There is less than a week left to apply for our 2023 Water Leaders class and be considered for the new cohort of California’s preeminent water leadership program.

And, if you work for a member of the Association of California Water Agencies, you can apply to have tuition and some travel expenses covered under the John P. Fraser Water Leaders Fellowship.

Launched in 1997, the Water Leaders program is aimed at providing a deeper understanding of California water issues, building leadership skills and preparing class members to take an active, cooperative approach to decision-making about water resources by studying a water-related topic in-depth and crafting policy recommendations.

Watch a short video here of Water Leader alums talking about their experience and the benefits of the program.

The deadline to apply for the 2023 class is Wednesday, Dec. 7, at 5 p.m. Find the online application form and other required items for your application package here.

Remember, this is a competitive program so make your written application your best effort. You can find tips on completing your application from Executive Director Jenn Bowles, who recorded a recent Q&A session. 

Who should apply:

The program is geared toward those people involved in water who are between their early to mid-career and work for a state or federal agency such as the Bureau of Reclamation, California Department of Water Resources or State Water Resources Control Board; a nongovernmental organization; a water or irrigation district; or a private company.

Many cohorts have included lawyers, scientists, engineers, communicators and educational specialists, environmental advocates, farmers, planners and legislative aides. 

Among other things, members of the Water Leaders class:

• Attend our annual Water 101 Workshop to get a statewide understanding of the historical, legal and management aspects of water in California. 
• Spend a day “shadowing” a mentor, who is a major water leader from government, urban, agriculture, environmental organization, private business or public interest group.
• Interview the mentor about an issue selected for the class project.
• Present policy recommendations to the Foundation’s Board of Directors.

In addition, class members attend two of our popular water tours, including the mandatory Bay-Delta Tour to learn about the hub of the state’s water system and the largest estuary of its kind in western North America. 

Working with mentors:

A hallmark of our program is the chance to work with a mentor. Recent mentors have included Karla Nemeth, Director of the California Department of Water Resources; Sean Maguire, board member of the State Water Resources Control Board; Pablo Garza, chief consultant for the Assembly Committee on Water, Parks and Wildlife; Randy Record, board member of Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and Eastern Municipal Water District; and Michelle Reimers, general manager of Turlock Irrigation District. 

Tuition & scholarships:

The application carries a $35 nonrefundable fee. Tuition for the year is $4,500 and covers registration for the mandatory tours and events, but not transportation back and forth from the events.

We have a limited amount of scholarship funding available, and those seeking a full or partial scholarship must include a statement of financial need with their application.

Of note, employees of a public member agency of the Association of California Water Agencies may apply for the John P. Fraser Water Leaders Fellowship. Special consideration will be given to ACWA member agencies with 100 or fewer employees; with annual adjusted operating budgets of less than $10 million; and without (or with limited) budgets for professional development.