Emily Clarke’s background bridges the flood risk management and water industry sectors. She has an expert understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the key stakeholders and the policies and legislations that underpin the sector’s work - and represents the flood risk management and water industry sectors on numerous special interest, policy and project advisory panels and committees.
Working for many different types of Flood Risk Management Authorities, starting her career at the Environment Agency, followed by working for Cambridgeshire’s Lead Local Flood Authority, and then spending five years in the water industry at Anglian Water and Water UK, before joining Binnies consultancy. Along the way, she has volunteered her time to Diversity and Inclusion initiatives such as: raising awareness of neurodiversity, Women in FCERM, and has held several CIWEM voluntary committee roles.
Emily served as Junior President Elect from 2022 to 2023, before entering her term as the CIWEM Junior President in 2023 through to 2024. We sat down to ask her some questions on her time with the CIWEM Presidential Team.
I had been volunteering my time with CIWEM for a number of years including being part of the East Anglian Branch committee and the Flood and Coastal Specialist Panel. I became aware of the role when Matthew Jack became the first Junior President, I reached out to him and asked more about the role, what it entailed, and how he was finding it. He had nothing but great things to say about the experience and the role fit well with my career development aspirations, so I knew right then that I’d like to become a future Junior President.
At this point, Emily Shipton had been named the second Junior President and I had the opportunity to work alongside her in her term to learn more about how CIWEM operates and is governed. I also reached out to Bushra to talk about her Presidential theme to see if that was something I’d be able to add value to. She shared her plans for the theme “connecting a community inclusive and accessible for all” which really resonated with me and my values. This made me even more determined to become Junior President!
When the opportunity to apply for the role arose, I jumped at the chance and submitted my application. I think my enthusiasm for our sector and my passion for CIWEM shone through in my application and interview, and I was ecstatic when I heard I had been successful.
I didn’t have a year run up as Junior President Elect, but my CIWEM volunteer roles had given me an excellent understanding of the organisation – our aims, objectives and values, and this enabled me to hit the ground running. Both Emily and Matthew have been a great support to me running up to and during my Junior President term, and I hope to pay this forward to support Peter during his.
Over the last year I've had the opportunity to give numerous speeches, write articles and represent CIWEM and our members at various events but my biggest highlights include: