Members of Clean River Partners are invited to attend the 2026 Annual Meeting!
During this year’s meeting, members will receive a brief organizational update and participate in the annual election for the board of directors. We will also have a short presentation by Carrie Jennings, CRP Board member, who will discuss her work understanding how large water users may impact others who share the same aquifer, and how that might relate to the Cannon River Watershed.
To conduct business at this meeting, we need a quorum of 21 members, so please come!
We will provide light refreshments and wood-fire pizza. Carrie and Charlie will fire up the outdoor pizza oven and you will be guided by board members to create your own personal pizza. Dough, sauce and cheese will be provided. You will bring additional toppings to share. Local asparagus? Goat cheese? Controversial pineapple or pickles? Get creative! BYOB. Compostable plates and utensils provided.
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Michael Pressman (Northfield, MN)
I've dedicated my career to habitat conservation and have had positions with increasing responsibility over the last 30+ years. For 3 years I built the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District's Land Conservation Program. I have 23 years of service over the last 33 years with The Nature Conservancy and currently lead our program to help resource the organization's highest impact habitat protection opportunities globally (through fundraising and talent mobility). I served for 14 years as Director of Habitat Protection for The Nature Conservancy in MN/ND/SD and am familiar with many players, programs, and funding sources for this work in MN. I am also familiar with water quality efforts in agricultural settings having served as co-fundraising lead and interim director of The Nature Conservancy's Mississippi River Basin Program. I'm a relatively new resident of the watershed district (1 1/2 years) and would be honored to be able to contribute towards the great work of Clean River Partners and our communities.
I'd be interested in exploring ways I might be able to be helpful with fundraising, strategic planning, advising the habitat conservation program, and/or financial management (or other ways that emerge).
Jordan Brennan (Northfield, MN)
Minnesota Master plumber and certified through the ASSE as a backflow device tester and rebuilder. With end user knowledge of water I would like to help educate users on the importance of sanitary practices to keep water clean as well as a water conservation practices to help reduce water waste.
Clean River Partners' mission resonates with me on a personal level. I live and work in the Cannon River watershed, and I see firsthand how the choices we make on land and in our homes show up in the water around us. As a master plumber with backflow certification, water quality isn't an abstract concern for me; it's something I think about and work to protect every single day. I'm drawn to the board because I want to contribute to the bigger picture of watershed health in a more intentional, sustained way. The activities that would be most meaningful to me are those that connect everyday residents and tradespeople to conservation, helping people understand that the systems inside their homes are part of the same watershed Clean River Partners is working to protect. I'd love to be involved in community education efforts, whether that's participating in events, helping develop outreach around home water quality practices, or building relationships with other trades and contractors who have an outsized influence on how water moves through our communities. In terms of what I'm well-qualified to provide: my backflow certification means I have licensed expertise in one of the most direct points where a household or business’s plumbing can contaminate public water supplies. I understand cross-connection control, pressure dynamics, and the regulatory side of water system protection. This technical perspective could be valuable on this board, and I believe it could add real value, whether in evaluating projects, advising on infrastructure-related initiatives, or lending credibility when Clean River Partners engages with municipalities or water utilities. I'm also embedded in the local trades community, which could open doors for partnership, sponsorship, and volunteer recruitment from a constituency that cares about this place but may not yet have a formal connection to the organization's work.
David Wagman (Northfield, MN)
I see multiple points where my experience intersects with CRP's mission. First, I spent my career as a communicator who worked to understand complex topics related to the energy sector and explain those concepts to a varied audience. I organized conferences, hosted webinars and live stream events, created and launched editorial products, and hired and mentored writers and content creators. Second, I remained something of a generalist, working to understand the interconnectedness of systems across the energy sector and how those systems can be designed and built for resiliency and sustainability. Some of that work included writing on strategies that towns and regions can take as they face extreme weather events that increase the likelihood of damaging floods. As a recent volunteer with Rice County Habitat for Humanity, I have learned how wise design and building practices can result in highly energy efficient homes intended to benefit income-qualified families. Third, I recognize the value of working locally to develop and implement strategies and techniques that offer benefits that may reach outside of a targeted area. Actions taken in the Cannon and Straight river watershed can have a positive impact as far away as the Gulf Coast, and may serve as a model for other communities and watersheds to adopt.
I look forward to serving Clean River Partners' mission by supporting efforts to strengthen and expand its reach through its communications efforts. I hope to be an advocate for strategies that result in positive benefits for the environment and for neighbors in the Cannon River Watershed. My experience will enable me to help introduce Clean River Partners to potentially impactful people and organizations with whom I have associated, help advise and guide communication strategies, and provide support and insight on issues related to energy infrastructure and climate.
Devavani Chatterjea
I have worked in biotechnology, higher education, and the federal government. I began my career in drug discovery for autoimmune diseases, then dedicated my research to understanding the linkages between environmental toxins and chronic pain before moving into environmental policy on reducing harm from persistent pollutants. In the Biden-Harris White House, I was part of the team that brought the first critical standards for forever chemicals in public drinking water systems. Now at Carleton College, I would like to build relationships and lend my shoulder to local environmental protection in the Cannon River watershed. I can support CRP's mission with my scientific and policy expertise, and strong science communication and convening skills. I have previously served on charter school and non-profit boards as chair, on executive and finance committees, and on diversity and inclusion task forces. At CRP, I would be honored to serve wherever I am needed and can be useful, particularly on the internal affairs and executive committees.
Youth on Boards
Maya Klein, High School Junior
Samuel Borgerding, High School Sophmore
About our Board of Directors
Our Board of Directors is essential to Clean River Partners, elected annually at the spring Annual Meeting. Board members meet six times a year, usually on the third Thursday evening of each month, to guide our organization’s mission and strategy.
Members are expected to actively participate in committees and maintain good standing with Clean River Partners. If you're interested in making a difference, check out our board member job description for more information, attend an upcoming board meeting, or contact our Executive Director, Jennifer Tonko, to talk.
Questions about the Annual Meeting?
Contact Omena Giles, our Administrative & Engagement Assistant
Email: omena@cleanriverpartners.org
Phone: (507) 200-0260