The committee members, who will serve two-year terms, represent six state agencies, academia, nongovernmental organizations, local agencies and the private sector.
Among the appointees is Joy Bonaguro, who was named the state’s chief data officer in January. She works in the Government Operations Agency.
Tara Moran, president and chief executive of the Consortium, said Wednesday in a statement on the organization’s website: “Seating the Steering Committee represents another major step forward for the Consortium and for open and transparent water data in California. In partnership with our Board, the Steering Committee will guide and implement the Consortium's programmatic objectives and priorities; oversee the development and ongoing efforts of project-specific working groups; and foster active conversation between the Consortium and the Partner Agency Team charged with implementing AB 1755.”
In an email interview with Techwire last month, Moran laid out the mission of the organization.
“The Water Data Consortium serves as a neutral space that facilitates collaboration and sustained engagement across public, private and nonprofit sectors to improve the data life cycle and increase access to high-quality, comprehensive and interoperable data to inform water decision-making,” she explained. “Initial focus areas for the Consortium will be on streamlining data reporting requirements to state agencies and establishing venues for the development of data reporting standards.”
In addition to Bonaguro, the other 10 members of the committee and their affiliations are:
Deborah Agarwal: Department head and senior scientist, Data Science and Technology Department, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Mike Antos: Senior Integrated Water Management Specialist, Stantec Consulting, and Visiting Scholar, UC Irvine Anthropology
Drew Atwater: Director of Finance and Water Resources, Moulton Niguel Water District and Committee Chair, California Data Collaborative
Christina Babbitt: Senior Manager, California Groundwater Program, Environmental Defense Fund
Martha Davis: Retired, Assistant General Manager/Executive Manager for Policy Development, Inland Empire Utilities Agency
Joaquin Esquivel: Chair, State Water Resources Control Board
David Harris: Enterprise Data Services Manager, California Natural Resources Agency Data Center
Nick Martorano: Director, California Water Quality Monitoring Council
Christina McCready: Lead, AB 1755 Partner Agency Team, Department of Water Resources
Susan Tatayon: Chair, Delta Stewardship Council
The Consortium will introduce the new members at a virtual public meeting at 2 p.m. Oct. 22. In that meeting, the group will also discuss its recent work and will brainstorm topics for the organization's working groups. More information about that meeting is available online.
