Announcing the 2024 Career Accelerators!
The Colorado Water Congress (CWC) proudly recognizes the recipients of its 2024 Career Accelerator Award — a year-long initiative designed to foster equity and diversity across the water sector. Through this program, awardees receive financial support to attend CWC's two flagship annual events, along with meaningful mentorship connections within the CWC community.
Meet the 2024 Career Accelerators
Victor Galvan
Victor Galvan, born in Chihuahua, Mexico, and a long-time resident of Denver, is a dedicated advocate for justice. From navigating the challenges of being an immigrant at 16, Victor recognized systemic inequalities compromising clean water access. As the former Strategic Partnerships Manager at Protegete within Conservation Colorado, he focused on amplifying voices often overlooked and advocating for water as a fundamental right. Now serving as the Environmental Justice Administrator with the City and County of Denver’s Office of Climate Action, Sustainability, and Resiliency, Victor continues his commitment to creating tangible change for historically marginalized communities. A key achievement includes co-creating the Clean Water for All Coalition, leading to the passage of HB23-1257, addressing water quality standards in mobile homes across Colorado by 2028.
Jon Harley
Jon Harley is a second-year law student pursuing a future practice in water law. Before law school, he spent nine years guiding multi-day trips in the Colorado River Basin, where he developed a love for free-flowing rivers. In his free time, you'll find Jon in the garden with his tomatoes and jalapenos, rowing his dory, fishing, and riding his bike.
Eleanor Hasenbeck
At age three, Eleanor Hasenbeck insisted on finishing an Ozark river float trip bobbing behind her parents’ canoe in a life jacket. She’s been interested in water ever since. Eleanor supports NOAA’s National Integrated Drought Information System as a communications specialist, sharing information, data, and tools to empower proactive drought management at all scales, from the front lawn to the federal government. After hours, Eleanor is a part-time law student interested in the intersections of water law and water resource science, particularly in building creative, collaborative solutions to keep water flowing for communities, agriculture, and habitats in Colorado and beyond.
Kathleen Voight
Kathleen Voight is a Master of Environmental Science student at the Yale School of the Environment. Her masters research focuses on water management in the Rio Grande Basin and its impact on livestock producers. She believes agriculture and working lands are essential to healthy landscapes and resilient rural communities. Kathleen has a background working in agriculture, ecological monitoring, and environmental education.
Congratulations once again to the 2024 Career Accelerators! If you see one of these fine folks at a 2024 CWC event, we hope you will stop and chat.