From Coal to Clean: Transforming our Workforce for a Sustainable Southwest

Reese Baker, owner and founder of The RainCatcher, has been involved with construction, organic farming, and permaculture in Santa Fe for over 15 years. He holds a B.S. in Biology/Botany from The University of New Mexico, is certified in permaculture design and is a state licensed contractor.

Reese served on the board of directors for the Santa Fe Watershed Association and currently serves on the City of Santa Fe Water Conservation Committee. He has taught classes at Ecoversity, Plants of the Southwest, Santa Fe Prep School, Quivira Coalition, Earthworks Institute, Arboretum Tome, Permaculture Institute and Santa Fe Community College.

He is currently involved in independent research, with a focus on the importance of soil ecology in our landscapes today.

John D’Antonio is a distinguished registered professional engineer in New Mexico, holding a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of New Mexico. In 2021, he received the Distinguished Alumni Award for Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering from University of New Mexico. Over a career spanning more than three decades, John has made lasting contributions to water resources and engineering, particularly in state and federal roles.

John spent 16 years with the New Mexico Office of the State Engineer, appointed by four different governors, and served 22 years with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). His work focused on national and regional water issues, military construction, and ecosystem and flood protection projects. A passionate advocate for solving water resource challenges, John negotiated three landmark Tribal water right settlements, securing nearly $2 billion in water infrastructure projects.

He has held leadership roles such as Secretary of the Interstate Stream Commission and Chairman of the Water Trust Board, and has been instrumental in public-private partnerships and water policy development. Since retiring as State Engineer in 2021, John leads the Public Infrastructure Practice in Water Resources at Wilson & Company and serves on multiple boards, supporting STEM education and water infrastructure initiatives.

Keith Julian earned his BA in Economics and Natural Sciences from Harvard University in 1964, then served over five years in the U.S. Navy as a Naval Flight Officer, flying EA-3B reconnaissance jets during the Vietnam War. He later pursued a PhD in Earth and Environmental Science at UCLA, focusing on the environmental economics of geothermal energy systems. Keith taught at UCLA, the University of Missouri, and UC Santa Barbara’s Graduate School of Environmental Science, specializing in the environmental effects of water and energy development.

Keith has authored over 75 published scientific reports and technical papers and consulted on numerous textbooks. After directing the Economic Development Program for the Southern California Association of Governments, Keith spent 27 years as a private sector consultant, working across the U.S., Africa, Central America, and Asia. He retired as Senior Vice President of Environmental Services at Woodward-Clyde Consultants in 1996, then moved to New Mexico.

In New Mexico, Keith taught for 12 years at San Juan College’s School of Energy. More recently, he has provided pro bono consulting on water resource development and renewable energy storage issues in the Southwest, serving on the Board of Directors of the New Mexico Desalination Association.

General Partner Dangerous Ventures Ward Hendon is an investor, teacher, and entrepreneur with a diverse career spanning law, business, and education. A founding team member of Axiom Law, Ward helped grow the company into the world’s largest provider of tech-enabled legal services. With 6,900 lawyers, Axiom serves over half of the FTSE/Fortune 100 and has been recognized for innovation by The Financial Times and The Wall Street Journal. Over 15 years, Ward held executive management roles and contributed to Axiom’s global success before its 2019 acquisition by Permira, a private equity firm.

Currently, Ward teaches entrepreneurship and impact investing at UCLA Anderson School of Management and explores the intersection of law and innovation at UNC School of Law. He also invests in promising businesses, serves on boards, and mentors entrepreneurs and CEOs.

Ward graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill and its School of Law, later clerking for the Hon. Wm. L. Osteen, Sr., and practicing corporate law at King & Spalding LLP in Atlanta.