Advancing Better Water Policy and Strategies: Development of the Indiana Water Summit
Presenters: Bill Blomquist and/or Jill Hoffmann, White River Alliance, Indianapolis, Indiana USA
Presentation Content
The Indiana Water Summit is distinctive in three principal ways: its breadth of topics, diversity of audience, and ongoing emphasis on moving from thoughtful discussion to constructive action. The Summit stands alone as a statewide event that draws interested citizens, public officials, and water professionals together. Since its inception, the Summit has grown in attendance, scope, and activity. A Water Summit Working Group now meets bimonthly to take a deeper dive into issues raised during the Summit, to learn more (from within Indiana and beyond) about what’s possible and promising, and to strategize about promoting positive change.
Bio
Bill Blomquist, Former Director, White River Alliance
Bill Blomquist began working at White River Alliance in 2022, having previously been a member of the Alliance’s board of directors representing IUPUI. Bill’s work with the Alliance focuses mainly on the Indiana Water Summit and Summit-related activities such as the Water Summit Working Group and our pre- and post-Summit online Science & Policy forums. Bill also follows the legislative process during the sessions of the Indiana General Assembly. Bill is also a Professor Emeritus of Political Science at IU-Indianapolis, a Senior Research Fellow at the IU Ostrom Workshop, and an adjunct instructor of Political Science at Butler University.
Hoffmann Bio,
Jill Hoffmann, Executive Director, White River Alliance
Jill Hoffmann is Executive Director of the White River Alliance, and President and Principal Owner of Empower Results, LLC, an environmental consulting company focused primarily on environmental education, outreach, and various public involvement services. Her work as the Executive Director for the White River Alliance is gaining national recognition as a model for water partnerships and programs. Jill has been recognized with several state and local awards for her work. Jill is experienced in technical disciplines such as water quality assessment, stormwater management, and nonpoint-source pollution prevention strategies, and in policy areas such as zoning, ordinance development, and public information.
