As I come to the close of my two-year term as President...
President's Message | November 2025
Dear AWRA Members,
As I come to the close of my two-year term as President of the AWRA Board of Directors, my primary feeling is one of gratitude. My term has been characterized by internal and external transitions. With each change, the organization moved forward, even in the face of challenges. Thanks to the strength of our connections across this association, our wonderful Board of Directors, and dedicated staff, we have grown stronger in uncertain times, and I am confident that we will continue to thrive.
For over 60 years, AWRA has been a community that recognizes the value of having many perspectives around the table. In these two years, we have achieved much in terms of advancing diverse viewpoints within our membership and leadership. A few years ago, we made a commitment to increase diversity across our association, and the results of our efforts cannot be understated. In terms of race, gender, age, and discipline, we have never been more diverse. As the first woman of color President of the AWRA Board, as well as the first economist, I am living example of how far this great association has come. We have reduced barriers to students and young professionals joining the association and accessing its programming, and young people have joined the committees and Board to represent their cohort’s interests. We have also worked hard to make our internal systems and policies more inclusive and transparent.
AWRA has state sections in 22 states; members in all 50 plus DC, Guam, Puerto Rico, and at least 14 foreign countries; and student chapters at 25 universities. Our reach is vast, and by bringing together so many distinct experiences, we challenge and enrich ourselves in ways that ensure our solutions will last. I am exceedingly proud of these efforts to help make water resources a field that comes closer to representing the breadth of human experience and expertise. My sincere thanks to our Board members past and present, our state section and student chapter leaders, and all of our members, whether you joined in the last year, have rejoined after a hiatus, or come back year after year.
AWRA has distinguished itself as the preeminent association for water resources professionals. We have members representing 60 disciplines (and counting!). The knowledge held within our network deserves to be captured and shared. Thankfully, we have two esteemed publications that support that work: the Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) and Water Resources IMPACT. These publications have been a part of this organization since the year after its founding and are an essential part of our educational work. Thank you to our Editor-in-Chief, Momcilo Markus, for continuing to champion the academic breadth and rigor of JAWRA with the support and dedication of our Associate Editors. And a special thanks to Lisa Beutler and Krysia Wazny McClain for working closely with the late Michael Campana to edit and produce IMPACT for so many years.
To further celebrate, preserve, and record the work of AWRA, I am pleased to announce the establishment of a new committee: the AWRA History and Archive Committee. This group will join our impressive roster of technical, conference planning, and administrative committees, who collectively do so much to make our gatherings fruitful. Thank you to all our committee leaders and members. We truly can’t do this work without you.
I am also excited to announce the creation of the AWRA Presidents’ College, which I will lead, as a body to convene, honor, and celebrate our past presidents. I am grateful to all of the presidents who came before me and whose work I have inherited. The Presidents’ College presents an opportunity for all of us to acknowledge their service and legacy.
As I mentioned, AWRA experienced a number of transitions during my term. When AWRA needed her the most, Ariel Wise didn’t hesitate to take on the responsibility of serving as Interim CEO early in my first year as President, and I can hardly express how grateful I am to her for her commitment to this organization and its mission. Thank you, Ariel – I appreciate our partnership over the last two years. And we could not have done that without the strong and untiring support of Tiffany Park, our member services manager, who kept our day-to-day operations and communications running smoothly, and the dedication of our marketing consultant, Megan Balkovic, who made sure our marketing efforts never fell short. We are now in the final days of selecting our new CEO, and we look forward to sharing that news with everyone soon.
Though I will soon leave you as AWRA President, I look forward to continuing to serve on the Board as Past-President, on committees, and in my new role as convener of the Presidents’ College. I am thrilled to welcome Juni Alam, our President-Elect, to her role leading AWRA as President. She is not only a highly capable leader and professional, but also a wonderful human being. During my term, AWRA implemented the new Bylaws and Strategic Plan and paved the way, through these many transitions, to a new era. I can’t wait to see how AWRA grows under Juni’s direction. We are sad to say good-bye to three Board members; Greg Guthrie, Jason Doll, and Past-President Jason Zhang. Please join me in thanking them for their service and we are sure they will continue to stay involved with AWRA. We also have two new Board members, Jenna Mandell-Rice and Wuhuan Zhang, who will bring fresh perspective to our approach.
Though we find ourselves in increasingly uncertain times, I feel confident that the mission and purpose of this organization remain as important as ever. AWRA is standing behind and supporting our community members who have been impacted by recent policies at the federal level. Thank you again to everyone who has made my time as President so productive and meaningful. I can’t wait to see many of you at our conferences and events for years to come.
Thank you for trusting me to lead AWRA! It has indeed been an honor serving you.
2025 Board of Directors 2026 Board of Directors
With warm regards,
Rabia Ahmed
President, AWRA
