The 2022 Water in the West Symposium brought together speakers and audiences from across sectors to share best practices and connect professionals around the theme of Global Water: Successes and Solutions, which focused on solutions to water challenges around the world.
Click the hyperlinks below to view video of the sessions.
Graphic recording by Kriss Wittmann.
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 2, 2022
12-12:15 p.m.
WELCOME
Jocelyn Hittle — Colorado State University System
Ty Smith — Colorado State University
Tony Frank — Colorado State University System
Happy Haynes — Denver Parks and Recreation
12:15-1:15 p.m.
LUNCH & KEYNOTE
Jay Famiglietti — Global Institute for Water Security
1:15-2:15 p.m.
GLOBAL SOLUTIONS: CITIES
Moderated by Angela Bricmont — Denver Water
Jeni Arndt — Mayor of Fort Collins
Ana Margarida Luís — Águas de Portugal
Michael Webster — City of Cape Town
2:30-3:45 p.m.
TRANSBOUNDARY SOLUTIONS: COLUMBIA RIVER TREATY
Moderated by John Tracy — Colorado Water Center
Steve Barton — U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Cody Desautel — Colville Federated Tribes
Sylvain Fabi — Consul General of Canada
Nathan Matthew — Simpcw First Nation
Jaime Vienneau — Ktunaxa Nation
3:45-4:45 p.m.
GLOBAL SOLUTIONS: AGRICULTURE
Moderated by Kate Greenberg — Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture
Benny Chefetz — The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Gloria Montaño Greene — USDA
Kevin O’Donnell — Dairy Farmers of America
Robert Sakata — Sakata Farms
5-7:30 p.m.
RECEPTION @ CSU Spur
in collaboration with Regenerate
THURSDAY, NOV. 3, 2022
8-9:15 a.m.
9:15-10:15 a.m.
GLOBAL SOLUTIONS: INNOVATION AND INVESTMENT
Moderated by Karen Roter — Entrada Ventures
Gili Elkin — Israel Colorado Fund
Will Sarni — Water Foundry & Future of Water Fund
10:30-11:30 a.m.
TRANSBOUNDARY SOLUTIONS: U.S./MEXICO
Moderated by Jennifer Gimbel — Colorado Water Center
Edward Drusina — Former U.S. Commissioner of the International Boundary and Water Commission
Roberto Salmon — Centro Luken de Estrategias en Agua y Medio Ambiente
11:30 a.m.-12 p.m.
CLOSING KEYNOTE
Maura Barry — USAID
Thank you to our 2022 sponsors
CONTENT SPONSORS
WIFI SPONSOR
REGIONAL REACH SPONSOR
CONNECTIVITY SPONSORS
NONPROFIT VIRTUAL SPONSORS
KAREN SCHLATTER
Director, Colorado Water Center
Karen Schlatter was appointed director of the Colorado Water Center at Colorado State University in 2025, after joining the Center as associate director in 2023. Schlatter brings academic, nonprofit, and public sector experience in managing complex water challenges with a deep commitment to building partnerships and the ability to engage in conversations across Colorado’s water community. She joined CSU from the University of Florida Water Institute where her work included facilitating multi-stakeholder/academic teams to achieve shared goals around water management through collaborative, interdisciplinary research. Prior to her role at UF, she served as associate director of the Colorado River Delta Program at the Sonoran Institute, where she focused on building cross-sector and international partnerships to support large-scale ecological restoration, effective binational water management, and community engagement in the Colorado River Delta region. Schlatter earned a Bachelor of Science in biology from McGill University and a Master of Science in environmental studies from the University of Colorado Boulder. She served as an agricultural extension volunteer in the Peace Corps in Paraguay.
TOM VILSACK
Chief Executive Officer, World Food Prize Foundation
Effective March 1, 2025, Thomas J. Vilsack, former United States Secretary of Agriculture and Governor of Iowa, will become the first Chief Executive Officer for the World Food Prize Foundation. In this new role, Governor Vilsack will focus on expanding the Foundation’s global network, and will further position the Foundation as a leader in addressing global food and nutrition insecurity, continuing his lifetime of public service.
In 1998, he became the first Democrat to be elected as the Governor of Iowa in more than 30 years. During his two terms as Governor, he created an $800 million, 10-year economic development incentive program—the Iowa Values Fund. His administration worked with schools, medical providers, businesses, faith-based organizations and other entities to expand healthcare coverage to more than 90,000 previously uninsured children.
He became the 30th and 32nd United States Secretary of Agriculture, from 2008-2017 and 2021-2025, respectively. Only five people in U.S. history have served in the Cabinet longer, and during his tenures, the United States Department of Agriculture set records for U.S. agricultural exports and provided food assistance to millions of Americans. He helped expand food and nutrition access through summer feeding programs for children and additional support for fruit and vegetable purchases through the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program. As Secretary, he worked to develop new and superior markets for small and mid-sized farms, allowing those operations to remain viable and in turn, strengthening and growing rural communities.
Governor Vilsack has long been connected to the World Food Prize Foundation, having served on both the Council of Advisors and the Board of Directors. His insights and acumen were vital in shaping our mission and initiatives. His leadership and experience will be instrumental in expanding the Foundation’s international reach and continuing the mission of elevating innovations and inspiring action to sustainably increase the quality, quantity and availability of food for all.
It’s our anniversary!
It’s our anniversary! CSU Spur has been fully open to the public, sharing hands-on, family-friendly activities around food, water, and health for two years. Join us on Saturday, Jan. 11, for 2nd Saturday activities, including desserts, a mariachi performance, face painters, horses on treadmills, veterinarians in surgery, scientists in labs, and more. The celebration is from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and CSU Spur will be open 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; no registration required, all public activities are free.
2nd Saturday at CSU Spur is presented by Canvas Credit Union.
We’ll see you Saturday!
2nd Saturday at CSU Spur is 10 a.m.-2 p.m. this Saturday (May 9), and this month, the theme is Spur in Bloom. Join us for flower-themed arts and crafts, horse demonstrations, interactive activities focused on topics like sustainability and gardening, the return of the Market at the Center, and more!