AI, Data, Data Centers: Strategies and Opportunities for the Water Sector

Radhika Fox is a seasoned leader with more than two decades of experience shaping transformative solutions in sustainability, infrastructure, water, equity, and economic policy. Known for translating ambitious ideas into real-world results, she combines strategic insight, policy acumen, operational expertise, and coalition-building skills to tackle the most urgent and complex challenges facing our communities and our planet.

As Principal of North Star Strategy, Radhika advises CEOs, executive leadership teams, and mission-driven organizations across the private, nonprofit, and philanthropic sectors, helping them navigate a fast-changing landscape while driving progress on the world’s most pressing priorities. By combining innovation and equity-focused solutions, she shapes strategies that turn bold visions into practical action and lasting progress. Key affiliations include Xylem (XYL), PolicyLink, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and Isquared Capital.

Radhika’s expertise is drawn from a career in policy and public service. From 2021-2024, Radhika served as the Assistant Administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Water, appointed by the President and confirmed with robust bipartisan support. In this role, she was the chief advisor to the EPA Administrator and the White House on water resources and infrastructure, managing a $4.8 billion annual operating budget and 1,900 staff nationwide. She led the agency’s water policy and regulatory agenda, directing initiatives focused on climate change, sustainability, equity, and environmental justice. Radhika also led implementation of the water pillar of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, a historic $50 billion appropriation—the largest federal investment in water to date.

Before joining EPA, Radhika served as the Chief Executive Officer for the US Water Alliance—a national non-partisan network that unites diverse stakeholders around solutions to environmental, climate, and water challenges.

Radhika holds a B.A. from Columbia University and an M.A. in City and Regional Planning from the University of California, Berkeley, where she received a Community Development Fellowship from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

John Nolte is the Director of Enterprise IT at Denver Water, where he combines his expertise in GIS and data analytics with leadership in technology strategy. Based in Denver, Colorado, John is dedicated to optimizing IT systems to ensure the efficient delivery of clean, reliable drinking water. John is also the current president of the Geospatial Professional Network, formerly known as URISA.

An experienced GIS professional with a GISP certification, John is passionate about leveraging technology to solve environmental challenges. Outside of work, he enjoys the Irish sport of hurling, skiing, biking, hiking, and spending time with his two dogs.

Mr. Cooper serves as the global director for water at Arcadis with 20 years experience as a certified operator, professional engineer, and utility manager. Jim brings a passion for people enabled by technology, with an education background in Civil Engineering and Artificial Intelligence. He brings deep industry relationships as Chair of the American Water Works Association Engineering & Construction Division, Advisory Board Member of BAYWORK, Chair of the AWWA Artificial Intelligence Subcommittee, Inaugural Chair of the AWWA Digital Twins Committee, and Council Member for SWAN.

Cathy Smith leads enterprise technology operations for SWBNO and her team supports all IT functions across the utility.  With over a decade at SWBNO and a track record of advancement through five technical and administrative roles, Cathy brings institutional knowledge and a forward-thinking approach to technology and governance.

A Tulane University graduate with a CAPM, she is overseeing the major modernization of four core business systems to boost efficiency, transparency, and service delivery.

Jonathan Houck is a technology executive and IT Architect at the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, where he leads enterprise architecture, AI strategy, and modernization initiatives for one of the largest regional water utilities in the country. With 15+ years of public-sector experience spanning enterprise architecture, IT governance, data and analytics, and enterprise GIS, he focuses on tying cloud, cybersecurity, and digital platforms directly to business and operational outcomes in the water sector.

Prior to his current role, Jonathan directed IT governance at LA Metro, giving him a unique perspective on how AI and advanced data systems can support complex infrastructure and regional resilience.

Usman Khan is the Principal for Water Strategy at AWS. He has 14+ years of experience in the water industry. He holds a PhD in Environmental Engineering from McGill University in Canada and an MBA in Finance from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Heather is the Assistant Chief of Operations for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. She assists with leading a team responsible for the reliable delivery of high-quality imported water to southern California. This team includes over 950 employees responsible for operating and maintaining Metropolitan’s Colorado River Aqueduct, treatment and distribution facilities; planning and scheduling water deliveries and power operations; and ensuring compliance with water quality, safety, and environmental regulations. Her team also provides in-house manufacturing, construction, emergency response and maintenance engineering services.

Heather is the lead on regulatory & permitting efforts for Metropolitan’s Pure Water Southern California, a planned 150-million gallon per day, water purification program to beneficially reuse water for groundwater recharge and potential raw water augmentation adding resiliency to Metropolitan’s water supply portfolio.

Heather is Registered Civil Engineer and licensed Water Treatment Operator, and previously served as AWWA’s incoming President-Elect, Association Director, Past Vice-President and a member of the Water Utility Council.

Alvin McBorrough is the Founder and CEO of OGx Consulting, a data-first management and technology advisory firm specializing in helping public-sector agencies modernize through advanced analytics, AI, and strategic transformation. With more than 25 years of experience leading complex digital and organizational change initiatives, Alvin has advised Fortune 500 companies, state agencies, transit authorities, and major airports on strategy, innovation, and operational excellence.

Alvin’s work spans high-impact transformation programs across public infrastructure, transportation, and human services. He has guided executive teams and governing bodies at organizations such as Denver International Airport (DEN), Richmond International Airport (RIC), LA Metro, RTD, the Colorado Department of Human Services, and the Colorado Department of Revenue. His leadership emphasizes long-term value creation, risk governance, data stewardship, and measurable community outcomes—core capabilities essential to public board service.  A recognized civic leader, Alvin serves as Co-Chair of the Mayor of Denver’s AI Advisory Council, where he helps shape responsible AI policy, data governance standards, and workforce impacts for one of America’s fastest-growing cities.

Alvin holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, a master’s degree from the University of Denver, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Ghana.

Deb Degillio serves as Chief Technology & Information Officer of American Water, the largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the U.S. In her role, she is responsible for leading the company’s technology and innovation efforts that help support the business’ efforts in achieving growth and operational efficiency.

Named Chief Technology and Information Officer in December 2024, Ms. Degillio has served as Chief Customer Officer, with oversight of the Customer Service Center, Customer Experience and Major Accounts. In her role, she focused on building key programs that leverage technology and advance the overall customer experience to better understand and address customer concerns around service, billing, as well as optimizing customer-focused technology investments.

Formerly president of New Jersey American Water. Ms. Degillio served as the principal external contact for American Water in New Jersey, serving approximately 2.7 million people. In this role, she reinforced and strengthened customer, regulatory and local government relationships and drove operational and financial results.

Ms. Degillio has more than 20 years of broad financial and operations experience in the water utility and energy sectors. She previously served as president of American Water Enterprises, formerly the market-based products and services and division of American Water.

Ms. Degillio has an MBA from the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan and an undergraduate degree in Math/Statistics and Finance from the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse.

Seth has been working in the water and utilities industry for more than 20 years with a focus on helping utilities of all sizes leverage digital technologies to meet the needs of their business. As a Client Engagement Lead for 1898 & Co., he works to align broader digital technology trends and capabilities with the specific needs of water, wastewater, and stormwater utilities, and primarily focuses on strategic planning for technology adoption, asset management systems, GIS, AI and advanced analytics, digital project management, and enterprise systems integrations.

1898 & Co. is a global business, technology and security consultancy serving critical infrastructure industries, helping clients plan, secure and optimize their business. As part of Burns & McDonnell and with more than 125 years of industry experience, 1898 & Co.’s consultants focus on helping communities manage water, wastewater and stormwater needs efficiently and effectively by incorporating AI-based workflows in a methodical, deliberate, and secure manner, and helping utilities prepare for a future where automation becomes a central component of resilience and adaptability.

Shonnie Cline is the Deputy Director of Internal and External Affairs at Aurora Water, where she leads strategic communications, public engagement, and government affairs for one of Colorado’s largest municipal water providers. She brings more than 23 years of experience in the water sector and over 30 years of expertise in stakeholder engagement, with a career focused on navigating complex infrastructure challenges at the intersection of water, growth, and community trust.

At Aurora Water, Ms. Cline plays a key role in shaping public-facing strategies around long-range water planning, major capital investments, and emerging demands on water systems—including the increasing footprint of data centers and other high-demand industrial users. Her work centers on translating technical and regulatory complexity into clear, credible narratives that support informed decision-making among policymakers, regulators, customers, and industry partners.

Previously, Ms. Cline worked at the Water Research Foundation, where she supported national-level outreach and stakeholder engagement efforts, helping bridge innovative water research with utilities, technology providers, and the public. She has also served as a communications consultant, advising public agencies and private organizations on effective messaging, public involvement strategies, and organizational storytelling around sensitive and highly visible infrastructure projects.

Ms. Cline holds master’s degrees in Organizational Leadership and Counseling, as well as bachelor’s degrees in Biology and Business Management.

Ken Wendtland is the Director of Information Technology for the Las Vegas Valley

Water District and Southern Nevada Water Authority. In this role, Ken is responsible for overseeing the deployment and management of IT and Cybersecurity solutions across the organization and providing strategic oversight of tech-integrated products in the ever-changing water utility landscape.

Prior to joining the Water District in 2021, Ken spent more than 15 years working within the private sector in gaming. Most recently, Ken served as the Assistant General Manager at Boyd Gaming, where he was responsible for meeting business objectives in the areas of human resources, hospitality, food and beverage, information technologies, revenue management and gaming operations.

Ken is a Leadership Las Vegas alum and a member of the Colorado River Water Leaders Group. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business and Communications from Arizona State University. He and his wife Ashley have four children together. In his free time, Ken enjoys playing golf, spending time with his family and staying active.

Michelle has 20 years of local, regional and national leadership experience solving complex problems in water quality and water supply. Prior to joining Freshwater, she was a vice president at Barr Engineering where she guided public and private clients through regulatory and environmental water issues across sectors including drinking water, wastewater and stormwater.

As a civil engineer, Michelle has a deep understanding of water systems, and leads cross-sector initiatives including the Minnesota Infrastructure Alliance and the Minnesota Water Workforce pilot. She is also board vice president of the American Water Works Association (AWWA), a world-wide professional organization dedicated to safe drinking water. And as a champion of equity, diversity and inclusion, she is head of the Minnesota AWWA’s DEI committee.

Esteban Azagra is a senior vice president at Arcadis.  Esteban currently serves as Water Optimization Solution Leader for Arcadis in North America. He has more than 25 years of global management consulting experience developing and implementing strategic business plans, asset management programs, and technology-driven business transformation initiatives.  Esteban is an active contributor to the water industry with dozens of publications and presentations.

Bryon Wood is Strategic Technology Officer at the Great Lakes Water Authority. He partners with leadership and team members across GLWA to drive technology innovation, adoption, and digital transformation. He serves as enterprise architect contributing to GLWA’s success in increasing operational efficiency and data driven decision-making by leveraging current and emerging technology. In addition, he provides change leadership and collaborative facilitation as program manager for large and complex enterprise technology implementations.

Bryon has been at GLWA for 8 years and has over 20 years of experience working in the water & wastewater utility sector. He is a National Certified Government Chief Information Officer from the University of North Carolina and a Professional Engineer in the state of Michigan.

Tracy is Executive Director, Government Affairs, for the American Water Works Association (AWWA).  He was an independent consultant and served as Interim President of the U.S. Water Alliance and national Source Water Protection Coordinator for the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities.  He is also an Adjunct Professor at George Mason University School of Law and Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College.  He was Principal with The Cadmus Group, Inc., an environmental consulting firm, from 2004 to 2014.  Mehan served as Assistant Administrator for Water at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from 2001-2003.  He served as Environmental Stewardship Counselor to the 2004 G-8 Summit Planning Organization (2004).  Mehan also served as director of the Michigan Office of the Great Lakes (1993-2001) and as Associate Deputy Administrator of EPA in 1992.  He was director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources from 1989 to 1992.  Mehan is a graduate of Saint Louis University and its School of Law.  Mehan served on the Water Science and Technology Board and now the Committee on the Mississippi River and the Clean Water Act for the National Research Council of the National Academies.  He was also an independent expert judge for the City Water Conservation Achievement Award program (2006 & 2011) sponsored by The U.S. Conference of Mayors and its Urban Water Council.

Mehan is a member of the Environmental Law Institute (ELI) and a regular book reviewer for ELI’s flagship publication, The Environmental Forum.

Mehan serves on EPA’s Environmental Financial Advisory Board as well as the boards of the U.S. Water Alliance and the Great Lakes Observing System.  He is also a member of the Advisory Board of the Center for Environmental Policy, School of Public Affairs, American University and a past member of the board of the Potomac Conservancy (2006-2014).

Adam Carpenter is the Manager of Energy and Environmental Policy at AWWA’s Water Policy and Leadership department in Washington, DC. He serves as an expert and advocate on a diverse set of drinking water issues including source water protection, the energy-water nexus, cyanotoxins, climate change, consumer confidence reports, affordability, and other environmental policy concerns. Along with his colleagues, he works to further AWWA’s mission of supporting clean, affordable drinking water through sound application of science into policy, sensible regulation, public awareness, and building stakeholder consensus.

Adam holds a Ph.D. in environmental science and public policy from George Mason University.