Faye Sleeper

Faye Sleeper serves as Co-Director of the University of Minnesota Water Resources Center, which provides leadership in freshwater management through cutting-edge research, educational opportunities for students and professionals, and community outreach. Faye focuses on citizen engagement and watershed/impaired waters policy and training along with overseeing the outreach activities of the center. Previously, Faye held positions at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency in various water quality programs, with her last position as Manager of the Watershed Section which coordinated the MPCAs nonpoint source activities and established the developing impaired waters program. Fayes first career in social work provides insight into the human/social aspects of watershed management

Education: B.A. History and Sociology, Grinnell College, M.A. Geography, University of Minnesota.

FMR Board Member since: 2010

Quote: "Minnesotans are blessed with many water resources including the headwaters of the Mississippi River, and also the responsibility to protect those water resources both as individuals and through organizations such as the Friends of the Mississippi River."

Interesting book: Canoeing With the Cree, Eric Severeid.

Hobbies: Gardening, reading, travel and outdoor recreation.

Favorite Mississippi River experience: For 17 years, lunch time runs and walks along the riverfront in downtown St. Paul to clear my head and remind myself of the real focus of my work!

Favorite animal: Otters

Last memorable vacation: Working alongside residents in three Eastern Sierra Leone Villages on clean drinking water and sanitation (latrines).

Favorite music: fairly eclectic musical tastes, though I seem to listen increasingly to classical.

Conservation/Environmental heroes: Willard Munger and Rachel Carson.