Hugo Neu Corporation Sustainability Seminar Series: Driving the Change: Shared Action for New Jersey’s Water Future
Department of Civil, Environmental, and Ocean Engineering
Speaker: Paula Figueroa-Vega, Director, Jersey Water Works Collaborative and Organizational Development
ABSTRACT
New Jersey, like much of the country, faces a water infrastructure crisis that requires billions of dollars to address aging systems, lead and PFAS contamination, and increased climate-related flooding. These challenges threaten public health and demand urgent, coordinated investment in clean, safe, and affordable water. Jersey Water Works is a collective impact collaborative that unites over 600 members—including community advocates, public health officials, engineers, and policymakers—to improve water infrastructure and ensure access for all New Jersey residents. By working together, the collaborative develops solutions that promote clean water, healthier neighborhoods, local jobs, climate resilience, and economic growth. This seminar will highlight how collective impact and ongoing collaboration are essential for achieving systemic change in water infrastructure and stormwater management.
BIOGRAPHY
Paula Figueroa-Vega co-leads New Jersey Future’s Collective Impact program areas and advances its organizational development goals. Her primary responsibility is managing the Jersey Water Works collaborative and convening a diverse statewide network focused on shifting the culture and thinking around one of the state’s leading policy issues: water. She coordinates the Steering Committee, the PFAS and Emerging Contaminants Committee, and the water workforce initiatives. Paula serves on the board of The Watershed Institute and the NJ PFAS-PIC (Partnership Innovation Consortium). She is a One Water Council Member for the US Water Alliance and a Lead NJ Alumna (Class of 2024). With over 20 years of experience in nonprofits and higher education, she has a strong track record of connecting people to resources, developing impactful programs, and facilitating collaborative work. In 2019, Paula co-founded MAPA Collaborative, a management consulting firm. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science, and Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Rutgers University.
Zoom Link:
https://stevens.zoom.us/j/99998532806
Website:
https://www.stevens.edu/sustainability-seminar-series
Jointly Sponsored by:
HUGO NEU Corporation
WSP
HDR
NOMADICS
H2M Architects and Engineers
Dewberry
Contact:
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