Honoring the Women of Water

March 31, 2022

As part of our Women's History Month celebration, we're highlighting six pioneering women in the water movement. While women have contributed to the environmental crusade since its beginning, women, particularly women of color, have been left out of the narrative throughout history. We thank the countless women who’ve made strides in the movement and built a solid foundation in our continued fight for environmental progress and justice. As we face a code-red climate crisis, there is no time for business as usual, and these women have stepped up to the plate and have been critical voices in the call for climate resiliency, equity, and justice.

Dr. Beverly wright

Photo from Deep South Center for Environmental Justice

Dr. Beverly Wright is the founder and executive director of the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice. A longtime environmental justice scholar and activist, Dr. Wright, founded the Center to address environmental and health inequities along the Louisiana Mississippi River Chemical Corridor and the Gulf Coast Region. Over the years, Dr. Wright has conducted groundbreaking research around environmental justice, specifically on the disproportional environmental threats impacting Black neighborhoods.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Dr. Wright became an outspoken advocate for displaced New Orleans residents and pivoted the Center’s focus on policy efforts, community outreach, assistance, and training of displaced African American and minority residents. In 2010, the Center provided the same tools and service to the communities affected by the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster. Recognized for her years of dedicated work, Dr. Wright is also an accomplished author and is now a White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council member. 

A leader in the climate movement, Dr. Wright, has worked tirelessly to tackle climate change issues and advocate for the well-being of the communities in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region. She is an awe-inspiring environmental justice champion!

Photo from maricopeny.com

Amariyanna 'Mari' Copeny

The water crisis in Flint, Michigan, was a massive public health and environmental injustice. Instead of feeling hopeless, Mari Copeny set out to help her community and advocate for immediate action. At the tender age of 8, Mari wrote to President Obama describing the horrid water conditions she and her community were facing.

Mari is the perfect example of age is just a number! The now 14-year-old Mari continues to fight for her hometown of Flint, Michigan, which is still reeling from the repercussions of the initial incident and other communities facing similar water crises. Moreover, she has expanded her work to empower other young people to use their voices for environmental justice.

Pioneering Women of Water

Amongst these formidable women stand three influential figures in the Los Angeles region. Thanks to their leadership over the years, Los Angeles is at a pivotal moment in our water future, poised to be at the forefront of environmental leadership. These women demonstrated foresight and commitment to safe and healthy waterways, addressing a host of issues that plague our regional and state waters, whether it be protecting our coast from onshore drilling or enforcing water quality regulation. As formidable women in the water movement, Felicia Marcus, Fran Diamond, and Madelyn Glickfeld have generated exceptional strides towards water sustainability in Los Angeles.

Photo from Stanford Water in the West program.

Felicia Marcus

Felicia, at present, is the William C. Landreth Visiting Fellow at Stanford University’s Water in the West Program. Felicia has an extensive background, most recently serving as the California State Water Resources Control Board chair. Appointed by Governor Jerry Brown to preserve, enhance, and restore the quality of California’s water resources and drinking water, her tenure saw progress in water conservation, groundwater management, and stormwater management.

Before her appointment to the State Water Board, Felicia made tremendous strides for water resources in Los Angeles and the Pacific Southwest region. During the Clinton Administration, she served as EPA Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest Region (Region 9). She led efforts to protect public health and the environment and, most importantly, developed integral relationships with tribes, building a new generation of tribal environmental leadership. In LA, she most notably co-founded Heal the Bay and served as a Commissioner and later President of the Board of Public Works for the City of Los Angeles. As Commissioner and President, she presided over the department during the upgrade of the sewer system, water recycling expansion, and other issues, including hazardous waste reduction, solid waste reduction, recycling expansion, graffiti abatement, and expansion of street tree programs.

A driven advocate and profound leader, Felicia has helped waterways and communities across LA, the State of CA, and the entire Pacific Southwest in the face of drought, attacks on environmental regulation, and patriarchal systems.

Photo from UCLA IoES.

Madelyn Glickfeld

Currently serving as Co-Chair of UCLA Water Resources Group at the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Vice Chair of the North Santa Monica Bay Watershed Advisory Stakeholder Committee, Madelyn has a long history in the water movement. Through her work at UCLA, Madelyn researches the history of stormwater pollution in LA County and how drinking water is delivered to individual water retailers in Los Angeles County and California. Her interest in stormwater pollution began upon joining the Heal the Bay Board of Directors as VP of Policy. In this role, Madelyn’s career focus shifted from coastal areas to a watershed approach and watershed solutions.  

Her impressive career includes an appointment to the California Coastal Commission. On the Commission, she contributed to protecting coastal resources and access and addressed the approval of an Army Corp of Engineers permit raising the walls on the Lower LA River. Following the Commission, Madelyn was appointed to the LA Regional Water Quality Control Board to continue her work in stormwater waterways protection. As a Board Member, she was responsible for voting and enforcing stormwater permits by municipal, industrial, and institutional entities and cleaning up the polluted groundwater basins in Los Angeles and Ventura County.  

Despite the complex problems coastal conservation, water supply quality, and affordability posed, Madelyn worked diligently to increase awareness of the importance of stormwater capture, water recycling, and clean groundwater supplies. We thank Madelyn for her lifelong commitment to bettering our local waterways and communities. 

Fran Diamond 

Photo from The Bay Foundation.

Former Chair and Board Member of the LA Regional Water Quality Board, Fran currently serves as Board Chair of California Environmental Voters (formerly CLCV) and Board member of the Bay Foundation.

Before her appointment and the start of her 20-year tenure on the Regional Water Board, Fran worked for former California State Controller (and later Governor of California) Gray Davis as a special assistant on the environment. During this time, she was involved in various state environmental issues that plagued state lands. One such case involved the potential development of a low-level nuclear waste dump in Ward Valley. This plan would have directly impacted the Colorado River, a water source for millions of households in the West, including Los Angeles. With this vital water source at-risk, Fran encouraged the Controller to fight against the development- long story short, they won!

Once at the Regional Water Board, Fran developed regulations that would protect Santa Monica Bay, surface water, and groundwater. Under her leadership, the Regional Board dramatically reduced trash and bacteria pollution by establishing one of the first Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) in the State. The Los Angeles River Trash TMDL was a landmark decision creating conditions to prevent trash from entering the river and out to our beaches, endangering the health of beachgoers and the economy. It set precedent for the rest of the State, which followed suit in developing their statewide stormwater permits with provisions addressing trash pollution. During her four terms as Chair, the Regional Board adopted more than 40 TMDLs into our region’s Water Quality Control Plan, or Basin Plan, to be implemented by municipal and industrial permittees alike. Another notable achievement was the requirement of a sewer system in Malibu which protects the health of the thousands of swimmers and surfers who enjoy Surfrider beach. Many thanks to Fran’s dedication and hard work, leading to healthier waterways in Los Angeles and its communities.

Women’s History Month may be over, but women are making her-story every. single. day.