Visual Culture Seminar

Angela Islas is a policy advocate and community organizer focused on water issues in California, particularly working with rural communities on groundwater and regional water management planning efforts. She will talk about her experience in community organizing, community-level research, project management, and nonprofit experience. Born and raised in Selma, CA, a rural city in the San Joaquin Valley, Angela Islas has a clear understanding of the environmental inequities that create barriers for communities in this region to thrive. Her efforts include helping rural communities participate in local, regional, and statewide groundwater and regional water stakeholder committees and advisory groups. Islas also fosters building capacity for rural communities to learn about the ins-and-outs of water policy in the California. She helps communities navigate the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act's (SGMA) implementation in the San Joaquin Valley region to advocate for their access to safe, affordable, and reliable drinking water.

Angela Islas is currently the Water Project Manager at CivicWell, a nonprofit organization focused on pressing challenges around climate change, energy, water, and community design while advancing social and environmental equity. Since 1982, CivicWell has engaged local elected officials, government agencies, and community-based organizations through policy guidance, collaborative partnerships and coalitions, and direct assistance. In her role at CivicWell, Angela Islas oversees a broad portfolio of coalitions, projects, and programs focused on California water issue. She is specifically working at the intersection of water management and land-use planning, from stormwater to groundwater and everything in between. She also works to advance the broader field of integrated water management while engaging in place-based initiatives throughout the state of California. In concert with the organization's mission to build livable communities and local leadership, she strives to address social inequities within the water sector, successfully partner with community-based organizations, and conduct community engagement activities in an authentic manner.

Socializing and light breakfast starting at 8:45 am.