While completing her graduate studies at the Clinton School of Public Service, Ali Dunbar is already making waves in the national water policy arena.
This April, Dunbar traveled to Washington, D.C., for the Water Week Congressional Fly-In, an annual event where more than 200 professionals from all 50 states discuss water solutions through direct engagement with federal agencies and congressional offices.
Representing Rogue Water Lab as a Program Coordinator, Dunbar played a key role in the event’s outreach efforts. She produced “Hallway Hot Takes,” a series of candid 60-second social media interviews featuring water professionals. These segments provide a platform for utility leaders, agency officials, policymakers, and advocates to share their unfiltered perspectives on federal funding, infrastructure, and workforce capacity.
“At first, it was intimidating to approach people on Capitol Hill to ask for an interview, but utility leaders and agency officials were willing to share their perspectives without hesitation,” Dunbar said. “What stood out most to me was getting to hear about the real challenges they’re navigating, especially around funding, and how they are advocating for water solutions in their own communities.”
Dunbar’s path to this role was paved by her Clinton School field research. Her Practicum project, which focused on college students’ perceptions of water directly led to her position with Rogue Water Lab. Her commitment to the industry continues to grow through her recent role on the Rising Water Professionals Steering Committee for the Reservoir Center for Water Solutions.
“Being in a space with such a wide range of perspectives and hearing the urgency around drought, aging infrastructure, and affordability was a reminder how the work is deeply interconnected,” Dunbar shared. “The commitment to advancing solutions is shared across utilities, agencies, and nonprofits.”
For Dunbar, the most memorable part of the trip was the sense of shared purpose among the professionals she met.
“It was just being able to meet and learn from water professionals across the country from small and rural community water systems, big-city utilities, and members of Congress all showing up to advance water and protect communities from different vantage points.” she said.