Who We Are

J.D. Strong was named Executive Director of the Western States Water Council in September 2025 and brings more than three decades of leadership across water, natural resources, and intergovernmental affairs. Created by the Western Governors in 1965, the Council is a government entity whose members are appointed by—and advise—their governors on water policy across the West. As Executive Director of the Oklahoma Water Resources Board, Strong led the most significant update to the Oklahoma Comprehensive Water Plan in decades; oversaw the State’s AAA‑rated, multi‑billion‑dollar water‑infrastructure financing program; provided expert testimony before Congress; and helped negotiate a landmark agreement among the State of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, and the Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations. He later served as Director of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, where he modernized licensing and customer systems, expanded public access, and grew participation in hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting. Earlier, he served as Oklahoma’s Secretary of Environment, coordinating cabinet‑level policy among environmental agencies and leading major initiatives including work at the Tar Creek Superfund Site. Nationally, he led industry partnerships for the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation, strengthening collaboration among states, industry, and NGOs.At the Council, Strong represents Western States Water Council before Western Governors, Congress, and federal agencies; serves as liaison with interstate and federal partners, including the Western States Federal Agency Support Team (WestFAST); and works with member states, tribes, and stakeholders on priorities such as drought resilience, water‑infrastructure investment and finance, water‑supply reliability, interstate compacts, Indian water‑rights settlements, and cooperative federalism. He also supports efforts to improve decision‑support tools and information needed by states and their partners to effectively manage the West’s invaluable water resources. Strong holds a B.S. in Wildlife Ecology with a minor in Range Management from Oklahoma State University. He is known for pragmatic, coalition‑driven solutions that bridge state‑tribal‑federal interests and deliver durable outcomes for the West’s communities, economies, and ecosystems.

Dr. Roger S. Pulwarty is the Senior Scientist in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Physical Sciences Laboratory at the NOAA Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado. He was previously the Senior Advisor for Climate Research in NOAA’s Climate Program Office. His research and publications focus on climate, impacts assessment, and adaptation in the U.S., Latin America, and the Caribbean. Roger is a lead author on a number of national and international climate assessments, including the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction Global Assessment of Disasters and the UN International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Reports on Water Resources and on Extremes. He is a convening lead author on Adaptation Planning and Implementation in the 2014 IPCC Fifth Assessment Report. Dr. Pulwarty has acted in advisory capacities on climate, natural resources, and disaster risk reduction to several national and international agencies, including the Organization of American States, the Caribbean Economic Community (CARICOM), the Global Framework on Climate Services, the UN Development Programme, UN Environment Programme, and the InterAmerican Development and World Banks. He co-chairs the UN World Meteorological Organization Climate Services Information System implementation team and the White House Committee on Environment, Natural Resources, and Sustainability Task Force on the Water-Energy-Food nexus. Roger has provided testimonies before the U.S. Congress on climate, adaptation, and natural resources, served on science advisory committees of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, and is regularly called on by media outlets, including the New York Times and the BBC. He is the co-recipient of NOAA Administrator and U.S. Department of Commerce awards for linking science and decision making, and is the recipient of the 2014 Gold Medal in Applied Sciences and Technology from the Government of Trinidad and Tobago. Roger is Professor-Adjunct at the University of West Indies and the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Dr. Cindy Nickerson joined the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Chief Economist (OCE) as the Deputy Chief Economist in June 2020. In this role, Dr. Nickerson assists the Chief Economist with overseeing OCE’s mission and leading a dedicated team in advising the Secretary and top policy officials regarding the economic implications of programs, regulations, and legislative proposals affecting the U.S. food system and rural areas. Dr. Nickerson has over 24 years’ experience providing policy-relevant economic expertise on a wide range of issues. Prior to joining OCE, she was the Director of the Market and Trade Economics Division at USDA’s Economic Research Service and earlier served on the management team of ERS’ Resource and Rural Economics Division. In these leadership roles she oversaw and influenced research on many topics including the agricultural economy, rural economy, global markets and trade, and conservation. She also served on the White House’s Council of Economic Advisers, where she provided economic advice on administration initiatives and regulatory actions relating to agriculture, economic development, transportation, rural child poverty and evidence-based policymaking. Dr. Nickerson received her Ph.D. in Agricultural and Resource Economics from the University of Maryland, an M.S. from California State University, and a B.S. from Towson University. She grew up on a small cow-calf operation in north central Maryland.