Shawn Dewane is president of the Orange County Water District Board of Directors, executive vice president of the Water Advisory Committee of Orange County, chairman of CalDesal, and serves on the Mesa Water District Board of Directors. Before participating in a panel on water reuse and recycling, he talked Ben Franklin, John Prine, and groundwater replenishment in the Zócalo green room.
What’s the last live performance or event you watched?
A John Prine concert.
What food won’t you eat?
White bread.
What is your most prized material possession?
I have a crucifix given to me by my aunt who was a nun.
Who was your childhood hero?
I want to rephrase that to favorite historical character. What comes to my mind is Ben Franklin.
If you had one more hour in the day, what would you do with it?
Find a way to change the world.
What’s the most underrated thing about Orange County?
The groundwater replenishment system.
What comforts you?
Exercise.
Do you have any guilty water use pleasures?
Not that I’m aware of. [Laughs.]
What’s your favorite plant or flower?
An orchid.
What teacher or professor, if any, changed your life?
An economics professor named Marshall Nickles at Pepperdine.