Reyn Akiona is a San Joaquin Valley ecologist and the executive director and owner of the ecological services company Valley Eco. He has spent his career implementing habitat restoration and lands management in the San Joaquin Valley of California, with a focus on building partnerships and cross-applying ecological and agronomic principles to maximize ecological benefit, impact, and sustainability of the landscape. He spent several years at the San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Complex, was the environmental program director at Bowles Farming Co. (where he helped to develop Great Valley Seed Company), and later served as the regional director at River Partners. He holds a BS in biology with a minor in chemistry, and an MS in ecology and sustainability from California State University, Stanislaus. He currently serves as a watershed coordinator in the Tule Subbasin and agricultural instructor at Modesto Junior College, and he holds a seat on the local Resource Conservation District board.

Andrew Ayres is a research fellow at the PPIC Water Policy Center. He is an environmental and natural resource economist focused on questions related to the design, development, and effectiveness of legal and economic institutions for managing the environment. His work often involves applied economic modeling and econometric analysis. Previously, he worked in Germany and the United States on projects to inform policy-making related to topics such as climate change, energy, river restoration, and water pricing. He holds a PhD in economics and environmental science from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a BA in economics from Pomona College.

Ellen Hanak is vice president and director of the PPIC Water Policy Center and a senior fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California, where she holds the Ellen Hanak Chair in Water Policy. Under her leadership, the center has become a critical source of information and guidance for natural resource management in California. She has authored dozens of reports, articles, and books on water policy, including Managing California’s Water. Her research is frequently profiled in the national media, and she participates in briefings, conferences, and interviews throughout the nation and around the world. Her other areas of expertise include climate change and infrastructure finance. Previously, she served as research director at PPIC. Before joining PPIC, she held positions with the French agricultural research system, the President’s Council of Economic Advisers, and the World Bank. She holds a PhD in economics from the University of Maryland.

Mark Hutson is a walnut and almond farmer in Chowchilla, California, where he has farmed for 40 years.  Between 1998 and 2019, he also held several positions with Hancock Farmland Services, most recently serving as senior vice president in charge of direct farming operations in California. He is associate director of the Madera/Chowchilla Resource Conservation District, and a member of several organizations, including the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers. He serves on boards of directors for the East San Joaquin Water Quality Coalition and for the Chowchilla Nitrogen Management Zone. He is a graduate of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.

Jon Klassen is the director of air quality science at the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, where he directs various teams focused on operating and maintaining both regulatory and community-based air monitoring networks and on conducting air quality data analysis, forecasting, research, and modeling analysis. Jon has been with the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District for 15 years, and holds a minor in physics, a BA in mathematics, and an MA in mathematics from California State University, Fresno.

Cork McIsaac is the president of Agriculture Industries, Inc. He provides management, consulting, and investment services to investors, institutions, agencies, and landowners with a focus on maximizing returns in a manner that maintains long-term sustainable productivity of the agricultural asset. He is directly responsible for overseeing the management of over 95,000 acres of farmland throughout the Central Valley, providing regular communication with owners to review the farming operations to ensure the farm asset is meeting short and long term economic goals. He reviews and develops agricultural projects for investors, consisting of permanent crops, row crops, and cattle ranches throughout California, as well as consulting on existing projects with an emphasis on stewardship that provides returns and enhances the assets’ sustainability

Caitlin Peterson is associate director and research fellow at the PPIC Water Policy Center. She is an agroecologist whose research spans climate-smart agriculture, soil health, diversified cropping systems, agroecosystem resilience, and multi-benefit agricultural landscapes. In her previous work, she explored irrigation and soil ecosystem functions in California almond and tomato systems, crop-livestock integration in Brazilian soybean-beef systems, and small farmer adaptation to climate change in Colombia, Tanzania, and Ghana. As a consulting agroecologist, she led programs linking farmers across the US to emerging soil carbon marketplaces. She holds a PhD in ecology and an MS in international agricultural development from the University of California, Davis.