Coro is delighted to welcome Debbie Franco as the inaugural Managing Director of the Water Solutions Network (WSN) program. The Water Solutions Network is a diverse, cross-sector collaboration of statewide leaders focused on the future of water management in California.
Debbie joins the Water Solutions Network after almost ten years in the California Governor’s Office, most recently as the Senior Advisor for Water and Rural Affairs. She brings 15 years of experience in the water sector, including collaborating on the Human Right to Water, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, and drought response. Debbie got her start in the water sector at the Environmental Justice Coalition for Water, where she ultimately served as the Policy Director.
As Managing Director of the Water Solutions Network, she will coordinate and lead collaboration among network participants, the Advisory Council, and WSN partners to expand the network and its impact.
“I am thrilled to join the Water Solutions Network and Coro Northern California,” Debbie said. “The climate is changing faster than we are, and water challenges will deliver some of the most devastating consequences. The Water Solutions Network is expanding and diversifying leadership while building a network of problem solvers with the capacity to collaborate for innovative solutions to pressing challenges.”
Coro Northern California launched the Water Solutions Network in 2017, in partnership with DIG IN, Water Education for Latino Leaders, and Celeste Cantu Consulting, with seed funding from the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation. The initiative’s goal is to build a network of diverse water leaders and provide a hub for collaboration and action across California. Cohort participants build relationships while developing leadership and collaboration skills and working on group projects related to urgent water issues. With more than 73 network members, the program will welcome its fourth cohort in April, selected from a highly competitive applicant pool.
“Debbie Franco is an outstanding leader who will bring significant expertise, talents, and passion to the growth of the Water Solutions Network,” says Coro CEO Laney Whitcanack. “Debbie understands the vital importance of network building as foundational to creating much-needed change in the water field, and the depth of her experience will strengthen an already thriving program. We’re delighted to welcome her to the team, and look forward to watching the Water Solutions Network grow its impact under her leadership.”
Visit our program website to learn more about the Water Solutions Network.