Cynthia Koehler is a nationally recognized environmental attorney and water policy expert with 25 years of experience working on federal and state water policy and legislation. She has served as an elected member of the Marin Municipal Water District Board of Directors for the last 14 years and has led the District’s successful efforts to expand water efficiency; MMWD now uses less water annually than when Director Koehler was first elected notwithstanding an increase in local population. These efforts have been instrumental in keeping rates affordable; Marin’s water now costs about a penny a gallon, well below water costs in other parts of California and even the Bay Area.
Cynthia is the co-founder and executive director of the WaterNow Alliance, a nonprofit network of water leaders dedicated to advancing sustainable water solutions nationwide. She was selected to serve on EPA’s Local Government Advisory Committee(2016-18), the Board of the Water Education Foundation and the Advisory Council for the Pacific Institute, among other organizations. She worked previously as the Legislative Director for California water issues for the Environmental Defense Fund, and the Legal Director for Save San Francisco Bay Association. Cynthia is a recipient of The Bay Institute’s Hero of the Bay Award and the Marin Conservation League’s Ted Wellman Award in addition to other honors. Cynthia holds a B.A. from Pomona College in Claremont, CA and J.D. and Environmental Law Certificate from the University of Oregon School of Law. Cynthia lives in Mill Valley with her husband, Gordon Renneisen, and two sons. You can often find her hiking in Marin's beautiful watershed with friends and family.
