Connecticut Water Planning Council

Council Members

Connecticut Water Planning Council Members

The Connecticut Water Planning Council (WPC) consists of four members specified by Connecticut General Statutes (CGS) Section 25-33o as follows:

Martin L. Heft, Chair

Undersecretary, Intergovernmental Policy and Planning Division, Office of Policy and Management (OPM)

Undersecretary Martin L. Heft has 39 years of government service - 20 years in several executive roles in local government and 19 years in state government - interfacing with local and state officials. He has built and sustained strong working relationships with government officials, regional councils of governments, the Connecticut General Assembly and state agencies. He currently oversees the Intergovernmental Policy and Planning Division at the Office of Policy and Management.

He serves as the OPM Secretary’s designee on the State Water Planning Council, the Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations and the Neighborhood Revitalization Zone Advisory Board. Additionally, he is the OPM liaison to the Connecticut Councils of Governments, the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, the Connecticut Conference of Small Towns, the Connecticut Association of Assessing Officers and the Connecticut Tax Collectors Association.

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Janice A. Beecher

Interim Commissioner, Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA)

Janice Beecher is an Interim Utility Commissioner of the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority. She is a Professor Emeritus at Michigan State University, where she served as Director of the Institute of Public Utilities. She is a recognized expert with four decades of experience in the economic regulation of public utilities. Her interests include the structure, economics, and regulation of the water sector and she previously served on the U.S. EPA’s Environmental Finance Advisory Board. She holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Northwestern University.

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Rachel Nowek

Section Chief, Planning & Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Section, Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH)

Rachel Nowek serves as the Public Health Section Chief for the Planning and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) Section within the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH). With more than 20 years of experience at DPH, she has held a range of roles supporting public health protection, drinking water regulatory oversight, and water infrastructure planning. In her current position, Rachel oversees source protection, water supply planning, and administration of Connecticut’s DWSRF Program. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from the University of Connecticut and a Master of Public Health from Southern Connecticut State University.

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Graham J. Stevens

Bureau Chief, Bureau of Water Protection and Land Reuse, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP)

Graham Stevens is the Bureau Chief of the Bureau of Water Protection and Land Reuse, which is comprised of the Remediation, Land and Water Resources, and Water Planning and Management Divisions. Prior to his current role, Graham served as Office Director of Constituent Affairs and Land Management and Chief of Staff to both Commissioner Amey Marrella and Commissioner Gina McCarthy. He also served as the Department’s first Brownfields Coordinator. Mr. Stevens holds a B.A. in Environmental Geography from Clark University and a M.S. in Water Resources from the University of Connecticut.