The Flow of Trust: Launching the Water Utility–Community Communications Guide

 December 11 @ 10am PT/ 1pm ET

Building trust between water utilities and communities can open the door to improve our management of water systems. Good communication between utilities and communities can help build public support, avoid conflict, prevent crises, and ensure smoother implementation of projects. 

In this webinar, we are launching a new Water Utility-Community Guide for Communications co-created by The Junction Coalition and the Water Hub, with input from Rogue Water Lab. Featuring Alicia Smith from The Junction Coalition and Chelsea Boozer from Rogue Water Lab, we’ll cover:

• The crucial role of communications in building trust
• Communications dos and don’ts for water utilities and community members
• Case studies featuring the experiences navigating communications challenges

Communication and community engagement can play a critical role in building trust, but to do so, “we need to shift from considering them soft skills and start recognizing them as power tools,” says Chelsea. Join us to ask your questions to speakers with years of experience building partnerships nationally and locally.

Meet the speakers

Alicia Smith

Alicia is a co-founder and executive director of the The Junction Coalition, a community nonprofit based in Toledo, Ohio made up of four pillars of justice: Environmental, Social, Economic and Peace Education. Previous to this role she was the Community Engagement Director for Freshwater Future as well as a principle and educator. She has been awarded the Environmental Justice & Equity Expert Award by the Urban Waters Learning Network in 2020 and a 2025 Wavemaker Honoree. She is always making things happen in the Junction neighborhood - whether a kid needs a meal, an elder needs home repairs, or our waters need to be cleaned up - she is there with a solution.

Chelsea Boozer

Chelsea Boozer has dedicated her career to advancing public trust in water through communications, policy, and engagement. She currently serves as Executive Director of Rogue Water Lab, a nonprofit that equips and inspires the water sector to strengthen stakeholder relationships, enhance transparency, and build durable trust with the public. Prior to taking the helm of Rogue, Chelsea served as Government Affairs Manager for Central Arkansas Water, the state’s largest drinking water utility, where she led government affairs, stakeholder engagement and regionalism efforts. 

José Aranda

As Water Hub’s Senior Relationships Manager, he advances water equity through the Color of Water initiative, which aims to give voice and visibility to people of color often overlooked in mainstream media. José brings over a decade of experience in water and communications. Prior to joining the Water Hub, José served as Water Program Associate at the Pisces Foundation where he supported the strategic development of a national program focused on advancing a more holistic, equitable, and sustainable approach to water management. José also previously served as Water Fund Coordinator for the El Triunfo Conservation Fund in Mexico.