The 18th annual OC Water Summit, Flow Forward: Securing Water Supply Through Innovation, will explore the critical challenges, investments, technologies, and workforce strategies needed to strengthen water reliability and long-term regional resilience. Through engaging panel discussions and expert presentations, attendees will gain valuable perspectives on water supply, policy, infrastructure investment, workforce development, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and emerging technologies shaping the industry.

Event Program (Tentative)

7:30 a.m. Registration and Continental Breakfast

8:00 a.m. Welcome, Presentation of Colors, and Pledge of Allegiance

• Jeffery M. Thomas, Director, Municipal Water District of Orange County
• Stephen R. Sheldon, Director, Orange County Water District
• Charley Wilson, Master of Ceremonies
• Orange County Sheriff’s Department Color Guard

8:15 a.m. Recalibrating the River: The Colorado River at a Crossroads

This session will examine post-2026 negotiations, Basin State collaboration, and the role of conservation, innovation, water reuse, and regional partnerships in strengthening the Colorado River system.

• Charley Wilson (moderator), Executive Director/CEO, Southern California Water Coalition
• Dr. David L. Feldman, Professor Emeritus & Director, Water UCI
• Dr. Max Wilson, Water Resources Management Advisor, City of Phoenix

9:15 a.m. The Workforce Crisis No One Budgeted For: Why Talent Determines Water Reliability

This session will examine how workforce shortages affect reliability, project delivery, compliance, and public trust. The discussion will focus on workforce development as an infrastructure investment, including operational resilience, cost control, AI’s impact, and future talent needs.

• Marwan Khalifa (moderator), Acting Deputy Executive Director, Association of California Water Agencies
• Amber Boone, General Manager, South Orange County Wastewater Authority
• Adrian Hightower, PhD, PE, ENV-SP, Strategic Sustainability Partnerships Program Manager, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
• Don Jones, Senior Waterworks Industry Education Partnerships Advisor

10:15 Networking Break

10:45 a.m. California’s Water Future: Where Should We Invest Next?

This session explores how California should invest in reliable water supplies for the future. Water policy leaders will weigh local solutions such as recycled water, stormwater capture, and conservation against major infrastructure investments, while examining costs, benefits, and opportunities for common ground

• Charley Wilson (moderator), Executive Director/CEO, Southern California Water Coalition
• Dr. Chandra Sekhar Chilmakuri, P.E., Assistant General Manager, State Water Contractors
• Mark Gold, Director of California Ocean Ecosystem Monitoring Program, California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations, UC San Diego
• Edward Ring, Director, Water and Energy Policy, California Policy Center

11:45 a.m. Luncheon

12:15 p.m. When Digital Becomes Physical: Protecting Water in the Age of Cyber, AI & Drones

An exploration of how emerging technologies are transforming water operations—and the new security considerations that come with an increasingly connected water system

• Kevin M. Morley, PhD, (moderator), Senior Manager – Federal Relations, American Water Works Association
• Special Agent Ketrin Adam, InfraGard Los Angeles, Federal Bureau of Investigation
• Jay Bade, Cyber Intelligence Analyst, California Cybersecurity Integration Center/Orange County Intelligence Assessment Center
• Clara Chae, Cyber Threat Intelligence Analyst, Orange County Intelligence Assessment Center
• Andrew Ohrt, Resilience Practice Area Lead, West Yost

1:15 p.m. Closing Remarks

We hope you’ll join us for this important day of insight, collaboration, and connection as we work together to move Southern California’s water future forward.

* Speakers subject to change

Visit the OC Water Summit YouTube channel to view past programs.