U.S. Representative Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) will address the Next Generation Water Summit on Friday, June 14th in Santa Fe, NM. Congressman Luján’s keynote address will begin at 8:15 am in the Santa Fe Community Convention Center.
Congressman Luján began serving in the U.S. Congress as a Representative from New Mexico in 2008. Congressman Luján has worked to create good-paying jobs in New Mexico, increase access to affordable, quality health care, protect New Mexico’s natural resources, build a clean energy economy, and restore checks and balances in our government. He is a member of the House Energy & Commerce Committee, sitting on the Health Subcommittee, Consumer Protection & Commerce Subcommittee, and the Communications & Technology Subcommittee.
Luján is a long-time advocate for New Mexico’s acequias and traditional lands. He continually works to ensure adequate funding for these cultural assets through both the legislation he has authored and through the Farm Bill. He also supports rural farming and ranching by securing grants to help food-producing communities advance entrepreneurship. “One of my earliest memories is helping tend the acequia on my family’s small farm in Nambé, and I know that water is one of our most precious resources in both New Mexico and in the West. I introduced the Acequia Conservation Program Eligibility Act to help ensure that water conservation is a chief goal as we live, work, and plan for our communities’ futures. I am encouraged that we are holding the Next Generation Water Summit in Santa Fe to work on the solutions that are necessary for our survival,” Rep. Luján recently stated.
Congressman Luján’s Friday keynote address will be free to attend. Registration is requested, however, and can be done at www.NextGenerationWaterSummit.com. Attendees who are only interested in hearing his address are encouraged to choose the Friday-only (No CEUs) option.
Experts scheduled to present June 12th – 13th during the Summit include: Dr. Rolston St. Hilaire, Professor & Department Head at New Mexico State University; Dr. Nirit Bernstein of the Israeli Institute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences; Kyle Pickett, Co-Founder & COO, Urban Fabrick, Inc.; and Bill Hoffman of H.W. Hoffman & Associates. June 14th will be New Mexico Day, and includes a raffle of a 200 gallon rainbarrel, kids’ fun events, a tour of Santa Fe Community College’s new greenhouse facility, a “Careers in Water” track, and many how-to workshops. For more information on the rest of the Summit, please visit www.NextGenerationWaterSummit.com.
The Next Generation Water Summit brings together the building and development community, water reuse professionals and water policymakers in a collaborative setting to share best practices and learn about innovative water conservation and water reuse techniques that can be used to comply with water conservation restrictions spreading across the southwest.
Hosts of the Next Generation Water Summit will be the Santa Fe Green Chamber of Commerce; Green Builder® Coalition; City of Santa Fe; KUELWater; the Alliance for Water Efficiency, and the Santa Fe Area Home Builders Association. Major sponsors include Turner Foundation and Phyn. Santa Fe Community College is the official education sponsor, and Green Builder® Media is the national media partner.