Lifting up Women in the Water Industry

Nation of Neighbors recipient Brianna Huber

Brianna Huber, Executive Director of Her2O, received one of ten Nation of Neighbors℠ empowerment awards presented nationwide. In addition to the award, she received a $10,000 grant for her organization.

Brianna works as the Director of Water Filtration for the City of East Moline, Illinois, and also launched and was chair of the Women in Water Committee for the Illinois Chapter of the American Water Works Association. “I did not choose water. It chose me,” she said. “I needed a change of pace, so I applied on a whim for a chemist and assistant director position of a municipal drinking water treatment plant.”

Soon after starting in her new role, Brianna realized the unique and positive impact she and other women could make in the water/wastewater industry, and she quickly became passionate about networking with them. She felt called to be active in supporting and lifting up her female water peers around the world.

“Sometimes a dream is not a dream at all. It’s a calling,” said Brianna. “And a calling, backed by purpose, within a passionate person, quite literally can look to outsiders as some sort of delirious obsession,” she added. “Women in water is my calling, my obsession, not my job!”

Brianna launched Her2O in January 2020. Her2O’s mission is to stimulate, elevate, and embolden (SEE) women’s participation in global water management. Through outreach, education, training, mentoring, advocacy, scholarships, research, and support programming, Her2O is conducting research, raising awareness, creating cultures, removing barriers, creating opportunities, and inspiring the next generation of women in water management.

“We believe that having women involved in water management in every corner of the globe will positively impact our planet, people, and economy,” said Brianna. “By equitably involving women in water management, we develop more innovative, more efficient, more financially beneficial, less risky, more timely solutions to global water issues.”

The empowerment grant will help Brianna grow Her2O to benefit women in the water management industry worldwide through outreach, education, scholarships, and research. “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to grow my community of women and its resources,” said Brianna. “We will be able to lift up women and societies around the world and further boost the local economies where women are involved.”