Enrique Valdivia, Esq., Treasurer of the Board

Enrique has practiced environmental law at Texas RioGrande Legal Aid in San Antonio, Texas since 1985. Enrique is a member of the Edwards Aquifer Authority Board of Directors, representing District 7, which covers a northwest-central portion of Bexar County. As secretary, Mr. Valdivia serves on the board’s Aquifer Management Planning Committee, Executive Committee, and chairs its Permits/Enforcement Committee. He was elected to the board in 2006 and re-elected in 2010.

Enrique, a resident of San Antonio, is a practicing attorney with Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid, Inc. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy from Carleton College, and Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Wisconsin School of Law.

Enrique has served as board president of San Antonio non-profits Aquifer Guardians in Urban Areas (AGUA), the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance, and Fuerza Unida. He also serves on the boards of Texas Fund for Economic & Environmental Education and Jump Start Performance Company.

Christopher Colón, Board Member

Hailing from Youngstown, Ohio, Chris Colón brings a rich cultural heritage with roots traced back to the Taíno people of Puerto Rico and Welsh immigrants. With a career spanning over 20 years, Chris has excelled in various roles, including social worker, business development professional, and counselor within the healthcare industry of the Mahoning Valley. Recognizing the profound healing impact of nature on both his clients and personal well-being, Chris transitioned his professional focus to environmental advocacy. Presently, he holds the position of Northeast Ohio Regional Director for the Ohio Environmental Council, where he directs his efforts toward championing environmental justice and advocating for a clean energy future. He also co-founded Thrive Mahoning Valley in 2018, where he continues to serve as Director.

In addition to his professional commitments, Chris takes pride in his role as a devoted husband and father of two boys. As part of his self-care routine, he engages in the meticulous craft of refining recipes, explores parks and green spaces, and maintains an unwavering commitment to the Las Vegas Raiders.

Bala Kumar, Esq., President of the board

Bala is originally from Pensacola, Florida, but moved to Pittsburgh for law school at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. He is currently a resident in the South Hills of Pittsburgh. He received his B.A. in English from the University of Florida in 2009 and his J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 2012 with a Certificate in Environmental Law. At Pitt, he was a Certified Legal Intern in the Environmental Law Clinic and an Editor of the Tax Law Journal. He worked as a legal intern with the Zoning Board of Adjustment in Pittsburgh. He is currently a title attorney at M.W. Gary & Associates.

Jonathan Cohen, ESq., Board Member

Jonathan is an oil and gas title lawyer for a private mineral aggregator. Having received a B.A. in International Relations from Penn State in 2009, he moved to Pittsburgh to attend law school, graduating in 2012 from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.

During law school, he was an intern at the Immigration Law Clinic, worked as the Head of Academic Commentary for JURIST Legal News & Commentary (www.jurist.org), and completed an internship under the supervision of Joseph M. James of the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas. Jonathan is licensed in Pennsylvania and West Virginia and has worked on complex title issues regarding ownership of oil and gas rights since 2013.

Dr. peggy slota, board member

Peggy Slota is a Professor Emeritus and Distinguished Educator at Georgetown University in DC, where she retired as a full professor in the School of Nursing in 2024. Previously, Dr. Slota held other university faculty and clinical positions in pediatric/neonatal critical care and as an administrator for critical care services. She served on the Board of Directors for the Center for Organ Recovery and Education, Center for Emergency Medicine and STAT MedEvac, and as a member of an Advisory Council to the Pennsylvania State Emergency Medical Services. Peggy was Chair of the PSNA Environmental Health Committee and served as the co-director and co-PI of the Mid-Atlantic Center for Children's Health and the Environment for 2 years, one of ten Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units in the US funded by CDC and EPA.

Her passion is focused on environmental concerns, concentrating primarily on health impacts. Currently Dr. Slota is on the Board of Women for a Healthy Environment, creating change in communities harmed by environmental injustice, and Chair of the Science Advisory Committee. She is also on the steering committee for Physicians for Social Responsibility – Concerned Health Professionals of PA - focusing on health impacts of fracking, a member of the Climate Reality Leadership Corps, Chair of the Marshall Township Environmental Advisory Council, and member of the Sierra Club political action committee for western PA. She collaborates with one of the Allegheny Land Trust protected areas and volunteers in animal rescue, with a focus on education about puppy mills and abuse. Peggy is a pescatarian, primarily for animal welfare reasons, and secondarily for the environment. She has 4 adult children and 4 grandchildren living across the country and really enjoys spending time in nature, especially biking and hiking.