Barbara Brown Wilson is an associate professor of urban and environmental planning at the UVA School of Architecture, and co-founder and faculty director at the UVA Democracy Initiative Center for the Redress of Inequity through Community-Engaged Scholarship (aka The Equity Center). Her research and teaching focus on the history, theory, ethics, and practice of planning for climate justice, and on the role of urban social movements in the built world. Dr. Wilson writes for both academic and mainstream audiences, and is the author of Resilience for All: Striving for Equity through Community-Driven Design (Island Press: 2018), and co-author of Questioning Architectural Judgement: The Problem of Codes in the United States (Routledge: 2013). Her research is often change-oriented, meaning she collaborates with community partners to identify opportunities to move our communities, and the field of urban planning, toward social and environmental justice.

Mami Hara is the general manager of Seattle Public Utilities (SPU). She is committed to advancing an equitable and sustainable Seattle and region through collaboration, strategic investment, and partnering with community, and seeks to expand this ethic throughout Seattle Public Utilities. Hara brings over three decades of experience in sustainable land and water management practices and advances them through cultivating leaders, partnerships, participation, planning, science/data-informed decisions and knowledge sharing.

Paulina Lopez is the Executive Director of the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition (DRCC)/TAG and has over 25 years of experience working on issues of civil rights, social environmental justice, equity, education and diversity. As a highly regarded organizer, facilitator, community and policy strategist, and movement builder focused on those most impacted by injustice and oppression, Paulina has consulted with governments, organizations, community, and foundations to identify ways to shift power dynamics and develop frameworks for collaborative co-creating and transformative governance. Through this work Paulina has developed expertise in multi-sector stakeholder engagement, collaborative problem solving, and building power with BIPOC communities of color, immigrants, and refugees. Paulina emigrated to the U.S. from Ecuador and has made Seattle her home for the past 18 years. She first joined DRCC/TAG as a volunteer, advocating in her community for access to a safe, clean environment for South Park’s families. She holds a Master’s degree in Human Rights Law from St. Thomas University.

Renée Willette is the Vice President, Programs and Strategy at the US Water Alliance, a national nonprofit organization advancing policies and programs that build a sustainable water future for all. Prior to joining the US Water Alliance, Renée worked for Stantec, a global, multi-sector engineering and architecture firm where she served as the Water Sector Leader for the Midwest region. Previously, Renée was the Director of Strategy Initiatives for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) which is responsible for providing 24/7 water, wastewater, and municipal power services to 2.6 million Bay Area residents. At the SFPUC, Renée led the agency’s regional workforce development partnerships as well as the place-based revitalization strategy for the $2.7 billion Sewer System Improvement Program. Renée also served as senior staff in two San Francisco Mayoral administrations, focusing on fiscal policy and legislative affairs. Renée serves on the board of the Minnesota Freshwater Society and attended executive education at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government as a David Bohnett Leaders Fellow. She holds a B.A from Carleton College and a Masters in Public Policy from the University of California, Berkeley.