Equity In Every Drop - A Waterkeeper Alliance Podcast

Thomas Hynes is the Communications and Marketing Manager for Waterkeeper Alliance. In addition to podcast hosting and production duties, he manages and writes all sorts of editorial content for the organization, including blogs, feature articles, advocacy alerts, email campaigns, social media content, and more. Thomas grew up on the Long Island Sound in Connecticut and now makes his home two blocks from the East River in Brooklyn, New York. He primarily commutes across the river to the Waterkeeper Alliance office via ferry boat. Thomas was drawn to environmental work in order to take an active role in the fight against climate change and help bring justice to the rotten polluters who seek to ruin our shared resources. Before working at Waterkeeper Alliance, Thomas wrote a nonfiction book about the history of wildlife in New York City. "Wild City" also highlights the power and success of the Clean Water Act, and other environmental regulations, in leading an unlikely ecological turnaround. In his spare time, Thomas photographs the many tugboats traversing the city’s various waterways. Thomas lives in Brooklyn with his wife and their son. They can be found most weekends walking or biking along the East River.

Brent Walls works as the Upper Potomac Riverkeeper and is responsible for defending the public trust of the rivers and streams in the Upper Potomac by advocating for clean water and ensuring the the virtues of the Clean Water Act are enforced. Brent Walls has been an advocate for clean water for over 20 years. With an Environmental Science background in fresh water ecology, Brent has brought a valuable scientific perspective to Potomac Riverkeeper since 2009. His experience in water quality sampling has ensured defensible enforcement actions and has been a unique advising asset with local watershed groups. Brent’s love of technology has inspired the development of a drone surveillance program for the organization to investigate pollution issues and his knowledge of geographic information systems has increased the impact of our advocacy actions through the visualization of data in maps.

Lori Harrison is the Communications and Marketing Director for Waterkeeper Alliance. She oversees multi-faceted communications and marketing activities to advance the organization’s mission of protecting our right to clean water in communities around the world. With 25 years of experience in strategic water communications and mission-based work, Lori is an award-winning writer and content creator. Her expertise lies in translating complex concepts into relatable ideas, fostering engagement, and promoting sustainable practices and solutions. Her work not only aims to protect clean water, public health, and the environment but also focuses on "connecting the disconnect" between people and this essential resource. Before joining Waterkeeper Alliance, Lori had a background in corporate marketing for professional sports and held various communications and creative positions with a non-profit educational organization for global water professionals. Notable achievements include creating the WATER'S WORTH IT® grassroots awareness campaign and writing the award-winning children's book, “Why Water's Worth It,” designed to educate and inspire the next generation of water protectors. Lori lives in Virginia with her husband and their two children.

Luis Cruz is part of the Community Navigator team at Hispanic Access Foundation, where he helps Latino serving community organizations gain access to the resources available to them through our partners at the US Forest Service. He received his undergraduate degree in biological sciences and his masters in conservation biology both from the University of Rhode Island. Following graduate school. Luis worked for three years as an environmental scientist at a wastewater treatment plant in Rhode Island. Now living in Marina California, you can find him volunteering at the Monterey Bay Aquarium talking about the ocean with anyone willing to listen.