Matt Weiser is a senior writer at The Sacramento Bee. He has covered environmental and flood control issues in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta since 1995. He graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, in 1988 with a degree in journalism, and was a 1996 Ted Scripps Fellow in environmental reporting at the University of Michigan.

Christina Swanson, Ph.D., director of its Science Center, San Francisco, CA. Dr. Swanson oversees the implementation of the Science Center's dual mission of expanding NRDC's scientific capabilities as well as increasing the visibility of environmental advocacy efforts across a range of priority issues, from reducing global warming pollution to protecting endangered species and imperiled natural places. Dr. Swanson, earned a Ph.D. in Biology from the University of California, Los Angeles, and is nationally renowned for her leadership on environmental, biological, water quality and water resource management issues. From 1999 to January of this year, she served as The Bay Institute’s Fisheries Scientist, Senior Scientist and Chief Scientist, where she oversaw the organization’s development and review of federal, state, and local environmental monitoring, regulatory and resource management policies related to endangered species, water resource management and ecosystem restoration. In 2008, Dr. Swanson was appointed as The Bay Institute’s Executive Director to lead the organization’s diverse programs and successful campaign to acquire the Aquarium of the Bay. In addition to her work in California, she has worked and conducted research on marine and estuarine fish in Hawaii and, as a Fulbright Scholar, in the Philippines. Dr. Swanson has also authored or co-authored more than 20 peer-reviewed articles and numerous technical and policy memoranda and reports. Dr. Swanson, also serves as Vice President for the Western Division of American Fisheries Society, leads a cadre of young post-doctoral science fellows who will work with NRDC advocates in their respective fields of expertise, pursuing scientific research and increasing and expanding our collaborations with academic researchers. She also directs additional funds for specialized technical consulting help to the NRDC program staff. Dr. Swanson is based in NRDC's San Francisco office.

Elizabeth Dougherty, Ph.D., Founder and Executive Director of Wholly H2o. Dr. Dougherty is determined to make innovative approaches to water sustainability all the rage in California. Her PhD in Ethnography from the University of Pennsylvania started her down the trail to green building, agroecology, fair trade, and permaculture, along with international rural development in Latin America and Africa. After working with cities and industries on becoming more energy efficient as a project manager at Flex Your Power, she was certified by the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association (ARCSA) and turned her full attention to water. Early in 2009 Elizabeth founded Wholly H2o, a nonprofit that provides education and research on efficiency, rainwater, graywater, stormwater and blackwater as primary water sources for the residential, commercial, institutional, industrial and agricultural sectors. Elizabeth serves on the Education Committee and the Research & Evaluation Committee at the CUWCC, on the Education and Outreach Committee for the CA State Water Plan 2013, on the CII High-tech Water Conservation Working Group, on Green CA, and on the Silicon Valley Water Conservation Award Committee. All she wants for Christmas is to make efficient water (re)use legal, safe, and the norm for every Californian.

Maurice D. Roos, retired Chief Hydrologist with the California Department of Water Resources. As of September 2008, Mr. Roos is Chief Hydrologist (part time) with the California Department of Water Resources in Sacramento, California, in its Division of Flood Management, where he works as a retired annuitant. Mr. Roos had 43 years of experience as a water engineer with the Department when he retired from full time service in July 2000. He continues to work part time as a retired annuitant. Prior to retirement, he oversaw work on flood forecasting, hydrology, water supply and snowmelt forecasting, staff meteorology, and related subjects. As Chief Hydrologist, he also provided (and continues to provide) advice on floods, drought, global warming, and weather modification and has participated in elements of the Comprehensive Flood Study in the Central Valley several years ago. He has kept abreast of a number of other California water and flood studies, including the Department's Bulletin 160 statewide planning reports, especially as these relate to hydrology, water supplies and water demands. Mr. Roos graduated with a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering from San Jose State University in 1957 and has been employed by the Department of Water Resources since then. His career began with studies on channels, levees, proposed water transfer works, and water quality in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta of California. From 1965 through 1978 he served in the Department's Division of Planning in various water planning studies, reservoir system operation studies, and helping evaluate water requirements and supplies and potential water system developments. He was one of the authors of several editions of Bulletin 160, the Department's main water planning document. He was also involved in water rights hearings for the State Water Project. In 1979, Mr. Roos began essentially his current assignment in the Division of Flood Management, primarily on flood and water supply forecasting for the major rivers of northern and central California. The work included providing staff expertise in hydrology and specialized hydrologic studies for other Department units, especially on flood related matters. Establishing and maintaining cooperative relationships with other agencies was an important component of the job. River forecasts and flood warnings were produced in cooperation with the federal National Weather Service. The snow measurement and runoff program was a cooperative effort with over 30 local water agencies and power utilities, overseeing the gathering of snow, precipitation, runoff and storage data and the production of the official State forecasts of runoff on major snow-fed rivers. This period of time included the deployment of a modern remote telemetry data acquisition system to aid in forecasting.

Dennis O’Connor, Principal Consultant to the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Water, and has been with the Senate since January 2003. Before joining the Committee, Mr. O'Connor spent 10 years at the California Research Bureau (CRB), a nonpartisan policy research branch of the California State Library, serving for six of those years as the Assistant Director for the Environment and Natural Resources.