J.R. Cook is Founder and Director of the Northeast Oregon Water Association (NOWA), a non-profit corporation established to protect and enhance the value-added natural resource-based economy in northeastern Oregon.  Mr. Cook also runs CL&W Consulting, Inc specializing in water and land use permitting, project development and property & water optimization.   Over the past 23 years, Mr. Cook has worked in several capacities with a variety of stakeholders to assist a coordinated effort to restore alluvial and basalt aquifers in the Umatilla Basin while ensuring adequate water supplies for existing water rights holders, economic growth and environmental needs.  His work has led to over $200 million in new water supply development in the Mid-Columbia River region of Oregon, the first ever Oregon approved mitigated Columbia River water rights, a basalt groundwater savings effort for drought and climate change resilience and local buy-in on a long-term strategy for economic and environmental sustainability.    He is an avid outdoorsman, and a veteran of the United States Coast Guard.  Mr. Cook has a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Oregon University in Small City and Rural County Management but will proudly admit that most of his training and relationship building has come from being on the job and out in the community.