SACRAMENTO – The Water Foundation announced today that its Board of Directors has appointed Allison Harvey Turner as Chief Executive Officer, effective September 3, 2019. Allison succeeds Wade Crowfoot, who served as CEO from 2016 to January 2019.
Widely respected in the fields of philanthropy and water and land conservation, Allison embodies the values, skills, and experiences essential to the Water Foundation’s continued achievement and forward momentum. She joins the Water Foundation with the enthusiastic support of the board and staff after a six-month national search.
“We are thrilled to welcome Allison to the Water Foundation and to have her lead our work ensuring people and nature have clean, reliable water now and into the future,” said David Beckman, chair of the Water Foundation Board of Directors and president of the Pisces Foundation. “Allison brings deep understanding of water policy and management, and philanthropic best practices, as well as a proven commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity. Under her vision and guidance, the Water Foundation is strongly positioned for its next chapter of growth and impact.”
Allison joins the Water Foundation after more than 15 years advancing large-scale water and land stewardship solutions. She currently serves as the Environment Program Director at the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation. In that role, she has directed conservation strategies with a focus on strengthening organizations, networks, and fields. As part of the senior management team at the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, she helped it grow from 10 to 30 professionals and direct more than $1 billion in grantmaking.
In addition to her role with the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, Allison helped initiate and advise the Water Funder Initiative, which works to raise water’s profile in the philanthropic community and has aligned more than $100 million from philanthropic partners. Allison also managed the California Conservation Fund and serves on the board for Audubon California and advisory boards for Sustainable Conservation and the Water Solutions Network.
“Over the past few years, I have had the privilege of working with the Water Foundation team as one of its funders and have been continuously impressed by their nimble, creative, and bold approach to our country’s most urgent water challenges,” said Allison Harvey Turner. “I am deeply honored to join the Water Foundation and look forward to helping the team shape implementation of our new strategic framework. It’s an exciting time to lead the Water Foundation and continue to build an ambitious and strong institution.”