The Water Leadership Institute Class of 2026 includes 85 water professionals representing 26 states, Canada, and Germany. As the 15th class of the institute, this year’s graduates bring the Water Leadership Institute alumni network to approximately 760 professionals helping shape the future of water.
The Class of 2026 completed the program at WEFTEC 2026 in New Orleans and was recognized during a graduation ceremony on Sunday, September 27.
The Water Leadership Institute (WLI) educates and trains developing and emerging leaders while creating opportunities to build strong, lasting relationships across the water sector. Through a blended learning approach, participants engage in leadership development and management training, examine complex challenges facing the water and wastewater industries, and connect with practitioners from across the public and private sectors.
Leading the Shift to a Circular Water Economy
For their 2026 final projects, WLI participants explored the leadership challenges and opportunities involved in advancing a circular water economy.
Working in teams, participants examined real-world case studies to identify lessons in leadership, collaboration, trust, governance, and organizational change that can help move circular water initiatives forward.
Apply for the 2027 Water Leadership Institute
Applications for the 2027 Water Leadership Institute open November 16, 2026.
Lake Cohort
Gerges Abdou, Fairfax County
Albino Acosta
Jazzmin Awa, Brown and Caldwell
Chris Biggerstaff, Anne Arundel County DPW
Adam Bliss, City of Saco
Devon Burton, U.S. Pipe
Andrea Campbell, NewGen Strategies & Solutions
Vidal Cortes, Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts
Brian Craighead, City of Roseville
J. Wheeler Crook, Goodwyn Mills Cawood LLC
Rebecca Culhane, Water Environment Federation (WEF)
Dlynzee Damas, Massachusetts Water Resources Authority
Randy Ellis, JEA
Julianne Frabizio, Inland Empire Utilities Agency
Brittany Gibson, Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation
David Gorelick, The MITRE Corporation
Hui Guo, Veolia
Julie Heflin, McCarthy Building Companies
Markiesha House, Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission
Nicholas Jenness, City of Bend
Aaron Kirkland, Philadelphia Water Department
Nikita Kowal, Carollo Engineers
Anita Larbi, Centre for Water Resource Studies, Dalhousie University
Doug Larue, City of Saint Petersburg
Samantha Mariano, Auburn University
Monserrath Martinez, Fort Pierce Utilities Authority
Chad Maurer, North Charleston Sewer District
Chyanne Nader, Calvert County Government
Simon Newton, Bentley Systems
David Nicholson, City of Winter Haven
Mitch Olds, Milwaukee Metro Sewerage District
Anuja Patil, City of Kenosha
Jonathon Pearson, City of Belgrade Wastewater Dept
Brenda Ponton, Woodard & Curran, Inc.
Christian Ramirez, City of Palo Alto
Ariel Roy, Hyfi
Sydney Rubin, Burns & McDonnell
Samendra Sherchan, Morgan State University
Bret Smith, City of Boise
W. Hunter Stewart, Black & Veatch
Bijay Subedi, Prince William Water
Tiziana Venditto, WTinfrastructure
Caroline Williams, Sofar Ocean Technologies
River Cohort
Anna Abraham, Water Environment Federation (WEF)
Sarang Agarwal, Stantec Consulting
Gabriel Barnett, Hensel Phelps Construction Co.
Tyler Biese, NEW Water (GBMSD)
Moss Birri, Columbus Water & Power
Roy Bradley, City of Bend
Joseph Cook, City of Columbus DPU
Dan Dyer, Inland Empire Utilities Agency
Sydney Gard, Burns & McDonnell
Rachel Gaudoin, Monterey One Water
Jack Grennan, Alderwood Water & Wastewater District
Sussette Irizarry, Miami Dade Water and Sewer Department
Matthew Kallevant, Black & Veatch
Amanda Kinniburgh, Charlotte Water
Sally Koch, McCarthy Building Companies
Lynn Kohlhaas, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago
Joe Lapastora, Northern Moraine Wastewater Reclamation District
Boning Liu, Westchester County Department of Health
Lery Luksemburg, City of Roseville
Jasmina Markovski, Consor
Jonathan A. McCarthy, Plummer Associates, Inc.
Hanna Montavon, Mykolaiv Water Utility / Mykolaiv Water Hub
Caroline Nguyen, WSSC Water
Wajiha Noor, Eastern Municipal Water District
Nadezda Ojeda, AxNano
Timothy Onuh, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Jennifer Picarella, NC One Water
Nishedh Pokharel, University of District of Columbia / DC Water
Yolanda Presley, Great Lakes Water Authority
Hayat Raza, Continental Carbon Group, Inc.
Parisa Sarmadi, Carollo Engineers
Dallas Shattuck, Stantec
Jaleel Shujath, DC Water
Roxcee Stacker, BlueConduit
Rosalie Turner, City of Saco
Vishal Vaidyanathan, Jacobs
Simon Warren, City of Durham Department of Water Management
Dan Wcislo, Metro Water Recovery
Alexandra Webb, Optimatics – a SUEZ Company
Ethan Weikel, U.S. Geological Survey
Kyle Whedbee, Hampton Roads Sanitation District
Jennifer Whitaker, Trinity River Authority