Meet Barbara Hall of CRWD’s Community Advisory Committee

Introducing Barbara Hall: A Community Advocate

Barbara Hall, one of Capitol Region Watershed District’s (CRWD) Community Advisory Committee’s newest members, has simple advice for those interested in becoming more involved in their communities: talk to people. After conversing with Barbara, it is clear why that is her advice. In less than an hour of conversation, I learned so much about her passions, how they were formulated at an early age, and what motivates her to promote and work for community initiatives she cares about.

Before joining the Community Advisory Committee (CAC), Barbara participated in the Minnesota Water Stewards Program, a volunteer program offered by CRWD in partnership with Freshwater designed to equip community members with the knowledge and skills needed to improve water health at the grassroots level. After becoming a certified Minnesota Water Steward, Barbara joined the CAC in 2023 to continue her involvement with CRWD.

Protecting Water Rooted in Indigenous Values

Barbara’s passion for protecting water and the land was nurtured as a child. Although she was born in the Philippines, she spent much of her childhood in Hawaii, only a few blocks from the ocean. During her teenage years, she returned to the Philippines, where the monsoon season brought heavy rains for several months throughout the year. She grew up with a deep sense of responsibility to care for and respect the natural environment around her.

In addition, Barbara was raised with Indigenous values that strongly influenced her passions today. Her father was raised with southeastern Turtle Island (United States) Indigenous values by his grandmother, a Choctawachee River Basin Choctaw descendant. Her mother was raised with Indigenous Ilocano, Pangasinense, and Buholano values from the Philippines. Barbara grew up hearing stories about respecting the spirits of puno (meaning “trees”), the bunduk (meaning “mountain”), and the tubig (meaning “water”). Barbara values worldwide Indigenous wisdom for its many solutions to environmental and climate change challenges.

Aligning Urban Environments with Nature

Barbara became interested in the built environment and earned her master’s degree in city and regional planning from the University of California, Berkeley, to better understand how the urban environment can be more sustainably aligned with nature. She became a local economic and affordable housing development practitioner working with leading BIPOC-led nonprofits in Oakland, Atlanta, and New York City. Barbara then started her consulting firm, Coastal Collaborative Consultants.

In 2020, reflecting a renewed commitment to her indigenous ancestors and values, she relaunched her consulting practice as Cullasaja Synergy Consulting, named after a waterfall and river in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina’s Nantahala National Forest, reflecting her paternal grandfather’s ancestral Cherokee/Tsalgi roots in that region. Based in Saint Paul, Barbara’s firm works with nonprofit organizations such as the Asian Economic Development Association and African Economic Development Solutions, past CRWD partner grantees, and social entrepreneurs to increase their social impact. She also serves on the board of the American Indian Family Center in Saint Paul.

Finding Common Ground in Community Engagement

The CAC consists of dedicated, environmentally-minded volunteers who assist the CRWD’s Board of Managers with organizational development, planning processes, and program implementation, as well as strengthen the connections between CRWD and its residents. Learning about the science behind improving water quality and the technical aspects that support the work of CRWD have been one of Barbara’s highlights of serving on the CAC.

One of the goals of the CAC is to increase its diversity so its membership is a better reflection of the diversity of the watershed district, a goal that is important to Barbara. Through my conversation with her, we learned how much we have in common. We both grew up near the ocean, were students at UC Berkeley, and are of Filipino descent. It is through conversations with others that we find we all have much more in common with one another than we might assume. By following Barbara’s advice and talking to people in your community, we learn about each other’s similarities and how to embrace diverse perspectives. She says, “Making human connections is essential… that’s how you build community.”

Building Connections with the CAC

If you want to become more involved in our community, the CAC is actively recruiting new members. The CAC aims to include members residing within Roseville, Falcon Heights, Maplewood, and Saint Paul’s District Planning Councils within CRWD’s boundaries. Current CAC members span a wide range of ages and bring a breadth of experience to CRWD, with some members having backgrounds working in natural resources or government and nonprofits. If you live in CRWD and are passionate about protecting our nearby lakes and the Mississippi River, consider applying to join the CAC. View and download the CAC application form PDF.

About the guest author

Meilina Dalit (she/her) is the office manager at CRWD. She provides administrative and operational support to CRWD staff, Board of Managers, and CAC. Growing up along the central coast of California, Meilina developed a deep appreciation for the ocean. Since moving to Minnesota in 2021, her love for the ocean has transferred to the many lakes nearby and the Mississippi River.