Meet our water stewardship intern

Greetings! My name is Louie Glotfelty. I am a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, currently working towards my Master of Urban Planning degree. My main areas of focus include human-scale urban design, land-use planning, multi-modal transportation networks, racial equity and most recently, water stewardship through UWM’s School of Freshwater Sciences.

I grew up in La Crosse, Wisconsin, in the heart of the Driftless Region—an area shaped by rivers, marshes and freshwater ecosystems. Some may call me a river rat for my love of spending time on the Mississippi River fishing, swimming and camping out on sandbars. Personally and professionally, I have long been passionate about sustainability, urban ecology and the human impact. My interest in the convergence of the built and natural environments has led me to seek out a career in sustainable development and urban ecological restoration.

This summer I have the honor to connect with The Water Council’s Water Stewardship Team under the guidance of Matt Howard. I will be assisting with the onboarding of WAVE — a program that provides companies with the internal capacity-building for accelerating their water stewardship efforts. WAVE is an evidence-based approach to advancing corporate water stewardship beyond traditional water management and recognized as a best practice in the industry.

I am thrilled for the opportunity to learn more about the positive impacts that water stewardship programs like WAVE can have on our cities, companies, the environment and, most importantly, the people. I’m so grateful to be part of this innovative team, and I look forward to bringing the skills and knowledge I develop back to UWM’s School of Architecture and Urban Planning to promote a more holistic approach to water stewardship within the department.

Thank you to The Water Council for this amazing opportunity!