Heather Dyer selected as the 2024 ESA Regional Policy Award Winner

The Ecological Society of America (ESA) will present its 17th annual Regional Policy Award to Heather Dyer, Chief Executive Officer of the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District, Sunday, Aug. 4, 5:00 p.m. PDT, during the ESA Annual Meeting Opening Plenary. The ESA annual award recognizes an elected or appointed local policymaker whose record reflects the use of ecological science to inform policy decisions.

“ESA is honored to recognize Dyer,” said ESA President Shahid Naeem. “It’s rare for a biologist with ecosystems expertise to transition from technical science work to executive management. She is a role model for ecologists who may want to apply their scientific knowledge in a public service career.”

Dyer uses an integrated science and technology approach to create solutions that support surface and groundwater management, habitat and ecosystem protection and wildlife prevention for a resilient future.

She was promoted from the agency’s endangered species biologist, with an expertise in fisheries and river ecosystems, to become the Chief Executive Officer of the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District in 2019. She is the first female CEO to hold the position in the agency’s 70-year history. Dyer previously worked as a biologist with the US Forest Service and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

As the district’s leader, she has completed a strategic plan and spearheaded regional cooperative efforts to build more than $400 million of local water infrastructure. She was instrumental in creating the Upper Santa Ana River Habitat Conservation Plan, a regional environmental program that will protect and implement recovery actions for 22 native species of the Santa Ana River.

“I am so honored to be recognized by my scientific colleagues as a person who provides meaningful contribution to improving the ecological systems of our region for the benefit of many species, including humans,” said Dyer. “I always say good science is a superpower, and I truly believe that we can solve the biggest challenges of our time by relying on science and collaborative relationships. It is truly a privilege to serve in this role and I’m tremendously grateful.”

Dyer holds a Bachelor of Science degree in resource biology and a Master of Science degree in marine biology. She also received an executive Master of Business Administration degree from the Peter Drucker School of Management at Claremont Graduate University in 2019.

ESA President Naeem will present the 2024 ESA Regional Policy Award at the beginning of the meeting’s Opening Plenary, Sunday, Aug. 4, at 5:00 p.m. This plenary session is open to the public and will be held in the Terrace Theater, Long Beach Convention Center, CA.

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The upcoming ESA Annual Meeting will take place August 4–9 in Long Beach, California, and will feature hundreds of oral and poster presentations on the latest ecological science. Learn more on the meeting website. ESA invites press and institutional public information officers to attend for free. To register, please contact ESA Public Affairs Manager Mayda Nathan directly at gro.ase@adyam. On-site registration and virtual registration (providing access to the entire program and a limited number of hybrid sessions) are also available.

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The Ecological Society of America, founded in 1915, is the world’s largest community of professional ecologists and a trusted source of ecological knowledge, committed to advancing the understanding of life on Earth. The 8,000 member Society publishes six journals and a membership bulletin and broadly shares ecological information through policy, media outreach and education initiatives. The Society’s Annual Meeting attracts 4,000 attendees and features the most recent advances in ecological science. Visit the ESA website at 

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