CHICAGO, Il. — Jeffrey Edstrom was recently elected to the Regional Water Supply Planning Group (RWSPG) in Illinois. The 18-member panel, coordinated by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP), will study water supply issues in an 11-county area of northeastern Illinois and make recommendations on water resource policies and plans.

The RWSPG is comprised of representatives from nine stakeholder groups for the Water Supply Planning Group for northeastern Illinois. Each representative was elected by their particular stakeholder group, which range from municipalities and businesses to environmental advocacy groups and academia.

Chicago, which rests on Lake Michigan, is one of the world's largest fresh water resources, but with predicted population increases, areas within the region may suffer water deficits in future years. The RWSPG was developed as part of an overall executive order from Illinois Governor Rod R. Blagojevich calling for a comprehensive, statewide water supply planning and management strategy.

The RWSPG will work closely with CMAP to ultimately submit a water-supply plan to the State of Illinois and approval.

Mr. Edstrom has over 14 years of water policy, management, and analysis experience. His experience includes developing lake-wide management plans, water quality planning, and developing strategies for communities facing water shortages. Also, Mr. Edstrom spent 10 years in policy analysis for the Council of Great Lakes Governors. He has an M.P.A. in policy analysis from IndianaUniversity and a Bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois in history.