Staff Biographies

Overview

Staff Biographies

Our team at the Water Education Foundation is made up of journalists, teachers and other nonprofit professionals who share a common passion for water.

Profile

Jenn Bowles
Executive Director

A veteran journalist, Jenn directs the development of Western Water news, the Layperson’s Guide series on key water topics, the Foundation’s Colorado River project, poster maps and tours, and various workshops and conferences. She oversees the Water Leader programs and leads fund-raising, external communications, and website and social media efforts.

In December 2016, she led an international journalism workshop on water issues for UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). Held in Tehran, the workshop included participants from Iran, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Oman and Malaysia. You can read her blog about the experience here.

Profile

Chris Bowman
Deputy Director, News & Publications

Chris serves as the primary editor of the Foundation’s publications, including Western Water news, the series of Laypersons Guides on key water topics, maps and other publications, and manages our weekday water news feed, Aquafornia.

A veteran journalist, Chris was a longtime environment reporter for the Sacramento Bee where he produced several award-winning articles that led to government and industry reforms. Prior to joining the Foundation in 2023, he served as managing editor of the Ventura County Star, contributing editor to Water Deeply and as communications director for the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences.

Brian Brown
Profile Brian Brown

Brian Brown
California Project WET Coordinator

Brian works with a dedicated team of workshop facilitators to provide engaging, hands–on Project WET (Water Education Today) professional development trainings for educators who teach K-12 across California.

Brian coordinates supplies and support to assist facilitators in organizing workshops, writes the California Project WET newsletter to provide guidance for educators in using Project WET activities that engage students in current water issues and topics. He personally leads a number of workshops each year.

Profile

Nick Cahill
Staff Writer

Nick is the Foundation’s main writer, working with the journalism team to produce Western Water news, the Layperson’s Guides on key water topics, the Aquafornia daily newsfeed and social media posts. He also updates and adds new entries in our online water encyclopedia, Aquapedia. Nick joined the Foundation team in early 2022.

The California native has reported a variety of beats, including sports. Prior to joining the Foundation, he covered water, the environment and California politics for Courthouse News.

Profile

Nick Gray
Programs Director

Nick manages many of our workshops, conferences and tours of key water regions across California and the Southwest, bringing attendees up close to dams and other water infrastructure, wildlife areas, farms and other sites involved in water.

Profile

Kayla Sergent
Operations Manager

Kayla has her hands in many things at the Water Education Foundation, from assisting with programs and member benefits to making sure everything runs smoothly on a day-to-day basis.

She joined the Foundation in 2021 as an administrative coordinator and quickly rose to operations manager. She graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a double major in environmental studies and sociology.

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Alastair Bland
Freelance writer

Alastair Bland is a freelance writer from Sonoma County who has written for the Foundation’s Western Water news and curates the Foundation’s Aquafornia daily water news roundup. 

He has worked as a freelance writer since 2004, covering a wide range of topics including water, climate change, fisheries, marine conservation and research, and agriculture.

His work has appeared at CalMatters, NPR.org, SmithsonianMag.com, Slate, The Atlantic, Audubon, Hakai and other news outlets.