2026 U.S. Water Leaders Summit
2026 U.S. Water Leaders Summit took place on 12 November 2026 at Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland, Cleveland. It was organised by Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, and B2DB records 35 speakers across 10 sessions on 2 stages.
The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, in partnership with Cuyahoga County, hosts the 2026 U.S. Water Leaders Summit in Cleveland, Ohio. The one-day summit brings together 100+ public officials, tribal leaders, entrepreneurs, business and nonprofit leaders and environmental stakeholders to explore community-based strategies to transform the Great Lakes economy, steward freshwater resources and prepare for future challenges and opportunities.
Key facts
| Dates | 12 November 2026 (finished) |
|---|---|
| Venue | Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland, Cleveland, United States |
| Organiser | Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative |
| Series | U.S. Water Leaders Summit |
| Speakers | 35 |
| Sessions | 10 |
| Stages | Room 205 A, Room 205 B |
| Sponsors | 9 |
| Official site | glslcities.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/Final-Agenda-USWLS-2026.pdf |
Speakers (35)
Compiled from the published agenda; speakers can claim and verify their own entry.
- Nichole Oocumma Chief Administrative Officer, Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District
- Emily Bacha Fresh Water Institute Director, Cuyahoga County
- Kierra Cotton Marketing and Communications Manager, Port of Cleveland
- Jon Altenberg President and CEO, Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative
- Steph Nick Special Projects Coordinator – Economic Development, Department of Planning & Development, Chautauqua County, NY
- T. Kevin O’Donnell U.S. Programs Director, Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative
- Chris Ronayne County Executive, Cuyahoga County
- Bryan Stubbs President & CEO, Cleveland Water Alliance
- Alaina Harkness CEO, Current
- David Goldwater Senior Vice President, Public Policy, Stantec
- Mat Siscoe Mayor, City of St. Catharines
- Justin McCaulley President, McCaulley&Company
- SeMia Bray Executive Director, Black Environmental Leaders
- Delaney Keating Director of Programs and Operations, AquaAction
- Sonia Joshi Program Officer, Fred and Barbara Erb Family Foundation
- Shawn Kerachsky President/CEO, Community Infrastructure Partners
- Michelle Burke President, Ohio Marine Trades Association
- Tim Bruno Great Lakes Program Coordinator - Interstate Water Resources Management, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
- Kim Colich Stormwater Program Manager, Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District
- Randy Lane Statewide Planning Manager, Ohio Department of Transportation
- Kelly Coffman Principal Planner, Cleveland Metroparks
- Chris Robb Senior Principal Engineer, Geosyntec Consultants
- Calley Mersmann Senior Strategist, Transit and Mobility, City of Cleveland
- Brian Oszakiewski Executive Director, American Great Lakes Ports Association
- Grantly Franklin Consul and Program Manager, Political-Economic Section, Consulate General of Canada in Detroit
- Jeff Epstein President and CEO, Port of Cleveland
- Jennifer Scheel Executive Attraction Officer, City of Cleveland, OH
- Jill Estrada Project Manager, Great Lakes Commission
- John Paul Jewell Eastern Regional Director, OPTERRA
- Kathyrn Golden Deputy Director Engineering Department, City of Lorain, OH
- Larry Fletcher Director of Strategic Alignment, Greater Sandusky Partnership/Shores & Islands Ohio
- Linda Sternheimer Senior Vice President, Port of Cleveland
- Matthew J. Castelli Mayor, City of Middleburg Heights, OH
- Paul C. LaMarre III Port Director, Port of Monroe
- Paul Edward Montgomery Ramirez Dr., Committee of 500 Years of Dignity and Resistance
Most represented companies
- Cuyahoga County — 2 speakers
- Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative — 2 speakers
- Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District — 2 speakers
- Port of Cleveland — 2 speakers
Agenda (10 sessions)
Day 1 — Thursday 12 November 2026
- Welcome Session 09:30 · Room 205 A — Jon Altenberg, Chris Ronayne, Sonia Joshi, Paul Edward Montgomery Ramirez
- Plenary #1 – The Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Story: Advancing the Fresh Coast Economic Corridor through Local Leadership 10:15 · Room 205 A — Kierra Cotton, Chris Ronayne, Chris Robb, Jennifer Scheel
- Breakout #2 – Make No Little Plans: Setting the Vision and Securing the Funding to Advance Coastal Resilience and Water Access Projects 11:15 · Room 205 A — SeMia Bray, Randy Lane, Kelly Coffman, Calley Mersmann +2 more
- Breakout #1 – Towards a More Prosperous Regional Economy: Promoting Economic Integration and Resilience Amid U.S.-Canada Trade Uncertainty 11:15 · Room 205 B — Steph Nick, David Goldwater, Mat Siscoe, Grantly Franklin +1 more
- Lunch Address 12:50 · Room 205 A — Justin McCaulley
- Plenary #2 – Innovation and Partnerships in Northeast Ohio: Building Clean Water Infrastructure for the Future 13:00 · Room 205 A — Nichole Oocumma, Kim Colich, Matthew J. Castelli
- Breakout #4 – The Local Impact of Great Lakes Restoration Investments: Restoring Our Great Lakes, Revitalizing Cities 14:00 · Room 205 A — T. Kevin O’Donnell, Tim Bruno, Jill Estrada, Kathyrn Golden
- Breakout #3 – The Coming Container Revolution: Expanding Maritime Commerce on the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway 14:00 · Room 205 B — Jon Altenberg, Michelle Burke, Brian Oszakiewski, Jeff Epstein +1 more
- Plenary #3 – Local Growth, Regional Impact: Leveraging the Blue Economy to Improve Water Quality 15:15 · Room 205 A — Emily Bacha, Bryan Stubbs, Alaina Harkness, Delaney Keating
- Closing Remarks 16:00–16:15 · Room 205 A — David Goldwater, Shawn Kerachsky
Organisers, sponsors and partners
Organiser (1)
Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative
Sponsors (9)
Community Infrastructure Partners · Google Cloud · Geosyntec Consultants · Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District · Stantec · Black & Veatch · AquaAction · Ohio Marine Trades Association · McCaulley&Company
Source: the published agenda. See how B2DB compiles its records.