction Innovations lab-embedded entrepreneurship program at Argonne National Lab. In addition to clean water and hard tech entrepreneurship, Katie is interested in sustainability topics including regenerative agriculture, carbon accounting and the circular economy.
Stacy Vogel Davis
Communications Director
Stacy’s role is to communicate the work of The Water Council to members, stakeholders and the public through email, social media, blogs, public relations and more. She started her career in journalism, including several years as a reporter and editor for the Milwaukee Business Journal. Most recently she spent six years at the Zoological Society of Milwaukee, the nonprofit partner of the Milwaukee County Zoo. She has a degree in journalism with a minor in Spanish from Northwestern University.
Marcos d’Avila Bensoussan
Latin America Representative
Based in São Paulo, Brazil, Marcos serves as the primary point of contact for current and prospective participants of The Water Council’s WAVE programs across Latin America, working fluently in both Portuguese and Spanish. A chemical engineer, Marcos began his career at Nalco, now part of Ecolab. He later founded SETRI, a sustainability consulting firm specializing in the development and implementation of Water Safety Plans for buildings and industrial facilities. He is an expert on Legionella and environmental, social and governance processes. He actively participates in technical committees involved in the development of standards and regulations throughout the region, is a member of the International Water Association (IWA), and serves on the WELL Water Advisory.
Joe Ferrara
Senior Consultant, WAVE Europe
Joe represents The Water Council’s water stewardship services, particularly WAVE: Water Stewardship Verified, to companies based in Europe. He is a senior business development executive with extensive experience driving business growth and profitability in global markets. Joe began his career at InSinkErator U.S. and spearheaded the company’s decision to explore sales growth outside North America. He successfully established a distribution network across Europe and led the company’s European HQ in the United Kingdom. After leaving InSinkErator, Joe joined the senior management team at Zerica Srl, an Italian manufacturer of beverage appliances. Joe received his MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Arizona and holds a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics from the University of Arizona.