After being with Milwaukee-based nonprofit The Water Council for more than a decade, Karen Frost is settling into the new role of executive director.
She previously served as vice president of economic development and innovation. Frost replaces Dean Amhaus, who helped launch The Water Council and served as the nonprofit’s leader for 15 years.
Frost recently spoke with BizTimes Media reporter Ashley Smart. She shared her priorities for The Water Council and what new partnerships the organization is pursuing. Below is a portion of the conversation.
[caption id="attachment_613775" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Karen Frost. Image courtesy of The Water Council.[/caption]
How have you taken your first few days to acclimate to your new role?
"I came into the role on (June 2), but I have been transitioning with Dean for the last few weeks. It's a change from what I have been doing, but I think there's a comfort level because I've been with the organization for a decade now. I know the organization inside and out, it's just a little bit different perspective."
What are your biggest priorities for The Water Council in the next 1-2 years?
"Having led innovation and economic development for the last six years, those things are top of mind. I think our member base is very interested in emerging innovations. You've probably seen a lot of information about emerging contaminants and water issues. Those things are going to be exacerbated in the coming years. Things like micro plastics, PFAS and other contaminants are going to be more engrained in the daily vocabulary of citizens. Those are problems to be solved, and our role is to be a pipeline of innovation through our programs. The other side of that coin is The Water Council's work with sustainability, helping companies identify their water risks and being able to quantify actions to take to address those risks. I think more tightly integrating those programs of stewardship and innovation will be key."
How will The Water Council split its time between innovation and sustainability?
"There's a lot of opportunity in the sustainability space. Sustainability applies to any company that uses water. It could be a company in food and beverage, or an automotive or any company. The innovation for those companies and their water usage is universal. I wouldn't exactly know how to split the two. I think they're two sides of the same coin."
How do recent economic development deals, like the Microsoft data center project, help support the work The Water Council does?
"It demonstrates the economic development vibrancy of Wisconsin. To be able point to those companies' boards and say, 'Oh, the likes of Microsoft' decided to locate in Wisconsin'... that's definitely state boosting, right? I think it just helps with the overall value proposition and reputation of the state for being business friendly overall."
What are the benefits of The Water Council recently becoming an official affiliate of MMAC (Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce)?
"The affiliate relationship is going to open a lot of doors and opportunities for us. We are already working with MMAC and, to me, this is a very natural bridge into that. It allows us to optimize some aspects of The Water Council that can be managed under MMAC, like being able to tap into some of their membership support activities and their financial record keeping, and some of their event operations. It will allow us to tap into other areas of expertise and capabilities that are represented in their bigger team that we didn't have within The Water Council staff."
Will The Water Council maintain its office in the Global Water Center?
"We're still a completely independent nonprofit. We do plan on maintaining our location in the Global Water Center. We see that as core to The Water Council's brand identity. We have a number of water tech companies in the building, as well as co-working companies that are in the water tech space. We have every intention to stay with a presence here."
What kind of momentum did The Water Council gain by going through the process of applying for a NSF Regional Innovation Engines grant?
"The NSF ($1 million) development award allowed us the opportunity to have really intentional bridge building with other partners and say, where are there complementary goals and objectives around these themes of water and energy? We have really strengthened our relationship with the University of Wisconsin (system). UW has been a well-nurtured relationship that we explored through NSF. Also, through the Center for Dairy Research, we've identified many ongoing opportunities. Water and dairy operations are such a huge deal. We have fostered a much closer relationship with the Wisconsin Technology Council and Microsoft. There are a couple of other groups that I would like to pick the ball back up with."
As Amhaus continues to help with your transition, are there any words of wisdom from him that you’ll carry with you?
"I feel like Dean, as the (outgoing) president and CEO, really put faith and confidence in me. He allowed me to grow and develop and expand within the organization and really deploy my talents. He had trust in me and was always very encouraging and supportive. So, I wouldn't say words, necessarily. I would say just the confidence he had in me as a leader."
More articles about The Water Council:
