Kristen Bowman Kavanagh is an “optimistic realist” for clean water

Green Philly’s latest Civic Catalyst is Kristen Kavanagh, the new Executive Director of the Delaware River Basin Commission.

Role: Executive Director of the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC). The DRBC – a “fascinating agency,” as Kavanagh described – is a regional body with the force of law overseeing river basin planning, development, and regulation across the four states where the Delaware River runs. The Commission is unique in governance but works in cooperation with member state environmental agencies.

Green superpower: Being a realist who is eternally optimistic. 

How Kavanagh wields her superpower: As a tool to “keep the conversation going,” Kavanagh finds that caring about clean water is a unifying topic. Despite conservation challenges, staying optimistic allows her to listen to all points of view. It reminds her that it is worth it to keep pushing forward for the health of the Delaware River Basin – and the over 14 million people who drink from it.

What she finds fun about sustainability work: That it’s constantly changing! Like the river she works for, Kavanagh says work at DRBC is never static, making it both a challenge and a thrill.  

What Kavanagh is looking forward to with DRBC in the next year: A brand new Climate Resilience Plan. Although this is not the first time the Commission has considered creating a plan, it is the first time that the organization is putting that idea into action. The goals of the Climate Resilience Plan include using projections rather than relying solely on past data, and starting broad, following three extended phases. Phase I is targeted for completion at the end of this year, which will determine the time needed for analysis and prioritized actions in Phase II. The final phase – Phase III – will be the ongoing work of returning to the plan, updating, and setting yearly goals. 

Challenges to overcome: The DRBC is a regulatory body that does not operate any reservoirs or infrastructure, so it can be a little tricky to translate their work to a broader audience. Making changes or upgrades to physical structures “can be more concrete examples of resilience planning for the public to understand, compared to our work focused on research, monitoring, and modeling to support effective long-term planning and management and policy decisions.”

Advice for getting involved in sustainability work: “Learn as much as you can as early as possible so that you have a broad foundation of knowledge. Ask lots of questions, and be open to differing approaches and points of view.” Plus, the DRBC has many opportunities to get involved. The Commission holds public workshops and forums to communicate with river stakeholders. People particularly interested in contributing may also apply for open advisory committee positions. Finally, keep your eyes peeled for opportunities to help with the Climate Resilience Plan. “We are going to be incorporating public input into the Climate Resilience Plan early on in the process,” says Kavanagh. 

How to get in touch: You can find all DRBC staff members’ email addresses and phone numbers on their website here. Kavanagh’s contact information is kristen.b.kavanagh@drbc.gov and 609-477-7221. 

P.S. The Delaware River is up for Pennsylvania River of the Year! You can cast your vote here.

Cover photo: DRBC on Flickr.