Ep. 31: Felicia Marcus - A Public Servant for Our Era
Felicia Marcus is one of the most significant public servants in water, having served on the Board of Public Works for the City of LA, served as Regional Administrator for the EPA in Region 9, COO of the Trust for Public Land and Western Director of the NRDC. As if that wasn't enough, she was also the Chair of the State Water Resources Control Board of California during the business end of the 2011-2017 California drought, which was rather scary and is now taking a “breather” as a Fellow at Stanford's “Water in the West Program.” Felicia is delightful, the speed of her mind matched only by the quality of her communication. We're so lucky to have such extraordinarily dedicated people who choose service when they could be doing a lot of different things, and the water sector is so much better off for it. Please enjoy my conversation with the excellent Felicia Marcus.
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Full show notes and links to mentioned content below.
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Felicia Marcus, a powerhouse in water policy, joins Tom today to discuss California's drought response, elevating water's importance, and the role of communication in public service. Felicia shares insights from her career, including her time as Chair of the State Water Resources Control Board and at the EPA, highlights the need for more support for water technology innovation, and expresses concerns about the current state of the EPA. Geopolitics of water and AI's implications are discussed, and Felicia offers her invaluable advice for water entrepreneurs.
00:00 - Meet Felicia Marcus
02:06 - Why Water Needs a Bigger Spotlight
03:16 - The Hidden Complexity of Water Infrastructure
06:15 - Why Water Lags Behind Energy in Investment and Innovation
07:16 - California’s Water Crisis
10:02 - Lessons from Droughts
12:58 - A Career in Water Policy
16:26 - The Future of LA’s Water and Infrastructure Challenges
20:47 - How Politics Shapes Water Policy Decisions
22:09 - Lessons from Managing California’s Drought
25:04 - Balancing Environmental Protection and Water Use
26:47 - Why Water Tech Innovation Lags Behind Energy
27:07 - The Operator vs. The Visionary
31:13 - The Power of Communication in Water Policy
36:53 - Stanford Water in the West Program
40:15 - The Role of AI in Water Management
42:52 - Water and Global Geopolitics
45:36 - Cybersecurity Risks in the Water Sector
45:58 - Advice for Water Entrepreneurs
