CWA's Bryan Stubbs will be speaking at the City Club of Cleveland's 2026 State of the Great Lakes.
Sally Gutierrez will serve as moderator and lead a conversation with Bryan on how we can leverage the Great Lakes to drive economic growth and position our region as a global leader in water innovation.
The Great Lakes are home to 21% of the world's surface freshwater, and it’s not just an environmental asset: it’s an economic one. With a $6 trillion regional GDP, the region deeply depends on a flourishing water economy: the full range of economic activity that depends on, relates to, or is generated by water. With issues like emerging contaminants and water scarcity on the rise, there is both an urgent need and an economic opportunity to create solutions that can be deployed in the Great Lakes and adopted around the world.
Cleveland Water Alliance (CWA) forges cross-sector partnerships to accelerate these innovations, connecting our region’s utilities, universities, government agencies, and manufacturing leaders. From attracting tech creators to building real-world testing environments on the shores of Lake Erie, CWA is doing what Silicon Valley did for computing: turning concentrated expertise and critical need into a world-changing industry.
President & CEO Bryan Stubbs was appointed to lead CWA shortly after its inception, growing the organization into a renowned technology catalyst and establishing Ohio as a global destination for water innovation.
Join us at the 2026 State of the Great Lakes to learn why the most valuable resource of the 21st century is already in our backyard and what it means for the future of our region.
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Online ticket sales for this forum will conclude on Tuesday, June 23rd at noon.
Bryan Stubbs is a recognized leader in sustainable economic development and resilient community building, with over 20 years of experience leading technologically and environmentally focused initiatives across Chicago, Silicon Valley, and Ohio. As President and Executive Director of Cleveland Water Alliance, he has driven the growth of one of North America’s leading water innovation clusters, mobilizing $5 million in investments to develop world-class Water Accelerator Testbeds. Under his leadership, CWA has advanced water quality through innovation while catalyzing job creation. Stubbs holds a BA from the University of Kansas, an MBA from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and an Executive MBA from the Presidio School of Sustainable Management.
Sally C. Gutierrez completed her service to the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (USEPA) Office of Research and Development at the end of 2023 after almost 24 years of service. During her time at USEPA, she served as Senior Advisor for Water in the Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response in Cincinnati, Ohio. She also served as the Director of the Water Supply and Water Resources Division within the National Risk Management Research Laboratory (NRMRL), Director of NRMRL, and Director of the Environmental Technology Innovation Cluster Development and Support Program. She also served as the Acting Director of the Water Permits Division in the Office of Wastewater Management in Washington, DC where she was responsible for overseeing the national wastewater permitting program. Before her retirement, she served as the Acting Director of the Groundwater and Ecosystems Restoration Division in Ada, Oklahoma. She is a hydrologist by training and education. Prior to her USEPA service, she was responsible for leading water and air pollution control programs for the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission in Austin, Texas.
Ms. Gutierrez continues to serve the water industry both in the US and abroad.
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