Ethan Brown (he/him), Partner since 2021 | Community & Water
Ethan leads Willamette Partnership’s work to help build more sustainable water infrastructure with local communities. He thrives on cultivating partnerships among local organizations, residents, and public agencies as they work together to provide safe, clean, sustainable water quality solutions.
Ethan brings intellectual curiosity, a master’s degree in urban planning, and a technical foundation to his projects. He recognizes that good solutions often take a little more time and effort to build and he embraces discovering and learning alongside project partners. His work is rooted in the belief that when local communities and experts collaborate, they can together find water-related solutions that are innovative, practical, and rooted in community values and priorities.
“If you’re going to help build a park in a neighborhood, the neighbors should direct what that park looks like based on how they’re going to use it. Water infrastructure is often less visible than a park, but it is a critical part of every community’s social fabric. People can’t thrive and businesses can’t operate without clean and safe drinking water, stormwater, and wastewater services. So residents should have a similar voice in how water is handled in their community.”
SKILLS & EXPERIENCES
- Planning – land use and water infrastructure
- Public policy – local, state, and federal
- Next steps oriented facilitation and inclusive community engagement
PUBLICATIONS
Frank, K.A., Chen, T., Brown, E., Larsen, A., Baule, W. (accepted). “A Network Intervention for Natural Resource Management in the Context of Climate Change.”
EDUCATION
Masters of Urban Planning and Public Policy Economic Development Specialization
University of Illinois, Chicago, IL
Bachelors of Arts
University of Missouri, Columbia, MO
Major in English & Psychology
