LOS ANGELES, CA Michael Drennan, Vice President and Technical Director of WSP USA's watershed management practice in Los Angeles, California, has been appointed to the advisory board of the Luskin Center for Innovation at the University of California - Los Angeles (UCLA).

The Luskin Center is a community-oriented research institute that unites UCLA scholars with civic leaders on important initiatives including urban greening, advanced transportation, sustainable water, and climate action. The center is focused on initiatives that seek to turn research and expertise into real-world policy solutions.

Civic partners on the advisory board include leaders from government agencies, non-profit organizations, business associations and the community, including Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and former California State Senator Fran Pavley. Mr. Drennan, whose three-year board term begins this summer, will support the Luskin Center's Sustainable Water and Urban Greening initiatives.

"I am excited about the opportunity to work with UCLA scholars and forward-looking civic leaders to address the most pressing issues confronting our community, nation and world,"Drennan said. "As a representative of the local business community, I look forward to leveraging rigorous academic research to accomplish real-world solutions."

Drennan has more than 30 years of experience helping communities meet their water resource, water quality, and public infrastructure needs, while protecting and enhancing their natural ecosystems. In addition to developing the firm's Southern California water business, he also leads the firm's national initiative on the future of urban water.

"WSP promotes principles that are very much aligned with my professional and personal values," Drennan said. "Cities are looking for integrated solutions in the redesign of their urban centers that require skill sets in urban planning, transportation, water, energy and buildings. WSP's approach to building future urban centers is specifically tailored to address these multi-objective needs."

Drennan has helped to influence California and national water policy and legislation and is an active participant on a number of boards and committees. He currently serves as president of the board of directors for the Council for Watershed Health, a nonprofit dedicated to advance the health and sustainability of Southern California's urban watersheds.

He is the past co-chair of the American Society of Civil Engineers' Los Angeles Regional Watershed Infrastructure Funding work group and past member of the City of Los Angeles River Revitalization Plan peer review committee.