Cassie Braswell

Cassie Braswell is a Customer Success Manager in agricultural technology, specializing in advanced water management solutions for vineyards and specialty crops across Northern California. With more than a decade of experience spanning irrigation systems, agri-business operations, and customer relationship management, Cassie serves as a key connector between growers, technology innovators, and regulatory agencies. Her expertise centers on helping farms optimize water resources, improve irrigation efficiency, and meet evolving compliance requirements through data-driven tools and sustainable practices.

In her role at HotSpot AG, Cassie partners with growers to deploy automated irrigation, fertigation, pump control, and remote monitoring systems designed to enhance crop performance and reduce water use. She provides on-site consultations, technology demonstrations, and hands-on software training to ensure seamless adoption. Working closely with engineering teams, she analyzes water-use data to develop performance metrics that highlight ROI and long-term sustainability outcomes. Cassie also leads initiatives that integrate groundwater well, reservoir, and storage tank monitoring to support statewide water regulations.

Previously, Cassie served as Assistant Branch Manager and Customer Service Manager at Watersavers Irrigation, Inc., where she managed B2B and B2C sales, coordinated drought-related grant opportunities, and expanded the company’s digital presence—contributing to a 20% annual sales increase. Her career also includes operational and customer-facing roles at Keller Estate Winery and VinoPro, where she supported DTC sales programs, streamlined operations, and developed training systems for one of Inc. 500’s fastest-growing companies.

Cassie holds an MBA from the University of Phoenix, a B.A. in Art Studio from Sonoma State University, and an A.A. in Art Studio from College of the Sequoias.

Her areas of expertise include irrigation and water resource management, pump control and fertigation automation, data analytics, groundwater monitoring and regulatory compliance, project management, and customer success leadership.

Cassie frequently collaborates with growers, conservation districts, and groundwater sustainability agencies to advance responsible water use across the region. She also participates in educational outreach, speaking to university and community college students about the role of technology in modern agriculture and inspiring the next generation of innovators committed to protecting natural resources and strengthening agricultural resilience.

Kerry Hoffman

Kerry Hoffman
Director – Utility Technology Solutions | Ferguson Enterprises

Kerry is an experienced technology leader with over 15 years in the water and utility technology sectors. As Director of Utility Technology Solutions at Ferguson, Kerry leads strategic initiatives that bring cutting-edge municipal and utility technologies to communities across the U.S., helping utilities modernize operations, enhance asset performance, and build smarter infrastructure.

Before joining Ferguson, Kerry spent eight years at Trimble Utilities, serving as Regional Business Director and Business Manager for the Northeast, where he led sales, channel development, and strategic partnerships across key markets. His work focused on delivering Smart Water Network solutions that improved operational efficiency and data-driven decision-making for utility customers.

Earlier in his career, Kerry held leadership positions at Telog Instruments, where he managed regional growth and business development for nearly six years, helping utilities deploy advanced monitoring and data acquisition systems.

Kerry holds a Master of Science in Business Leadership from Walden University and a Bachelor of Science from Roberts Wesleyan University. He is passionate about leveraging technology to create sustainable, resilient, and intelligent water systems for the future.

Bruce Alderman

CEO, ROTEC USA | Water Industry Leader | Expert in Commercialization, Sales, and Process Innovation Bruce J. Alderman is a passionate, process-driven leader with a proven record of bringing disruptive water technologies to global industrial and municipal markets. Over his 25+ year career, Bruce has combined technical expertise with commercial insight to drive growth, innovation, and successful market penetration across the water and wastewater industry.

As CEO of ROTEC USA, Bruce is leading the company’s expansion in the United States, building on a legacy of leadership that includes his tenure as North American Industrial Sales Director at DuPont Water Solutions and Vice President of Sales at Desalitech. At Desalitech, he built and led a team of sales, process, and product specialists, achieving more than 200 system sales to over 50 major companies—including Coca-Cola, Pepsi, ADM, Cargill, Tesla, Ford, and Southern California Edison—and successfully entering the municipal market with a 16 MGD system. Bruce also led the process that culminated in Desalitech’s sale to DuPont in 2020 and guided its seamless integration.

Known for his ability to unite technical rigor with strategic decision-making, Bruce has excelled in roles spanning R&D, commercialization, marketing, sales, product management, process engineering, and field services. His leadership has consistently delivered revenue growth, with DuPont’s industrial sales under his direction rising more than 20% between 2020 and 2022.

Core Skills:
Coaching & Motivating • Strategic Decision-Making • Technical Expertise • Process Optimization • Communication & Team Leadership • Market Expansion

Education:

Accolades:

Megan Glover

Megan Glover is the Co-Founder and CEO of 120Water, a leading provider of cloud-based software and services that help government agencies, public water systems, and facilities execute safe and compliant drinking water programs. Since launching the company in 2016, Megan has guided 120Water into becoming a trusted end-to-end platform that empowers clients to protect public health by managing complex water quality initiatives with efficiency and accuracy.

With more than two decades of experience in marketing, business development, and executive leadership, Megan has built a career at the intersection of technology, public health, and innovation. Prior to founding 120Water, she served in senior leadership roles at hc1.com, RICS Software, Delivra, Compendium Blogware, and DyKnow, where she drove revenue growth, spearheaded demand generation strategies, and positioned companies for long-term market success. She also founded 3 Dots Marketing, a consultancy focused on delivering high-impact B2B marketing and lead generation strategies.

Megan began her career at DePauw University, where she served as Assistant Director of the Annual Fund, and later held roles in brand enforcement, online marketing, and advertising at Angie’s List. Throughout her career, she has been recognized for her ability to scale organizations, navigate new markets, and inspire teams to achieve ambitious growth targets.

Passionate about using technology to solve real-world challenges, Megan continues to lead 120Water in advancing the future of water program management, ensuring communities across the country have access to safe, reliable drinking water.

Jennifer Zach

Jennifer Zach – Marketing & Asset Management Leader

Jennifer Zach is a seasoned marketer and communicator who has evolved into a respected advocate for asset management and water infrastructure. As Chief Marketing Officer at MentorAPM, she drives strategy and messaging for a leading enterprise asset management software provider, helping utilities and critical infrastructure organizations improve reliability and performance.

With more than 20 years of experience, Jennifer blends creative storytelling with deep technical understanding. She also serves as COO/CMO of Uberlytics, guiding asset risk management initiatives, and sits on the Asset Leadership Network Board, where she champions best practices in asset management across industries.

Before focusing on infrastructure, Jennifer built a successful career in marketing and communications—founding Fresh Words, Ink, contributing to regional magazines, and working as a corporate ghostwriter for subject-matter experts in complex technical fields. Her early career included extensive adult education and curriculum development, reflecting her passion for making complex ideas accessible.

Based in Phoenix, Arizona, Jennifer holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from the University of Toronto’s Trinity College. She continues to bridge the gap between technology, infrastructure, and human stories, helping organizations convey their impact and advance sustainable asset management.

Chad Seidel

Dr. Chad Seidel, P.E. is the President of Corona Environmental Consulting, LLC and a
Research Affiliate at the University of Colorado Boulder. Chad has focused his entire
career on technical and policy issues to address public health concerns within the
water community at Federal, state, and local levels. He has more than 25 years of
consulting experience serving the water community by providing small and large
water utilities with process engineering services, from optimization of existing
conventional treatment processes to the application of advanced treatment
processes for controlling emerging contaminants. In his role at the University of Colorado Boulder Environmental Engineering department, he has overseen EPA-
funded research by graduate students regarding building water quality concerns and small water utility challenges.

Chad has been researching and solving contaminant occurrence and treatment
challenges within the water community dating back to his master’s degree
research that supported the EPA Stage 2 Disinfection Byproduct Rule
development. He has been involved in numerous projects supporting water
community organizations including quantifying uncertainty of technology
selection predictions, regulatory development, and potential revision efforts
regarding arsenic, perchlorate, hexavalent chromium, carcinogenic VOCs,
opportunistic pathogens, and disinfectant residuals. He recently directed the
technical response to the largest Legionnaires’ Disease outbreak of 2024 in
Grand Rapids, MN by implementing a monitoring program and disinfection
practices. Chad directed Corona’s efforts supporting AWWA’s stakeholder
efforts with current EPA consideration of microbial and DBP rule revisions and
was privileged to represent the practitioner and water utility perspective in the
EPA M/DBP stakeholder meetings serving as a Technical Analyst for the National
Drinking Water Advisory Council’s MDBP Rule Revisions Working Group. Chad
was Co-Principal Investigator on California-funded projects with UC Davis,
“Consolidated Management of Nitrate Treatment: Implementation,
Demonstration and Affordability Study”, and UCLA, “Assessing California’s
Vulnerable Drinking Water Systems for Risks and Solutions (Statewide Needs
Assessment)”.

In the wake of rising public concerns about drinking water contamination and
health risks, Chad was a part of and a contributing author for the President’s
Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) report (Science and
Technology to Ensure the Safety of the Nation’s Drinking Water, December
2016) acknowledging the need to compare magnitude of different
environmental risks with each other, as well as against absolute values to make
sensible decisions about risk management and regulation. Chad is a registered Professional Engineer in several states. He holds a B.S. in Environmental Engineering from Montana Tech and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder.

Joe Wolfel

Joe Wolfel is co-founder and the CEO of Terradepth, leading the company’s mission to unlock the potential of subsea data for industries such as energy, environmental science, and defense. Prior to his leadership role at Terradepth, Joe was the Managing Partner at Exbellum, a boutique consulting firm specializing in complex human capital solutions, where he focused on advancing client problem-solving, strategic planning, and agile execution. Previously, Joe held leadership roles at the McChrystal Group and Synexxus Inc., where he led classified projects with the U.S. Army Research Labs and the Special Operations community on data distribution and digitization.

A former Navy SEAL, Joe completed multiple deployments across the Middle East and Africa, serving in both combat and strategic roles. He graduated with Honors from the U.S. Naval Academy as a Secretary of the Navy Distinguished Scholar, ranking 8th in his class.

Ramon Rubio de Castro

Ramon Castro is an innovative water-sector professional with more than a decade of international experience spanning engineering, desalination, and strategic consulting. He is the Founder and Host of The Water MBA, a global knowledge platform and community empowering water professionals through interviews, insights, and audiovisual content. Since launching in 2023, Ramon has produced over 80 expert-led episodes and articles, grown a 13,000+ member LinkedIn community, and developed a subscription-based learning service that delivers fresh knowledge monthly.

Alongside his role with The Water MBA, Ramon serves as an Advisor and Consultant with Aquasory, providing strategic guidance and third-eye analysis to clients navigating critical project decisions.

Ramon also leads on the corporate front at Innovative Water Applications Co. (IWAC), where he has held multiple leadership roles across engineering and project management. He currently heads both the Civil Engineering and Technical Office departments, after previously serving as Proposal Manager and Engineering Coordinator for large-scale desalination and water infrastructure projects in the MENA region—including the 600,000 m³/day Rabigh 4 IWP in Saudi Arabia.

Earlier in his career, Ramon spent nearly a decade at Abengoa, managing cost estimation, tendering, and engineering coordination for multi-billion-dollar desalination and water treatment plants worldwide. He contributed to landmark projects such as the 900 MLD Taweelah RO in Abu Dhabi, the Shuaibah III RO Expansion in Saudi Arabia, and the Jebel Ali RO in Dubai.

His expertise covers the full project lifecycle—tendering, engineering, and delivery—across desalination, wastewater treatment, potable water, industrial effluent, and large-scale transmission and distribution systems. He has worked on projects across the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, Asia, and Europe, serving government entities, EPC contractors, developers, concessionaires, and international financial institutions.

Blending deep technical knowledge with communication, advisory, and storytelling skills, Ramon is passionate about driving education, innovation, and sustainability in the global water industry.

Richard Brown and Brian Cummings 

Richard Brown earned his BSEE and MSEE degrees from Brigham Young University and, after six years in industry, completed his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering at the University of Utah in 1985. His doctoral research produced one of the first smart sensors—an array of miniature ion-selective electrodes with integrated electronics.

He began his academic career at the University of Michigan, where he developed the VLSI program and conducted pioneering research in microprocessor design, silicon-based chemical sensors, and brain probes. While at Michigan, he was awarded an Arthur F. Thurnau Endowed Professorship and the Distinguished Faculty Award from the Michigan Association of Governing Boards.

From 2004 to 2024, Dr. Brown served as Dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Utah, overseeing transformative growth: degrees granted increased from 484 to 1,394 annually, research expenditures rose from $30M to $107M per year, and over 100 companies were spun out. Notable milestones during his tenure include the 2022 endowment of the Kahlert School of Computing and a $50M gift in 2023 that endowed and named the John and Marcia Price College of Engineering.

Dr. Brown holds 25 U.S. patents, has authored over 225 peer-reviewed publications, and co-founded multiple technology companies, including Sensicore, i-SENS, Mobius Microsystems, and e-SENS. He is a Life Fellow of the IEEE, a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, recipient of the Utah Governor’s Medal for Excellence in Science and Technology, and winner of the University of Utah’s highest faculty honor, the Rosenblatt Prize. In 2020, he became the inaugural H. E. Thomas Presidential Endowed Dean of Engineering, and in 2023, he was named Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and of the Kahlert School of Computing.

Brian Cummings is the President and COO of e-SENS, Inc., a disruptive water technology company developing simple, scalable hardware and software solutions to improve water quality worldwide. A serial entrepreneur, he has founded more than 30 deep technology companies over his career, driven by a passion for bringing transformative innovations to market.

Previously, Cummings served as Vice President of Technology Commercialization at The Ohio State University and President of the Ohio State Innovation Foundation, where he managed all campus intellectual property and innovation assets. He launched more than 30 entrepreneurial programs for faculty, undergraduates, and graduate students, guiding over 3,000 students through commercialization curricula. He also held Director of Technology Commercialization roles at the University of Texas and the University of Utah, where he co-founded the Kickstart Seed Fund—now one of the most active and successful venture funds in the western United States.

Cummings was a founding partner in Alta Ventures, a Salt Lake City-based venture capital fund, and a member of The Innovation Institute, a think tank dedicated to teaching the lean canvas model for startup innovation and growth. He has held executive roles in multiple technology and biotech companies, holds advanced degrees in business and molecular biology, and has served on more than 30 boards. With deep expertise in intellectual property strategy, technology transfer, and company building, Cummings has a proven record of developing high-impact teams and guiding ventures from concept to success.

Tony Searls

Anthony V. “Tony” Searls is an accomplished public utility leader with over a decade of experience driving operational excellence, customer service innovation, and strategic financial management within government and utility sectors. Currently serving as the Commercial Services Superintendent at Greater Cincinnati Water Works, Tony oversees a $480M revenue stream and leads a 115-member team managing over 242,000 customer accounts across billing, field services, customer service, and revenue collection.

With dual master’s degrees in Business Administration and Human Resource Management, and a passion for equitable service delivery, Tony has implemented transformative initiatives such as customer debt relief programs, payment flexibility portals, and data-informed service shutoff processes. His leadership has resulted in improved customer satisfaction ratings (4.8/5), enhanced revenue recovery, and strengthened regional partnerships.

Tony’s career includes impactful roles at the City of Huntington, the West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner, and the Kanawha County Commission, where he led budgeting, audits, and cost-saving initiatives, including reducing jail costs by over $500K in one year. A recognized industry voice and 2025 WaterNow Alliance Emerging Leader Award recipient, Tony actively contributes to the sector through leadership in the Diversity in Water Speaker Series and the Ohio Section of the American Water Works Association.

He is a graduate of the Transformative Water Leadership Academy, where he now serves as a Small Group Coach, helping shape the next generation of water utility leaders.