DES MOINES, IOWA (September 8, 2022) — The Iowa Environmental Council (IEC) is pleased to announce Alicia Vasto will serve as IEC's Water Program Director, responsible for leading the organization's efforts on clean water, land stewardship, and climate resiliency.

Vasto joined the Council's Clean Water and Land Stewardship Program in 2019 and became Water Program Associate Director in 2020. Vasto has played a key role in the organization's water-outreach and -advocacy goals, including source-water and drinking-water protections, community engagement on flooding, IEC's Water Watch initiative, Nutrient Reduction Strategy analysis, and efforts to fund the Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund in Iowa.

In addition, Vasto has taken a leadership role within the council on their justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives.

"I am grateful for the opportunity to continue to grow with IEC by taking on the role of Water Program Director. I'm so proud to be part of this organization. I look forward to building off the work already underway with our partners on clean-water and -climate advocacy and finding new ways to make progress in our state," said Vasto.

Vasto holds a Master of Environmental Management degree from Duke University with a focus on land conservation and management, and an undergraduate degree in Environmental Science from the University of Notre Dame. Prior to her role with IEC, Vasto was the executive director of the Iowa Conservation Education Coalition and served as Operations and Communications Director at the Land Trust for Central North Carolina.

Vasto volunteers her time as an Assistant Commissioner for the Polk County Soil and Water Conservation District. She was recently honored with a New Voices in Water Quality Award from Conservation Learning Group.

"IEC's Board and staff are pleased to see Alicia step into this role," said IEC Executive Director Brian Campbell. "In her time with the Council, she's been instrumental in helping IEC expand our reach and influence on issues of water-quality and land-stewardship in Iowa. Her insight and strategic mindset have also helped us envision new ways we can address these issues as they intersect with the pressing challenges of climate change and environmental justice."

Vasto can be reached at vasto@iaenvironment.org.

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