AWWA Member Spotlight – Samantha Villegas, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Samantha Villegas recently joined the Office of Water at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Washington, D.C., as its first chief communication officer. She has more than 30 years of experience in strategic communications and public outreach, including 15 years focused on building public understanding and value for drinking water, wastewater and stormwater services. 
 

Education/certifications: Bachelor of Science, Biology, Pennsylvania State University; Master of Science, Environmental Policy, Johns Hopkins University. Accredited in Public Relations (APR), Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).

Professional summary: I consider myself a professional communicator who happens to specialize in environmental topics, not a scientist who happens to be a communicator. I have been deeply involved and connected in PRSA my whole career, which I credit with providing me with the formal training, skills, knowledge and network that have made me the communicator I am today. I have worked in a variety of environments, including PR agency, water/wastewater utility communications, consultancy, and now federal government. In addition to water, I have worked to build public support for recycling and energy efficiency. 

Current job duties: Radhika Fox, Office of Water (OW) Assistant Administrator, created this role to help provide creative and strategic thinking to how EPA communicates about water. As one of her senior advisors, I think about which audiences to get her in front of and different channels for her to speak through to bring more audiences into our water bubble. I hope to broaden and expand the OW’s reach and serve as a mentor and coach to its many dedicated and passionate communications professionals. 

How did you get involved in the water sector? In the late 1990s I was with a small agency doing community relations for clean-ups of U.S. Superfund and former military sites. We pitched our services to the local water utility, and it went so well that they hired me away from the agency to become their first communications manager. Over 10 years, I built this utility’s understanding and value for strategic communication and established its communications infrastructure. I have been in water ever since.

Why should water systems communicate with their customers and community partners? The viability of any person, city or town, and local environment depends on safe drinking water and clean surface and ground waters. I believe these are more essential for ensuring healthy people and thriving communities than virtually anything else. Water systems play a unique and critical role for us all that requires trust in the science, the approaches we take and the people performing the work. That trust can only be gained by developing deep relationships in the community, which are created and cultivated with communication.
 
Why is this becoming increasingly important? Top among many reasons is the politicization of science and fact. That, combined with the complete decentralization of the media, where anyone with a microphone or a keyboard can influence public opinion, has contributed to a more complicated and fraught communication environment. Artificial intelligence will complicate this further. 

On the flip side, water is at the center of so many community solutions. It improves public health, is an opportunity to build a more equitable community and empower people who have been disenfranchised for too long, offers opportunities to build resilience against climate change, and creates jobs. If we’re going to successfully seize this moment to make water the champion of our communities, we need to communicate a lot more.  

What communications advice do you have for water system leaders? Water system leaders need to prioritize communications and treat it as essential as engineering, finance and operations. This means setting aside the funds to hire professional communications strategists (APRs!) and giving them a front row seat at the table for every major conversation the water system’s leadership has. 

How have you benefited from your AWWA membership? The biggest benefit has been the exposure to so many people, ideas, solutions and lessons learned. None of us can do the work we do in a vacuum – not very well, at least. We are so much better and successful when we share and learn from each other, and AWWA provides a great space for that. 

Please describe your family and/or hobbies and interests: I have two amazing sons, Max, 19, and Leo, 16, who are the primary source of my drive and energy. I have an incredible life partner in my husband, Roger. As a family, we love to travel, explore different places and try different foods. I love to shop with them at funky, local places. We love to hike and bike together.