Meet Our Speakers
Our Thursday program features a distinguished slate of keynote and lunch speakers.
Keynote Speakers
Patrick J. Adams
Office of the Governor
Patrick Adams is dedicated to the mission of ensuring that Arizona has a secure, reliable water future. He joins the Governor’s Office from the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association (AMWUA) where he served as Water Policy Advisor, providing policy expertise on behalf of Arizona’s largest municipal water providers. Patrick was responsible for the legislative and water resource policy programs and represented AMWUA across all levels of government. Before joining AMWUA, Patrick was an environmental scientist at ADEQ, where he administered and enforced the state’s Aquifer Protection Permit Program and Recycled Water regulations. Patrick is a graduate of Utah State University where he received a bachelor’s in environmental studies from the Quinney College of Natural Resources and a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business.
He will be giving an update on key water policy developments and ongoing issues taking place throughout the state of Arizona.
Theodore C. Cooke
Water Infrastructure and Finance Authority
Ted Cooke is a board member for WIFA, the state agency tasked with helping Arizona secure clean and reliable water supplies into the future. Ted recently retired as general manager of CAP. He worked on Colorado River issues for over two decades with CAP’s neighbors and partners in other states, along with the federal government, to find innovative and collaborative solutions in the face of a millennial megadrought and shortage conditions. Prior to his time at CAP, Ted was involved in the development, financing, operations, maintenance, and management of over 20 commercial-scale solar and geothermal power plants. He has a BS in physics from Loyola Marymount University, an MBA in operations management and management science from UCLA, and a DBA in management from California Coast University.
Ted will be speaking on WIFA’s role in meeting Arizona’s water supply needs — its background, changes in responsibilities under SB1740, governance, funds, projects, and strategic framework.
Lunch Speakers
Our Thursday lunch speakers will be discussing atmospheric rivers in California and Arizona.
Dr. F. Martin (“Marty”) Ralph
Director, Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego
Dr. Ralph is a meteorologist focused on atmospheric rivers, the origins of floods, and predictions for water management and flood control. After 21 years at NOAA, he created the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes at UC San Diego. He’s published over 150 peer-reviewed articles and has developed programs on practical applications for new science and technologies. A leading expert on atmospheric rivers, he provides input to policy makers on western weather and water extremes. He is a leader in Forecast-Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO), working closely with water managers. Dr. Ralph is a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society and has received awards from several organizations. He has a BS in meteorology from UA and a PhD in atmospheric sciences from UCLA.
Dr. Bohumil Svoma
Staff Scientist / Meteorologist, Surface Water Department, Salt River Project
Bohumil Svoma has published 29 peer-reviewed research articles in the fields of climatology and meteorology. His current research interests focus on improving the predictability of Arizona precipitation and streamflow from sub-seasonal through decadal time scales.
Dr. Svoma’s operational duties include watershed monitoring and weather forecasting, focusing on watershed precipitation in the winter and on Phoenix-area temperature and thunderstorm activity in the summer. Before joining SRP, Dr. Svoma was an assistant professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Missouri from 2013–2017. He received his PhD in geographical sciences at ASU in 2011 and his BS degrees in mathematics and geographical sciences from ASU in 2007.