SACRAMENTO ANNUAL CONFERENCE
FEBRUARY 12-13, 2026
2026 ANNUAL CONFERENCE CALDESAL AT 15: WHAT COMES NEXT?
February 12-13, 2026 • Sacramento, CA
• Ben Alteneder, Water Infrastructure Financing Authority of Arizona
Southern California Regional Resiliency – 45 minutes
• Kira Alonzo, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (Invited)
• Tim Quinn, Ocean Well
• David Pedersen, Las Virgenes Municipal Water District
10:25 AM Break
10:35 AM Session 2 – Creating the Opportunity to Bring Seawater Desalination to Federal Land in California
Moderator: Marice DePasquale, Mesa Water
• Ed Ring, California Policy Center
• Tim Paone, Cox, Castle & Nicholson LLP
• Linnea Melbye, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
Legislature
Moderator: Adam Quinonez, California Advocate
• Samantha Arthur, Deputy Secretary for Water, California Natural Resources Agency (Invited)
• Nancy Vogel, California Department of Water Resources (Invited)
• Assemblymember Diane Dixon
• Assemblymember Jeff Gonzalez
• Assemblymember Diane Papan (Invited)
2:00 PM Break
2:10 PM Session 4 – Innovative Infrastructure Financing Opportunities
Moderator: Cheryl Clary, Co-Chair, Southern California Water CoalitionInfrastructure Finance Task Force
• Jorianne Jernberg, Assistant General Manager, Santa Margarita Water District
• James Lee, General Manager, Crescenta Valley Water District
• Fiona Nye, Irvine Ranch Water District
2:50 PM Break
3:00 PM Session 5 – Networking – Collaboration
– Coordination: Partnerships with Industry Association Colleagues
Moderator: Charles Wilson, Southern California Water Coalition
• Julia Hall, ACWA
• Jennifer Capitolo, CA Water Association
• Danielle Blacet, CMUA
• Kris Anderson, CalChamber
4:00 PM Break
4:10 PM Session 6 – How Now Brackish Desal?!!
Moderator: Lanaya Alexander, Eastern Municipal Water District
• Andrew Wiesner, Mesa Water
• Dr. Peter Fiske, National Alliance for Water Innovation
• Lee Portillo, Black & Veatch
• Robert Richardson, United Water Conservation District
5:00 PM Session 7 – Spotlight: CalDesal’s Women in Desalination Committee
• Michelle Peters, Channelside Water Resources
• Kim Adamson, Brown and Caldwell
5:15 PM Conclude Day 1
5:30 PM CalDesal Reception
Achieve Water Supply Innovation and Resilience
Agenda Day 2: Friday, February 13, 2026 | 8:30 AM – 12:10 PM
8:30 AM CalDesal Ocean Plan Engagement: Framing the “Ask”
Moderator: David Bolland, Bolland and Associates
• Jeanie Mascia, SWRCB – OPA Process Overview
• Eric Miller, Miller Marine Science and Consulting
• Scott Maloni, Black & Veatch
• Marice DePasquale, Mesa Water District
9:10 AM Break
9:15 AM Session 9 – Spotlight on Current Desalination Projects in California
Moderator: Greg Kowalski, Eastern Municipal Water District
• Marc Serna, South Coast Water District
• Lacy Carothers, California American Water
• Dragan Tutic, Oneka Technologies
• Jeremy Crutchfield, San Diego County Water Authority
10:20 AM Break
10:25 AM CalDesal Ocean Plan Engagement: Dialogue With the Regulatory Community
Moderator: David Bolland, Bolland and Associates
• Joaquin Esquivel, SWRCB
• Karen Mogus, Chief Deputy Director, SWRCB
• Kate Huckelbridge, CA Coastal Commission (Invited)
• Craig Shuman, CA Department of Fish and Wildlife (Invited)
• Matthew Dumlao, CA State Lands Commission (Invited)
11:15 AM Break
11:20 AM Session 11 – Desal Potpourri
Moderator: Eric Miller, Miller Marine Science and Consulting
• Akshay Rao, Stanford University – Energy Efficiency
• Meagan Mauter, Stanford University – Energy Efficiency
• Joe Phelan, Tenera – Brine Shearing Mortality
12:10 PM Conclude Conference
Thank You to Our Sponsors!
DIAMOND SPONSOR
C
GOLD SPONSORS
TOTE BAG SPONSOR
RECEPTION SPONSOR
LANYARD SPONSOR
GENERAL SPONSORS
THE METROPOLITAN WATER DISTRICT OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
