Is California Ready for Climate Change?

Phoenix Armenta is the senior manager for climate equity and community engagement at the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC). They work on operationalizing equity and environmental justice across the agency and have specifically worked to integrate equity into BCDC’s permitting and planning processes. They previously worked with community-based organizations including the Mycelium Youth Network and the West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project, and they have been an equity advisor to several regional projects, including BayCAN, BCDC BayAdapt, and Resilient by Design. They hold a BA in anthropology from Howard University and an MA in energy and resources from UC Berkeley, with a specialty in environmental justice and social movement theory.

Alvar Escriva-Bou is an adjunct fellow with the PPIC Water Policy Center and an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of California, Davis. He was previously an assistant professor with University of California, Los Angeles. Before that, he was a senior fellow at the PPIC Water Policy Center, where his research explored integrated water, energy, and environmental resources management. While at PPIC, he examined the options and consequences of transitioning to groundwater sustainability in the San Joaquin Valley, analyzed California’s water accounting system, studied urban drought resilience, and investigated energy and climate policies related to water use, among other things. Previously, he worked as a civil engineer, managing and developing large infrastructure projects for local and regional governments and consulting firms in Spain. He holds a PhD and MS in water and environmental engineering and a BS in civil engineering from the Polytechnic University of Valencia in Spain, as well as an MS in agricultural and resource economics from the University of California, Davis.

Letitia Grenier is director of the PPIC Water Policy Center, where she is also a senior fellow. She previously directed the Resilient Landscapes Program of the San Francisco Estuary Institute, where she served as a resource for local and national media; advised government and agency staff; and worked with partners to conserve California’s living resources by developing landscape-scale, collaborative, science-based visions and solutions. She was also the 2020 PPIC CalTrout Ecosystem Fellow and an adjunct fellow with the PPIC Water Policy Center. Throughout her career, she has worked as a proponent and leader of science-based management. In 2019 and 2015, she served as the science lead for the State of the Estuary Report, and she was also the science lead for the 2015 update to the Baylands Ecosystem Habitat Goals, heading a team of over 200 environmental scientists, managers, and regulators to develop recommendations for restoring and maintaining the health of the Bay’s tidal wetlands in the face of rising sea levels and other stressors. She completed her PhD at University of California, Berkeley, where her research concentrated on the ecology of the Bay-Delta estuary system.

Ellen Hanak is a senior fellow with the PPIC Water Policy Center, where she holds the Ellen Hanak Chair in Water Policy. She was the center’s first director, as well as a vice president and senior fellow with the Public Policy Institute of California. Previously, she served as the institute’s research director. Under her leadership, the center became a critical source of information and guidance for natural resource management in California. She has authored dozens of reports, articles, and books on water policy, including Managing California’s Water. Her research is frequently profiled in the national media, and she participates in briefings, conferences, and interviews throughout the nation and around the world. Her other areas of expertise include climate change and infrastructure finance. Before joining PPIC, she held positions with the French agricultural research system, the President’s Council of Economic Advisers, and the World Bank. She holds a PhD in economics from the University of Maryland.

Jeffrey Mount is a senior fellow at the PPIC Water Policy Center. He is an emeritus professor of earth and planetary sciences and founding director of the Center for Watershed Sciences at the University of California, Davis. A geomorphologist who specializes in the study of rivers, streams, and wetlands, his research focuses on integrated water resource management, flood management, and improving aquatic ecosystem health. He has served on many state and federal boards and commissions that address water resource management issues in the West. He has published more than a hundred articles, books, and other publications, including the seminal book California Rivers and Streams (UC Press). He holds a PhD and MS in earth sciences from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Karla Nemeth is director of the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), where she oversees 4,000 employees. In March 2024, Nemeth was tasked by Governor Newsom to serve as advisor on the administration’s water priorities and to lead implementation of key water projects to achieve the Governor’s Water Supply Strategy, including modernizing California’s water conveyance infrastructure, executing Agreements to Support Healthy Rivers and Landscapes, and stabilizing Colorado River supplies. Nemeth focuses on preparing the department and state to adapt to more extreme weather as a result of climate change—investing in aging and green infrastructure, better management of groundwater supplies, and programs to improve local water resilience. Nemeth is committed to providing programs and services that meet the needs of California’s diverse population. Prior to joining DWR, Nemeth worked at the California Natural Resources Agency as Governor Brown’s deputy secretary and senior advisor for water policy. She was the Bay Delta Conservation Plan project manager from 2009 to 2014. She received a bachelor’s degree in political science and Latin American studies from the University of California, San Diego, and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Washington.

Willie Whittlesey is the general manager of the Yuba Water Agency. He oversees all aspects of the agency’s operations and management, including flood risk reduction, hydropower generation, energy sales, water rights, water supply, and more. Whittlesey is passionate about using his role at Yuba Water to help accelerate the pace and scale of forest management and is leading the agency’s efforts to protect the Yuba River watershed from catastrophic fire through innovative partnerships, programs, and projects. Prior to joining Yuba Water, Whittlesey spent 13 years with Pacific Gas & Electric and six years in private forest management. Whittlesey graduated from Humboldt State University with a bachelor’s degree in forestry and is a registered professional forester in California.