Felicia Marcus: A Public Servant for our Era

What this episode covers

Felicia Marcus is one of the most significant public servants in water, having served on the Board of Public Works for the City of LA, served as Regional Administrator for the EPA in Region 9, COO of the Trust for Public Land and Western Director of the NRDC. As if that wasn't enough, she was also the Chair of the State Water Resources Control Board of California during the business end of the 2011-2017 California drought, which was rather scary and is now taking a “breather” as a Fellow at Stanford's “Water in the West Program”. Felicia is delightful, the speed of her mind matched only by the quality of her communication. We're so lucky to have such extraordinarily dedicated people who choose service when they could be doing a lot of different things, and the water sector is so much better off for it. Please enjoy my conversation with the excellent Felicia Marcus.  Subscribe to The Fundamental Molecule here: https://www.burntislandventures.com/the-fundamental-molecule For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fundamental-molecule/id1714287205 ----------- Felicia Marcus, a powerhouse in water policy, joins Tom today to discuss California's drought response, elevating water's importance, and the role of communication in public service. Felicia shares insights from her career, including her time as Chair of the State Water Resources Control Board and at the EPA, highlights the need for more support for water technology innovation, and expresses concerns about the current state of the EPA. Geopolitics of water and AI's implications are discussed, and Felicia offers her invaluable advice for water entrepreneurs. 00:00 - Meet Felicia Marcus 02:06 - Why Water Needs a Bigger Spotlight 03:16 - The Hidden Complexity of Water Infrastructure 06:15 - Why Water Lags Behind Energy in Investment and Innovation 07:16 - California’s Water Crisis 10:02 - Lessons from Droughts 12:58 - A Career in Water Policy 16:26 - The Future of LA’s Water and Infrastructure Challenges 20:47 - How Politics Shapes Water Policy Decisions 22:09 - Lessons from Managing California’s Drought 25:04 - Balancing Environmental Protection and Water Use 26:47 - Why Water Tech Innovation Lags Behind Energy 27:07 - The Operator vs. The Visionary 31:13 - The Power of Communication in Water Policy 36:53 - Stanford Water in the West Program 40:15 - The Role of AI in Water Management 42:52 - Water and Global Geopolitics 45:36 - Cybersecurity Risks in the Water Sector 45:58 - Advice for Water Entrepreneurs Links: Burnt Island Ventures: https://www.burntislandventures.com/ Felicia Marcus: https://www.linkedin.com/in/feliciamarcus/ SM Material Key Takeaways: "Water is a necessity for life and economic development. It's amazing how it's just assumed and taken for granted." "Energy is appreciated because people notice when the lights go out. Water is less understood, less appreciated." "California's drought taught us a lot. The public saved nearly 25% when asked. Education was key." "The disparity in funding between water and energy is a self-inflicted wound in California." "I like helping people move. You can't just say, “Do it.” You have to help them see another way." "Know your audience beyond who you want to sell to. Educate yourself on the context in which you sell."