Eliza Stokes

Eliza joined the Sonoran Institute in 2022 as the Program Manager of Growing Water Smart activities in Arizona, training and assisting communities to ensure that land use planning makes the most strategic and equitable use of water resources. Eliza brings several years of non-profit experience to this role, with specialties in building coalitions and partnerships, policy advocacy, and communications. She most recently served as the Communications & Campaign Manager at the Tucson-based Watershed Management Group, working to restore desert river flows through community-based water conservation solutions. She previously worked at the environmental organization MountainTrue, where she led advocacy campaigns to improve water quality, expand renewable energy, and safeguard regional forests in Southern Appalachia. Eliza is also pursuing a master’s degree in Public Policy at the University of Arizona, and in her free time she can be found exploring the Sonoran Desert, rock climbing, and hanging out with her mellow Great Pyrenees named Maggie.