Matthew Mairinger

Ashley's Bio

Ashley Johnson | Education and Outreach Coordinator, Athabasca Watershed Council
Projects in Action Workshops (Saturday morning)

My name is Ashley Johnson, and I’m the Education and Outreach Coordinator for the Athabasca Watershed Council. I completed my B.Sc. in Palaeontology, but along the way I developed a passion for science communication. When I’m not at my desk or doing outreach, I’m often either looking for cool rocks and fossils (which can be found almost anywhere in Alberta!) or learning more about watersheds and all the weird wonders across them.

Athabasca Watershed Council

Richard's Bio

Richard Phillips | General Manager, Bow River Irrigation District, Alberta Irrigation Districts Association
Round Tables (Friday afternoon)

Richard is the chair of Irrigating Alberta Inc., the consortium of irrigation districts participating in the Alberta Irrigation Modernization Program. He has been with the Bow River Irrigation District since 1996, initially as the district engineer, and as the general manager since 2004. He serves as vice chair of the Alberta Irrigation Districts Association and the Bow River Basin Council and chair of the Vauxhall and District Regional Water Services Commission. He has a B.Sc. in Civil Engineering from the University of Alberta and is a professional engineer. He enjoys fishing and a variety of other outdoor recreational activities.

Alberta Irrigation Districts Association

David's Bio

David Hill | Director, Centres and Institues and Research Advocacy, University of Lethbridge
Water Futures Panel (Friday 10:30-11:30)

David Hill has almost 50 years of experience in water, irrigation, agriculture, and natural resource management. He is a member of the Board of Inside Education (www.insideeducation.ca) and since 2005 he has served as the Water Policy Co-Chair for the Pacific Northwest Economic Region (www.pnwer.org). His various roles at the University of Lethbridge provide focus on connecting water and agricultural research and training with the needs of community, government, and business.

David was a member of the Alberta Water Council for 9 years from its inception until joining the University of Lethbridge in 2012. He is a former Chair of the Alberta Science and Technology Leadership (ASTech) Foundation (www.astech.ca) and a past president of the Canadian Committee on Irrigation and Drainage. David has served on the Alberta Endangered Species Conservation Committee, Alberta Environmental Agriculture Council, and as a past member of the Rosenberg International Forum on Water Policy (University of California, Berkeley, 2004-2010).

Prior to joining the University of Lethbridge David was the Executive Director for Water at Alberta Innovates and formerly the Executive Director of the Alberta Irrigation Districts Association.

University of Lethbridge

Autumn's Bio

Autumn EagleSpeaker | Outreach Coordinator, Keepers of the Water
Round Tables (Friday afternoon)

Autumn is Blackfoot from Kainai First Nation in Southern Alberta and African American. As Indigenous Outreach Coordinator at Keepers of the Water, a grassroots Indigenous and ally supported organization rooted in decolonizing Indigenous water governance, Autumn assists in amplifying Indigenous community voices impacted by proposed and existing coal and fossil fuel extraction projects. Through educational sessions and community dialogues Autumn is sharing how these projects impact water, land, affect people, animals and species at risk.

Autumn believes firmly in the protection of the environment and Indigenous rights. She has worked in the area of Indigenous consultation, non-profit management and cultural event curation. Autumn’s educational background is Indigenous governance and political science. 

Keepers of the Water