Our past, present, and future.
MISSION STATEMENTCalWEP’s mission is to maximize urban water efficiency and conservation throughout California by supporting and integrating innovative technologies and practices; encouraging effective public policies; advancing research, training, and public education; and building collaborative approaches and partnerships.
Tia Fleming
Executive Director, External Affairs
Tia oversees CalWEP's external affairs. She has over a decade of experience working with environmental and water-focused non-profits and municipal organizations. She is skilled in outreach, advocacy, facilitation, coalition development, and engagement with strong media and communication experience. Prior to joining CalWEP, Tia worked in various capacities with WaterNow Alliance, Imagine H2O and several environmental and climate-focused non-profits in California.
Sarah Foley
Executive Director, Operations
Sarah Foley has been with CalWEP, previously known as the California Urban Water Conservation Council, since 2012. Sarah oversees the organization's operations functions. She has extensive experience with both urban and agricultural water organizations in California. From 2002 to 2012 Sarah served as the deputy director of the Sacramento City-County Office of Metropolitan Water Planning.
Melissa Matlock, Ph.D., PMP
Director of Programs
Melissa oversees CalWEP's programmatic vision and priorities. Prior to joining the team, Melissa worked with Western Municipal Water District in the Water Resources/Planning Department. She has also worked as a Development Coordinator at the renewable energy non-profit, GRID Alternatives. Melissa has a Master's in Climate and Society from Columbia University and a Ph.D. in Public Health from University of California, Irvine. Melissa obtained her AWWA Water Use Efficiency Grade 3, Water Loss Audit Validator, and Distribution Grade 1 certifications, is WaterSense Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper certified, and has her Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.
Linda Vo
Senior Program Manager
As CalWEP's Senior Program Manager, Linda manages various programs, assists with events, and more to help promote water efficiency and conservation. Prior to joining CalWEP, she was a Legislative Aide in the California State Legislature. She also previously worked as a Water Conservation Assistant at the Alameda County Water District and was a CivicSpark AmeriCorps Water Fellow with the Local Government Commission. Linda graduated with Honors from UC Davis where she majored in Managerial Economics and minored in Environmental Policy Analysis and Planning.
Joy Keightley
Controller
As Controller, Joy wears many hats overseeing all accounting operations. These operations include everything from financial reporting to establishing internal controls and issuing cash disbursements. Joy has 25 years of accounting experience in a variety of positions from payables to full charge bookkeeping and received a Master of Science in Accountancy in 2008. Joy is considered a CPA candidate as she has passed all 4 parts of the CPA exam.
Cristina Saldaña
Training Coordinator
Cristina serves as CalWEP's Training Coordinator. Cristina brings 7+ years of water conservation experience, and 9 years of water utility experience to the team. Cristina has obtained her AWWA Water Use Efficiency Grade 1 & Distribution Grade 1 certifications, is WaterSense Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper certified, and has her certificate for the Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance. She is currently finishing her bachelor’s in Businesses Administration at Western Governors University. Cristina is passionate about water conservation and community outreach. She is fluent in Spanish.
Julia Mes
Administrative and Program Associate
Julia works as the Administrative & Program Associate. She received her undergraduate degree in Sociology from UC Berkeley. Before joining CalWEP, Julia worked as a case manager assisting clients through their Social Security Disability cases. She later worked for a food bank in Sacramento, serving the community and assisting in their accounting department. She is a certified yoga instructor, a WaterSense certified Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper, and bilingual in Spanish.
Twenty-five years ago, in response to a goal set by the State Water Resources Control Board to save more than one million gallons of water through conservation efforts, hundreds of water agencies, environmental groups, and other interested parties signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). A first of its kind collaboration among a vast array of stakeholders, the council established voluntarily best management practices for California water agencies to conserve our most precious resource while documenting their successes.
With increased pressure from a changing climate – more severe droughts and water uncertainty – and new mandatory regulations from the state of California, including new framework to “Make Water Conservation a California Way of Life,” the Council membership voted to allow the organization to sunset, replacing it with a new one: the California Water Efficiency Partnership, or CalWEP.
In March of 2018, the California Water Efficiency Partnership launched as an innovative leader, voice and expert on water efficiency in California. The Partnership carries forward the expertise and collaboration that was a Council hallmark but with a new name and new, nimble framework. CalWEP is committed to providing cutting-edge expertise on California water issues, challenges, and opportunities within a broad collaborative framework.
Members of CalWEP are voluntarily organized into two main committees. These committees help drive our work and prioritize our agenda. Members are invited to join one or more committee. As needed, “task forces” will be formed to address more specific, time-limited topics. Members can contact [email protected] to join a committee!
The Research and Evaluation Committee's mission is to collaboratively identify and pursue research projects that will benefit the statewide membership. Members can view notes and upcoming meetings in MyCalWEP.
Pulling from a diverse membership, the program committee meets for regular Peer-to-Peer engagement to communicate needs, successes, and challenges, and identify actionable steps for addressing conservation program needs both on an agency and statewide level. Members can view notes and upcoming meetings in MyCalWEP.
We’re excited to be a 1% for the Planet non-profit partner.
If your business is a member, please consider naming the California Water Efficiency Partnership as your beneficiary. For more information, please visit www.onepercentfortheplanet.org.
