In this episode of Make Water Work, we sit down with Shellie Chard, former Water Quality Division Director at the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, to explore how policy, leadership, and long-term thinking shape the future of water.

With a 34-year career in environmental regulation, Shellie shares hard-earned insights on how water policy actually gets made, why trust in water systems is declining, and what it will take to manage our most critical resource moving forward.

From navigating complex regulations to balancing public perception with scientific reality, this conversation is a must-listen for anyone working in or curious about the water sector.

In this episode, we cover:

• How water found Shellie and shaped her career

• The evolution of water policy over the past three decades

• Why trust in water systems is eroding and how to rebuild it

• The real challenges regulators face behind the scenes

• How policy, politics, and public perception intersect

• Why water management is the defining challenge of our future

• The importance of education and long-term thinking in solving water issues