Ann Hayden

Ann Hayden is Vice President of Environmental Defense Fund’s Climate Resilient Water Systems Program and oversees implementation of sustainable water management approaches in the arid U.S, including California and the Colorado River Basin. She focuses on advancing incentive-based approaches that ensure adequate water for ecosystems, improve agriculture’s resilience to climate change and address the water needs of disadvantaged communities. For more than two decades, Ann has built broad coalitions to advance of pragmatic solutions that benefit both people and the environment. She is an expert in the development and implementation of well-designed markets that strike the right balance between ecosystem protection and the prosperity of communities.

Ann is the co-chair of the San Joaquin Vally Water Collaborative Action Program, which involves over 70 stakeholders focused on creating a more resilient Valley for communities, ecosystems and agriculture. She is Board Chair of the San Francisco Estuary Institute and sits on the Board of the Water Education Foundation. Ann received a B.A. in Marine Biology from UC Santa Cruz and a M.A. of Environmental Science and Management from UC Santa Barbara.