There is a change in leadership at the Okanagan Basin Water Board.
The Coldstream-based organization has named Anna Warwick Sears as executive director. Sears will replace retiring program manager Greg Armour, who has worked for OBWB since 1976.
“This is an interesting time to be working on water issues,” said Sears.
“The population boom and global warming are real concerns and there is growing support for more sustainable, regional planning.”
A joint function of all three regional districts in the Okanagan Basin, the board works together with all levels of government, First Nations, water suppliers, community stakeholders, agriculture and industry to find collaborative solutions for coordinated water management.
The primary work of the OBWB includes milfoil control; grants for wastewater treatment, water conservation and water quality improvement; and water management planning.
The board is also leading a two-year study of the Okanagan’s current and future water supply.
“Water connects all communities in the Okanagan and is a central part of our culture and quality of life,” said Sears.
“By working together and thinking regionally, we can address water issues throughout the Okanagan.”
Sears received her doctorate in population biology from the University of California, where she studied competition for limited resources in arid environments.
She has held the position of water stewardship director for the Okanagan Basin Water Board since June 2006.