About
Mission
The mission of Water Rhizomes is to strive to hit as many of the following benefits as possible in a single project: environmental justice, a “one water” watershed approach to water quality improvement, carbon sequestration, conservation, municipal affordability, climate resiliency, technology enhancement, infrastructure protection, biodiversity, and soil health.
Values
We are driven by our values to support diversity, affordability, environmental justice as we seek improve our world for future generations. We value diverse relationships and will not participate in any transactions that result in a negative impact to socioeconomically disadvantaged communities, LGBTQ+, or people of color.
Vision
Our vision is to build and increase connections between public investments and high quality, cost effective natural infrastructure projects by 25% in 20 years.
TEAM
Terisa (Tee) Thomas
Founder and CEO of Water Rhizomes, LLC
Terisa (Tee) Thomas is the founder and CEO of Water Rhizomes, LLC, a group that seeks to provide connections between high quality, cost-effective water quality projects and public and private sources of financing. She brings 20 years’ of leadership in government affairs and innovative financing mechanisms for water infrastructure needs. She previously served as the Water Finance Director for the state of Vermont where she increased passed legislation to expand use of the Clean Water State Revolving Fund for natural infrastructure projects and private entity applicants.
During her tenure, loan volumes increased by x% and investment in natural infrastructure has gone from virtually nothing to almost $20 million in the past year, conserving over 11,000 acres of prime wetland, drinking water source water protection, and prime river corridor easements. Prior to her career in Vermont, Tee previously worked as a NEPA Program Manager for Iowa Department of Transportation and with Iowa DNR’s Water Resources Team.