What drew you to The Water Council?
AMY: It was actually a presentation that Rich Meeusen gave at Rotary sometime last fall that completely opened my eyes to what The Water Council is doing. In all honesty, I had thought of it as more or less another way to ‘brand’ Milwaukee. I was truly inspired when Rich spoke with such passion and vision about the long connection to water in Milwaukee, and about what the city could actually mean to the world with this incredibly unique synergy between companies, universities and entrepreneurs. Months later when a colleague forwarded the job posting my way, I knew I had to give it a closer look and I am very glad I did.
As a side note, after twenty years in arts management, the shift may seem a bit surprising on the surface of it. But considering that my first undergraduate degree was in Geological Sciences (from UW-Milwaukee, by the way), I feel as though my work life is coming full circle.
What are you most looking forward to working on at The Water Council?
AMY: The list is much too long and varied for me to choose one thing. Right now, I’m really enjoying the fact that I need to be ready for just about anything – new or expanding programs (Alliance for Water Stewardship, pilot projects, seminars, seed funding), new facilities (the future of Global Water Center II) and a new online water industry platform to name just a few. Figuring out how I can best support and contribute to each of these initiatives will keep me busy for quite some time.
What would you like to accomplish in your new role?
AMY: In the short term, the first key accomplishment will be putting the systems, policies and structures in place to be prepared for the kind of growth and new opportunities that The Water Council is primed to experience in the very near future. The Water Council already has a terrific team and my goal is to provide the support and resources to enable them to thrive and function at top efficiency and capacity.
In the longer run, I look forward to getting a grasp on the extremely varied elements that comprise the water industry and helping to support the development of new businesses and technologies critical to the future of freshwater globally. Ultimately, my overarching goal is to help The Water Council to always be ready to embrace the next important opportunity.