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Mr. Johns has over 50 years of increasingly complex technical and policy experience in water resource management issues for the State of California, including 28 years for the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB), and about 10 years for the Department of Water Resources and 13 years as an independent consultant on water rights and water transfer issues. Mr. Johns has demonstrated the ability to interpret complex scientific information and communicate conclusions in the development of comprehensive policy decisions by both regulatory and implementing agencies. Mr. Johns has extensive experience in developing, planning and resolving complex natural resources issues through the management of staff resources and technical consultants under contract. After retiring from State service in December 2010, Mr. Johns is now serving as an independent water issues consultant assisting various clients with review of historic water rights, current water right issues before the SWRCB, water and resource management issues, serving as an expert witness in litigation and assisting the Sites Project Authority with water rights and operational issues for the proposed Sites Reservoir.

Before attending law school, Mr. Turner served in the U.S. Navy, completing an eight-month deployment on the U.S.S. Nimitz Aircraft carrier, and traveling around the world. Mr. Turner graduated from UC Davis School of Law, King Hall, in 2021 with a concentration in environmental law. While in law school, he was the president of the Water Association of Law and Policy, hosted the Water Law Symposium at King Hall, and he was the co-president of the Veterans Association. While in law school, Mr. Turner pursued his passion further for environmental law taking courses such as administrative law, land use, water law, climate change, natural resources, food and farming law, and energy law. Mr. Turner worked at the California State Water Resources Control Board, where he became familiar with the administrative process and public entity laws, and he was a teacher’s assistant for an Undergraduate Water Law course at UC Davis. Driven by his passion and experience in environmental law, including but not limited to mining, mitigation and conservation banking, land use, oil and gas, farming, and water law, Mr. Turner works to ensure that Mitchell Chadwick’s clients get the best possible results.

Dr. Wang has 14 years of experience in academia, consulting, and government, specializing in flood warning systems, harbor engineering, hydropower and fish migration facilities, water supply and allocation, and water quality compliance. At the California Department of Water Resources, she contributed to CalSim 3.0 hydrology development for the State Water Project and Central Valley Project, and led hydrology development to implement Salton Sea Management Program Phase I. She also worked at the State Water Resources Control Board, focusing on water rights administration in the Legal Delta, developing new water data reporting system architecture, and supporting storm water permit investigations and economic benefit estimates for the Regional Boards. She is a registered professional civil engineer in California.

Mr. Merwade he has been a professor in the Lyles School of Civil and Construction Engineering at Purdue University since 2006. During 2004 – 2006, he worked as worked as post-doctoral fellow at the Center for Research in Water Resources at the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Merwade received his bachelor of Engineering degree in Environmental Engineering from Shivaji University, India, in 1997, his M.Sc. degree in Engineering Hydrology from University of Galway, Ireland, in 2000, and his Ph.D. degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin, in 2004. From 1997-1999, he worked as project engineer at Montgomery Watson (now part of Stantec) in Mumbai, India.

His research and teaching interests include surface water hydrology with specific focus on flood modeling and mapping. Much of his work has been on improving the simulation of hydrologic processes for flood prediction by using geographic information systems (GIS), data-driven techniques and advances in cyberinfrastructure. He has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and conference proceedings in the area of river channels, watershed hydrology and flood modeling.

Some of his awards include the Education and Public Service Award (2025) from the Universities Council on Water Resources, the Education and Outreach Award (2024) from the Indiana Association for Floodplain and Stormwater Management, Best Technical Paper Award (2024) from ASCE’s Journal of Hydrologic Engineering, Outstanding Achievement Award (2018) from the Indiana Water Resources Association for work related to flood prediction and mapping for Indiana streams, and Excellence in GIS Award (2017) from Indiana Geographic Information Council for Soil-Based Floodplain Maps for Indiana.

Dr. Merwade disseminates his educational material as online tutorials, modules and YouTube videos, which have been used/viewed by hundreds of thousands of students, faculty and working professionals around the world who want to learn about hydrology, GIS applications, and hydrologic modeling.

Dr. Scott Jeffers’s career focuses on urban water resources and green infrastructure collaborating with major municipalities internationally to address modern challenges in water, wastewater, and stormwater systems. Dr. Jeffers brings over 12 years’ experience in the water resource industry specializing in site and regional hydraulic/hydrologic modeling, permitting, capital improvement master planning, optimization/prioritization for asset management, IoT deployment, and a background in novel digital water techniques. Dr. Jeffers is a leading expert in EPA SWMM modeling and teaches hydrology and urban ecohydraulics at Drexel University. Recreationally, he is a musician and rock climber.

Dave Christensen is the Washington State Department of Ecology Water Resources Deputy Program Manager. He has been with Ecology for 12 years working on legislative proposals, regulations, and policies on water resource management. Mr. Christensen has worked for state agencies, local government and non-profit organizations, with more than 30 years of professional experience in water resources, public health and environmental management.

Wyatt Golding is an attorney with Ziontz Chestnut in Seattle. The firm serves the wide-ranging legal needs of Indian tribes and other Native American entities and individuals, as well as non-profit conservation and community groups. In addition to defending treaty hunting and fishing rights, the firm’s work involves tribal sovereignty and jurisdiction, taxation, land and water rights, federal government contracting, and natural and cultural resource protection. Mr. Golding specializes in litigation involving the intersection of environmental law and federal Indian law, Washington state water law, and administrative environmental appeals.

Dr. Sasha Richey McLarty is an assistant professor at Washington State University. Her main interest is in identifying and quantifying the interaction between human and physical systems, with a focus on groundwater and large-scale hydrologic systems. Currently, Dr. Richey’s research combines satellite and in situ observations of hydrologic systems into modeling and decision support frameworks over large regional scales, including in the Columbia Plateau Aquifer in the Pacific Northwest (USA) and in Central Asia. She mainly focuses on complex groundwater systems, where interdisciplinary approaches are necessary to understand both natural and anthropogenic drivers of aquifer change. She enjoys working at the interface of research and water resources management and has contributed to multiple “science diplomacy” efforts in the United States and internationally to advance the role of scientific research in decision making. Dr. Richey earned her M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Civil Engineering – Hydrology and Water Resources Specialty from the University of California, Irvine.

Dr. Gregory H. Nail is an associate professor in the Engineering Department at the University of Tennessee at Martin where he teaches a variety of courses including fluid mechanics, hydraulics and hydrology, and hydraulic and hydrologic modeling. He holds a professional engineer’s license based on having passed both the Civil and Mechanical discipline-specific exams. Prior to coming to UT-Martin in 2002, he worked as a research hydraulic engineer for the United States Army Corp of Engineers for 11 years. He is a former member of the Executive Committee of the Tennessee American Water Resources Association, and he has lectured on various HEC-RAS modeling topics at the Annual Tennessee Water Resources Symposium and at other venues. Dr. Nail earned his B.M.E. degree from Auburn University and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Texas A&M University.

ForeSight Consulting, LLC, a professional services firm established in 2004 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. ForeSight offers comprehensive civil engineering and land surveying services to the construction and building sectors. He manages the firm’s operations, directs its growth strategy, mentors team members, and continues to oversee engineering and surveying projects of various sizes throughout Indiana. A graduate of Purdue University, Mr. Bauer holds a bachelor of science degree in Civil Engineering Technology. He is a licensed professional engineer and professional surveyor in Indiana and has previously held professional licenses in several other states. In addition, he has served as an adjunct faculty member at Purdue University Fort Wayne, where he taught courses in elementary surveying, route survey and design, land survey and subdivision, and hydraulics and drainage. Mr. Bauer has played an active role in the Indiana Society of Professional Surveyors (ISPLS), serving on its board of directors from 2006 to 2015 and again from 2018 to 2020. He was honored with the President’s Award in 2010 for his contributions to the society, and the profession of land surveying. He served as president of ISPLS in 2019 and continues his involvement with the society on the Government Affairs Committee. Additionally, Mr. Bauer has served in leadership positions within the Northeast Chapter of ISPLS, including serving as chapter president on three occasions. He is regularly called upon to handle complex surveying cases and has served as an expert witness in matters involving boundaries, easements, and riparian rights. Known as a trusted resource for developers, title companies, and real estate attorneys, he has delivered continuing education presentations on professional surveying topics, including “Professional Surveyor’s Reports,” “Locating Land Boundaries: On Paper and On the Ground,” and “Conducting Due Diligence for a Purchase-Sale Agreement” through the American Bar Association.

Ms. Davisis a research hydrogeologist at Indiana Geological and Water Survey, working to understand and share information of surface and ground water resources in Indiana. She previously worked at Soil and Water Conservation Districts, as a hydrogeologist with DNR Division of Water, as
a consultant along with a geology professor at IvyTech. Ms. Davis has her master’s degrees in both Geology and Civil Engineering from Indiana University and Norwich University, respectively, focused on water resource management, treatment, characterization, and modeling. She currently sits on the AWWA Source Water Protection Committee and holds professional certifications in sediment and erosion control, floodplain management, watershed leadership, and natural resource training.

Ms. Schroeder brings a variety of skills to the complexities of today’s agriculture. She grew up on a farm in Northeast Indiana, so her insight is grounded in experience. Ms. Schroeder works with the agricultural industry as she provides expertise such as litigating complicated environmental matters, drafting contracts for agribusinesses, and helping livestock farms navigate regulatory compliance. She has a diverse group of clients including farmers, rural landowners, agricultural companies, and industry groups. Ms. Schroeder has worked at firms in Indianapolis and Chicago, with her perspective including experience in complex litigation, civil defense, property liability, environmental law, and insurance coverage. She is licensed in Indiana and Illinois. Along with her thriving law practice, Ms. Schroeder is committed to sharing insight with the industry as a sought-after speaker and author. She has authored numerous articles and given presentations on a variety of agricultural, environmental, and legal topics, including the Right to Farm Act, zoning, renewable energy, sustainability, the Clean Water Act, employment law, agritourism, farm security, and insurance coverage. Ms. Schroeder earned her B.A. degree, cum laude, from Carthage College, her M.S. degree from Valparaiso University and her J.D. degree, magna cum laude, from Valparaiso University School of Law.

Mr. Schroeder is an attorney who helps people with environmental law-related issues or have had their insurance claim denied. He helps clients who have environmental law issues, including those arising from Indiana statutes (ELA, Flood Control Act, etc.), federal statutes (RCRA, CERCLA, etc.), regulatory bodies (IDEM, EPA, etc.), common law (negligence, trespass, nuisance, etc.) and more. Mr. Schroeder earned his J.D. degree from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law.

Mr. Walker has been working for or with the State of Indiana since 2012. He started working in the Groundwater Section in 2015 and became Section Chief in 2021. Mr. Walker helped develop and provide the Surface Water Threat Minimization and Response Plans for all the community drinking water systems that use surface water as their source. He orchestrated a voluntary PFAS sampling project for all community drinking water systems, ahead of an expected EPA rule. Mr. Walker graduated with a BA in Geography (Geographic Information Science) and Anthropology (Physical Anthropology) from Indiana University.

As an environmental lawyer with over 20 years of experience working on water, sanitation, energy, and environmental governance issues both nationally and internationally, Ms. Kirkwood serves as the organization’s lead on numerous Great Lakes advocacy work and education initiatives. Often testifying or speaking before public bodies, she has made frequent presentations to community organizations and professional and academic audiences on Great Lakes issues from Line 5 to water justice and infrastructure financing to water privatization to climate change. Ms. Kirkwood develops and oversees FLOW’s work on key Great Lakes environmental policies designed to promote healthy ecosystems, thriving communities, and access to safe, clean, affordable water for all. Prior to joining FLOW in 2012, she worked for USAID in Thailand as an environmental attorney to implement a regional environmental governance, water, and sanitation program in Southeast Asia. Ms. Kirkwood also worked as an environmental litigator at Farella, Braun & Martel in San Francisco where she represented clients on natural resource and energy-related matters. Ms. Kirkwood graduated from Williams College with a degree in Environmental Studies and History, and received her J.D. and Environmental Certificate from Lewis & Clark Law School. She currently serves as a member of the International Joint Commission’s Water Quality Board and a board trustee of the Americana Foundation.

Professor Lusch retired in 2017, after a 38-year career in the Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences at Michigan State University. Beginning in 1992 with the publication of the Aquifer Vulnerability Map of Michigan, He helped pioneer the use of geographic information systems for groundwater mapping and management in Michigan. Professor Lusch served as the Principle Investigator or co-PI on numerous applied grants and contracts, many funded by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ). The Groundwater Inventory and Mapping Project, which he co-directed, won the MDEQ’s Excellence Award in 2005. In 2008, MSU awarded him the prestigious Distinguished Academic Staff Award and IMAGIN, Michigan’s professional geospatial organization, presented him with the Jim Living Geospatial Achievement Award. As a member of the team that developed the Michigan Groundwater Management Tool (MGMT), Professor Lusch received the annual Director’s Recognition Award from MDEQ in 2009. MGMT allowed MDEQ staff to rapidly produce 2,451 provisional wellhead protection areas for Type 1 and 2 water supplies at no cost to these public drinking water systems. He authored the Groundwater and Karst chapter in the 2009 Michigan Geography and Geology book. Professor Lusch was a co-PI of the 2013 – 2018 Ottawa County Water Resources Study which used process-based flow modeling, coupled with field sampling, historical data mining, geostatistical analyses, and geospatial visualizations to better understand the underlying mechanisms controlling the patterns of shallow groundwater salinization in the county. He co-authored the two papers describing the results of this study (Curtis, et al. 2018. Groundwater. 56 (3): 377–398) and (Curtis, et al. 2019. Groundwater. 57 (5): 784–806). In 2022, Professor Lusch co-authored a review paper entitled “Groundwater in Crisis? Addressing Groundwater Challenges in Michigan (USA) as a Template for the Great Lakes” (Steinman, et al. 2022. Sustainability. 14, 3008). He serves as a Technical Advisor to the Michigan Water Use Advisory Council which advises EGLE on the implementation of the Michigan Water Use Program.

Ms. Carter serves as A native of Pennsylvania, she holds a Master of Science degree in Geological Sciences from Lehigh University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology/Environmental Science (double major) from Allegheny College. Over the course of her 30+-year career in the private and public sectors, she has conducted technical studies involving water-rock interactions and the aqueous geochemistry of surface and ground waters, oil and gas exploration and development, storage reservoir characterization, and most notably, carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) opportunities in the Appalachian basin and greater Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. Ms. Carter joined PAGS in 2001 as a petroleum geologist and was a founding member of Pennsylvania’s participation in the Midwest Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (MRCSP). From 2003 to 2019, she was involved with every MRCSP phase and task, culminating in her work as the state’s Primary Investigator for the MRCSP Phase III Project efforts. She has also served as Pennsylvania’s Primary Investigator for the Mid-Atlantic U.S. Offshore Carbon Storage Resource Assessment Project (2016-2018) and the Midwest Regional Carbon Initiative Project (MRCI; 2019-present). Ms. Carter served as Project Manager for the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR)’s Carbon Sequestration Technical Assessment Project in 2008-2009, preparing a statewide assessment of geologic carbon sequestration opportunities for the sedimentary rocks of western and northern Pennsylvania. In addition, she has led Pennsylvania’s CCUS Inter-Agency Work Group, which was established in 2019 and offers industry and stakeholders streamlined access to the technical, regulatory and economic agency professionals committed to supporting emerging CCUS projects and the commonwealth’s climate mitigation goals. Most recently, Ms. Carter was appointed as a member of the Biden-Harris Administration’s CCUS Non-Federal Lands Task Force, where she is working with technical professionals across the country to identify challenges associated with implementing CCUS projects, improve the performance of permitting processes and provide recommendations to the Council on Environmental Quality and the Secretary of Energy on these matters.

Attorney Daniel attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania, graduating with a degree in Philosophy/Pre-law in 2000. Immediately afterwards he attended the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, where he obtained a Juris Doctor in 2003, and was admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar that same year. He is admitted to practice law in all courts of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the United States District Court for the Middle and Western Districts of Pennsylvania, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Attorney Daniel has a wide range of legal experience, but he has an emphasis in litigation and representing his clients in the courtroom. He has extensive experience in litigating claims of real estate disputes involving gas and oil leases and rights, boundaries, and use of easements; breach of contract and commercial disputes; challenging wills, estate and trusts plans and administration; and election law claims involving ballot access and campaign finance audits. Attorney Daniel has argued multiple cases in front of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Law 360, a nationwide legal news service, has interviewed him and covered his legal work involving reconciling the competing rights of natural gas and coal producers to operate in the same area. Attorney Daniel served as chair of the Indiana County Republican party for eight years, and was a publically elected member of the Pennsylvania State Republican Committee for four more. In 2020, Governor Tom Wolf nominated, and the Pennsylvania Senate confirmed, him to Pennsylvania’s Election Law Advisory Board, a public board created under Act 77 to review and advise the Pennsylvania Legislature on changes to Pennsylvania’s Election Law. Attorney Daniel has been quoted in USA Today and statewide newspapers for his insight into Pennsylvania elections and politics.

Mr. Libuser concentrates his practice on appellate law and complex commercial litigation. Based in Harrisburg, Pa., he represents clients in state and federal trial courts, with a particular emphasis on cases before the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. He also represents businesses, trade associations, and other clients in state and federal appellate courts. Mr. Libuser earned his B.A. degree, with honors, from Stony Brook University, and his J.D. degree from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.

Mr. Mazzocco’s practice focuses on environmental and complex commercial litigation. His environmental litigation experience includes representing businesses in environmental cost recovery cases and federal, state, and local environmental regulatory matters, including large-scale citizen suits and environmental class action cases. Mr. Mazzocco has extensive experience representing clients in trials and hearings in federal and state courts, as well as before administrative bodies and arbitration panels. His complex commercial litigation experience includes representing clients in a wide variety of matters, including toxic tort actions, contract and lease disputes, unfair trade practices claims, shareholder disputes, and personal injury claims. Mr. Mazzocco earned his B.A. in English and a minor in Chemistry, cum laude, from Gettysburg College and his J.D. degree from Duquesne University School of Law.

Ms. Puhnaty assists clients with matters encompassing a broad range of environmental issues, including those related to state and federal permitting, regulatory compliance, and environmental litigation. She devotes a significant portion of her practice to advising clients on issues arising under the Clean Air Act and related state programs regulating air emissions. Ms. Puhnaty handles air permitting matters and appeals and helps clients facing federal and state enforcement actions. Her practice also involves counseling clients on a variety of federal and state regulatory issues related to both coal and noncoal mining operations. Ms. Puhnaty earned her B.S. degree in chemistry from the University of Pittsbrugh and her J.D. degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School.

Mr. Whitaker combines expertise in administrative law with extensive litigation, trial and appellate experience. He is the only person to have been appointed chief counsel to both Pennsylvania resource agencies, the Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. During his nearly 28 years of Commonwealth service, Mr. Whitaker litigated and argued complex cases at trial and on appeal before administrative tribunals and state and federal courts, prosecuted selected criminal matters as a special deputy attorney general, and developed expertise in the defense of Section 1983 actions and in regulatory takings. He currently focuses on appellate and original jurisdiction practice in Pennsylvania and in selected federal courts, using his extensive knowledge of government and the courts to offer sound advice, creative solutions and effective strategies. Mr. Whitaker is a past president of the Pennsylvania Bar Institute and a past chair of PBA’s Administrative Law Section. He frequently serves as a planner and faculty member in CLE programs related to administrative law and appellate practice. Mr. Whitaker was law clerk to Joseph T. Doyle, president judge of the Commonwealth Court, as well as Commonwealth Court Judges Bonnie Leadbetter and Renee Cohn Jubelirer. He received his J.D. degree from the Dickinson School of Law and his B.S. degree from the Pennsylvania State University.

Ms. Balzen is currently a hydrogeologist with KT groundwater and has worked as a geologist in several different government and private companies in Central Texas, including the Edwards Aquifer Authority, Bandera County River Authority and Groundwater District, USGS, and TCEQ. She has experience in groundwater sampling, regulation, research, and geologic evaluations, and is the Past President of the South Texas Geological Society. Ms. Balzen earned her Bachelor of Science in Geology and Master of Science in Geology from the University of Texas at San Antonio and is a graduate of the Texas Water Leaders class hosted by the Texas Water Foundation’s Carole Baker Water Leadership Institute. She holds a certification as a Professional Geoscientist, and enjoys speaking about career opportunities within the geoscience community.

Professor Banner studies water resources, climate change and environmental justice. This research combines geoscience and chemistry to examine streams, aquifers, caves, and tree rings, and it takes him to Barbados, Guam, and Texas among other places. Professor Banner is a Fellow of the Geological Society of America, a member of UT’s Academy of Distinguished Teachers, and currently is a finalist for the Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great Teaching, which is the largest teaching prize in the country.

Mr. Ellis has been practicing water law and been involved in water issues for over three decades. As a law student, he helped clerk the House Natural Resources Committee working on a variety of water legislation. After receiving his J.D. degree from the University of Texas School of Law, He worked as legislative liaison for the Texas Water Commission and later served as general counsel to the Harris-Galveston Coastal Subsidence District. The Edwards Aquifer Authority hired Mr. Ellis as their first general manager in 1997, a position he held until October 2004 when he left to start his solo law practice. In addition to representing subsidence districts and groundwater conservation districts, he serves as board secretary of the Texas Water Foundation, a nonprofit corporation that provides water conservation education throughout the State.

Mr. Gary is a karst hydrogeologist who specializes in investigations that expand our understanding of karst processes, and study the implications that karst hydrogeology has on natural resource management. He received his Ph.D. in hydrogeology from the Jackson School of Geosciences at The University of Texas at Austin in 2009, and a B.S. degree from the same institution in 2001. Mr. Gary dissertation focused on defining the geological processes that formed one of the deepest underwater cave systems in the world, Sistema Zacaton. This multi-disciplinary research included studies utilizing geophysics, geomicrobiology, hydrology, field mapping, geochemistry, and numerous related topics. Most notably, Sistema Zacaton was explored by the DEPTHX autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), also known as the Deep Phreatic Thermal Explorer, developed and tested with funding from NASA. The DEPTHX probe produced a detailed 3-D spatial dataset used to characterize this underwater cave system. He also worked for 8 years as a hydrologist for the U.S. Geological Survey, 4 years as a private environmental consultant, and is currently the Field Operations Project Manager for the Edwards Aquifer Authority in San Antonio, Texas. Since 2011, he has taught a class in Applied Karst Hydrogeology at the Jackson School of Geosciences, integrating research objectives of the Edwards Aquifer Authority with this class, strongly emphasizing field hydrogeology. Prior to his career in geosciences, he worked as a commercial diver (A.S. in Marine Technology – College of Oceaneering, 1994), working for over 8 years in the offshore oil industry, conducting marine archeological surveys, managing hyperbaric medical facilities, exploring underwater caves, and recovering ICBMs for the U.S. military in the south Pacific.

Ms. Hovorka has led a team working geologic storage of CO2 since 1998, with a focus on field studies, monitoring, at the Frio Test site and Cranfield Field and EOR studies at SACROC oil field, Cranfield, Hastings and West Ranch industrial CO2 utilization projects and GoMCARB offshore characterization study. She specializes in monitoring to document retention. The Gulf Coast Carbon Center is leading efforts to develop offshore storage capacity in the US and globally. She has a long-term commitment to public and educational outreach. Ms. Hovorka has a BA from Earlham College and a PhD in Geology from The University of Texas at Austin.

 Ms. Luciano has previously worked as a field engineer in fracking operations and has conducted research with the Gulf Coast Carbon Center analyzing and displaying the success of other Underground Injection Control programs as an analog for CCS. She is currently the project manager for TXLA CMC and is working to further public and educational outreach. Ms. Luciano has a BS in Petroleum Engineering and a MS in Energy and Earth Resources from The University of Texas at Austin.

Ms. Smith’s practice focuses on a wide variety of agricultural issues, especially those involving cattle. She additionally spends a significant portion of her time on oil and gas title examination, farm and ranch transactions, and real estate litigation. Ms. Smith also assists clients with estate planning, probates, and business planning needs. She is a graduate of El Campo High School. Ms. Smith received her bachelor of science degree in Agricultural Science from Texas A&M University in 2009, and received her doctor of jurisprudence degree from South Texas College of Law in 2014. She was admitted to the State Bar of Texas in 2014 and is also admitted to the Southern District of Texas. Ms. Smith is a member of the Wharton County Bar Association, formerly serving as president, and she is a member of the Texas Bar College. 

Ms. Paist-Goldman has more than 20 years of experience in water resource engineering with a particular focus in stream and wetland restoration and mitigation design. She is the principal and owner of Rippled Waters Engineering, LLC based in New Jersey. Her firm specializes in water resources engineering services for a variety of projects. Prior to starting Rippled Waters in 2018, she served for many years as principal engineer and director of Engineering Services of a Mid-Atlantic regional natural resources firm. She is an experienced modeler and has worked extensively on design and analysis using a variety of hydrologic and hydraulic programs including HEC-HMS, HEC-RAS, and HydroCAD. Applications for her hydraulic modeling expertise include wetland restoration and mitigation; stream restoration; bridge repair and replacement; and dam repair, replacement, and removal. Specifically related to riverine systems, Ms. Paist-Goldman has extensive expertise with stream restoration, large woody debris, natural channel design and bioengineering stabilization techniques. Ms. Paist-Goldman has designed restoration projects of all sizes ranging from a few hundred feet to several miles of stream. These projects are planned for use as mitigation banks or serve as mitigation for development onsite. Working closely with restoration ecologists and landscape architects, Ms. Paist-Goldman has designed a variety of stream and wetland habitats including creation, enhancement, restoration, and preservation with a focus on sustainability and regulatory compliance.

As a water resources practitioner and manager for 33 years, Mr. Der provides regulatory and scientific expertise for public and private sector clients, with a commitment to equitable and sustainable solutions to complex projects while specializing in creative linkages between ecology and engineering. Mr. Der has been in private consulting practice since 2001, first as an associate and director of environmental services for two civil engineering firms in the greater Washington, DC, and Baltimore metropolitan areas. Since 2013, Mr. Der has been the principal of his own consulting firm, Andrew T. Der & Associates, LLC. He previously completed 17 years of service with the Maryland Department of the Environment as a manager leading major new initiatives to regulate and restore Chesapeake Bay water resources, and he is an appointed industry representative of the U.S. EPA Chesapeake Bay Program Executive Council Stakeholder’s Advisory Committee.

Ms. Lathrop is licensed as a professional land surveyor in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland, and as a professional planner in New Jersey. She holds a master’s degree in Environmental Policy and has been involved in surveying since 1974 in projects ranging from construction to boundary to environmental land use disputes. Ms. Lathrop is also a certified floodplain manager through the Association of State Flood Plain Managers (ASFPM) and a certified floodplain surveyor through the New Jersey Society of Professional Land Surveyors. A former adjunct instructor at Mercer County College in New Jersey, she has also taught as part of the team for the licensing exam review course at Drexel University in Pennsylvania. Ms. Lathrop has been teaching seminars for surveyors since 1986 and has been writing articles for surveyors since 1983. She is a contributing editor for The American Surveyor magazine, and she has four articles included in the American Bar Association’s text, Land Surveys: A Guide for Lawyers and Other Professionals. She and Stephen V. Estopinal, PLS, PE co–authored a book entitled Professional Surveyors and Real Property Descriptions: Composition, Construction, and Comprehension, published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. in 2011. She is also on the faculty of GeoLearn, a web-based educational provider. Ms. Lathrop is a past president of the New Jersey Society of Professional Land Surveyors and of the National Society of Professional Surveyors, and she has served on the Board of Directors for the American Association for Geodetic Surveying.

Bryan Peeples is a Pender and Coward shareholder and focuses his practice in the areas of maritime and riparian law, eminent domain/right of way law, and worker’s compensation. A prolific author, he has written articles on Virginia aquaculture and maritime law, including the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act, the Virginia Primary Sand Dune and Beaches Act, and the Virginia Tidal Wetlands Act. He has been published in a number of professional journals on a variety of topics, ranging from Virginia real property law to the Anti-Terrorism Act. Mr. Peeples is a member of the firm’s waterfront law practice group, and writes blog articles regularly on the group’s website devoted to waterfront (riparian) property rights law, maritime and admiralty law, and environmental law. Before joining the firm in 2018, he retired from the U.S. Navy after 22 years of service as a pilot. He completed seven combat deployments and served as the Commanding Officer of a helicopter squadron. His last assignment was Lead Rotational Planner for the Joint Staff, where he provided strategic advice to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and the Secretary of Defense.

Ms. Adair is an associate in the real estate department of Branscomb Law, where she primarily practices in the areas of real estate and water law. She has experience in representing individuals and businesses in a variety of real estate and water rights transactions.

Ms. Adams represents a diverse set of clients, including commercial and residential real estate developers, electric utilities and cooperatives, and water utility districts. She is experienced in advising clients on regulatory matters and complex environmental litigation matters in both state and federal courts and in arbitration proceedings, including identification and mitigation of environmental risks, navigating the permitting processes, and defending clients in administrative enforcement actions. More specifically, Ms. Adams frequently assists land development and construction clients on policy, compliance, and enforcement aspects of state and federal programs, such as regulating stormwater discharges, wetlands, and jurisdictional waters, and protected species and resources. Additionally, she routinely counsels clients on administrative, transactional, and regulatory issues before the Public Utility Commission of Texas and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, including energy project transactions, regulatory proceedings, contested cases, rate cases, transmission line projects, and compliance matters. She is also experienced in analyzing environmental issues for renewable energy projects. Prior to joining Jackson Walker, Ms. Adams served as a Judicial Law Clerk for Justice Don Willet at the Supreme Court of Texas.

Ms. Binger as a member of the Water, Districts, and Energy and Utility Practice Groups, She assists clients with matters relating to certificates of convenience and necessity, water supply, water quality, and water rights, in addition to providing general counsel services to political subdivisions in Texas. Ms. Binger received her B.A. in Psychology from Texas Tech University in 2016 and a J.D. from the University of Notre Dame in 2020. Prior to joining Lloyd Gosselink, she practiced general
litigation in various positions in Central Indiana.

Mr. Buck received a B.A. in Music and Sociology from Austin College in 2007 and a J.D. from Texas Tech University School of Law in 2011. He has practiced law in a variety of fields since his admission to the State Bar of Texas in 2011 and is currently a member in the litigation department of Branscomb Law in San Antonio, Texas. Mr. Buck centers his practice on real estate litigation and has represented clients in title and boundary disputes, groundwater rights matters, rate-change cases at the PUC, and breach of contract and fraud cases involving sales of real estate. 

Dr. Mace in addition to his position at the Meadows Center, he is also a Professor of Practice in the Department of Geography at Texas State University. Dr. Mace has over 30 years of experience in hydrology, hydrogeology, stakeholder processes and water policy, mostly in Texas. Before joining Texas State University in 2017, Mace worked at the Texas Water Development Board for 17 years ending his career there as the Deputy Executive Administrator for the Water Science and Conservation Office. While at the Board, he worked on understanding groundwater and surface water resources in Texas; advancing water conservation and innovative water technologies such as desalination, aquifer storage and recovery, reuse, and rainwater harvesting; and protecting Texans from floods.

Mr. Porter has been named an expert in over 700 court and arbitration cases that have taken place since 1987. He recently served as chair of the Texas Real Estate Commission’s Education Standards Advisory Committee and serves as chair of the Advisory Council of the Briscoe Center for American History of the University of Texas at Austin. Over the past 15 years, he has taught as a visiting professor at St. Edward’s University in Austin. His most recent college text (his fourth) is Water Rights in the United States: A Guide Through the Maze.

Mr. Gittins practices primarily in the area of water law. He assists governmental entities, corporations, and private individuals in all aspects of water law, including water rights transactions, water rights analysis, water rights litigation, and applications with the Utah Division of Water Rights. Prior to joining Smith Hartvigsen, Mr. Gittins served as a clerk to the Honorable Justice Jill N. Parrish of the Utah Supreme Court.

Mr. Lauricella is passionate about property development law and transactions. He graduated from BYU as an English Major. Mr. Lauricella worked for two different real estate management companies while in college.

Mr. Smith has more than three decades of experience as an attorney, in which he has successfully handled a number of complex water disputes, land use disputes, takings claims, and other issues. He has argued over 30 appeals to the Utah Supreme Court. Mr. Smith has represented public and private parties in takings claims arising from land use decisions, represented numerous water users in successful settlement of instream flow claims on the San Rafael River, and won appeals for municipalities and water entities before the Utah and New Mexico Supreme Courts. His most notable projects include securing the water rights for Duchesne City through an act of Congress, successfully entitling and securing water rights for a multimillion-dollar resort in Kane County, and creating the first municipal natural gas utility in Utah. He is licensed to practice in Utah, Wyoming, and the District of Columbia. Mr. Smith earned his B.A. degree, magna cum laude, from Bringham Young University, and his J.D. degree, cum laude, from Bringham Young University.

Mr. Snow represents clients in Arizona and Utah on matters related to water rights, real property, and resource development. He regularly appears before land and water agencies and in state and federal court. Mr. Snow’s clients include governmental entities, national and multi-national corporations, water companies, cooperatives, partnerships, and individuals. He has litigated numerous general adjudication claims in Arizona and Utah. Mr. Snow has also litigated quiet title, easement, right-of-way and condemnation claims in both states.

Mr. Fisher has more than 30 years of experience constructing hundreds of customized, site-specific, calibrated groundwater flow and contaminant transport models for both private and public clients. As a senior level hydrogeologist, he brings a comprehensive understanding of geology, hydrogeology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics to the table while using specialized investigative techniques such as graphical analyses, statistics, groundwater flow modeling and contaminant transport modeling. His experience includes all aspects of remedial and hydrogeological investigations including soil/groundwater sampling programs; groundwater monitoring system design; monitoring and extraction well installation and development; aquifer characterization, testing and evaluation; and many types of environmental data collection, management, and interpretation techniques in many geologic terranes. Mr. Fisher has experience with conceptual and actual designs for remediation of fuel and solvent-related soil and groundwater contamination at privately and publicly owned waste management sites. He knows the natural chemical characteristics of groundwater, as well as the occurrence and behavior of man-made organic and inorganic contaminants. Mr. Fisher’s experience allows him to conceptualize and describe complex problems and to present solutions in three-dimensions in order to bring clarity to complex technical discussions. He uses a wide variety of mathematical and modeling tools including: GMS, MODFLOW, MODPATH, MT3DMS, RT3D and PEST as well as simpler, less labor-intensive analytical models.

Mr. Breedlove focuses his practice on water rights transactions and permitting, state and federal land permitting, mining, administrative law, and governmental relations. His experience includes a wide variety of water rights transactions (groundwater, surface water, and Colorado River entitlements), assured water supply permitting, consultation on compliance with active management area management plans, water rights due diligence and permitting, state land acquisition, and National Historic Preservation Act compliance. Mr. Breedlove has represented land developers, landowners, golf courses, ranchers, farmers, private water and energy utility businesses, government agencies, and private equity investment firms. He also served for five years as the legislative liaison for the Arizona Department of Water Resources, during which time he managed several bills that were enacted, including the 2007 Water Adequacy Amendments. Mr. Breedlove has experience with the Arizona legislative process, bill drafting, and government relations. He earned his B.S. degree from Western Washington University, his Master of Studies in Environmental Law from Vermont Law School and his J.D. degree from Vermont Law School.

 Mr. Burnside covers water rights and water quality as part of a broad-based environmental and natural resources law practice at Snell & Wilmer. Mr. Burnside regularly counsels and represents significant water interests in the State of Arizona, with a particular focus on mining and energy. He has extensive experience litigating contested water rights claims in Arizona’s Gila River General Stream Adjudication, including multiple arguments and trials before the Special Water Master. Mr. Burnside has in-depth experience with the complex legal and technical issues surrounding Arizona water rights at the intersection between groundwater and surface water.

Mr. Snow represents clients in Arizona and Utah on matters related to water rights, real property, and resource development. He regularly appears before land and water agencies and in state and federal court. Mr. Snow’s clients include governmental entities, national and multi-national corporations, water companies, cooperatives, partnerships, and individuals. He has litigated numerous general adjudication claims in Arizona and Utah. Mr. Snow has also litigated quiet title, easement, right-of-way and condemnation claims in both states.

Mr. Gorski is an attorney in Annapolis, specializing in environmental, natural resources and agricultural law. He advises clients on environmental and agricultural matters, water supply and sewer capacity allocation, land use and related litigation. In addition, he represents clients litigating in State and federal courts and administrative forums, including trial and appellate advocacy.

Mr. Gorski served as an assistant attorney general representing the Maryland Department of the Environment from 1991 to 1997. In addition to his law practice, he has taught environmental law in the graduate engineering program at Johns Hopkins University for over 20 years and water resources law and policy for the University of Maryland’s Department of Agriculture and Resource Economics. He is an active speaker in legal education seminars.

Mr. Gorski earned a J.D. degree and a master of environmental law degree, cum laude, from Vermont Law School and a B.S. degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Management, with minors in Biology and Chemistry, from Frostburg University. He is admitted to practice in Maryland, before the US District Court for Maryland, and before the US Courts of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and the Federal Circuit. He is a member of the Maryland State Bar Association (Environmental Law and Agriculture Law Sections).

Mr. Henderson is the co-founder and managing partner of Rich &
Henderson, P.C., which has law offices located in Annapolis and Easton, Maryland. Widely regarded as among the leading trial and transactional attorneys in his region, Mr. Henderson provides exceptional representation and support to clients throughout Washington, D.C., and surrounding areas. His main areas of practice include administrative law, business and commercial law, energy and natural resources law, environmental law and land use and zoning. Over the course of his legal career, Mr. Henderson has achieved remarkable success helping a diverse range of clients across the country with their important and pressing legal issues. He has extensive experience handling matters involving regulatory compliance of hazardous waste disposal and related violations as well as helping his clients to obtain the necessary permits and licenses they need.

In addition, Mr. Henderson has considerable experience handling environmental due diligence for mergers and acquisitions and complex real estate-related issues involving land use and zoning requirements. He has become known as an authority on environmental law, and he has gained a reputation for his efficient and cost-effective manner of helping his clients navigate the complex and convoluted process of environmental requirements needed to allow them to open their businesses or acquire land. As further evidence of his in-depth legal knowledge and leadership skills, Mr. Henderson serves as an instructor of environmental law and business law courses with the Johns Hopkins University Engineering for Professionals Program.

He has also conducted numerous lectures and continuing legal education seminars across the nation on a variety of legal topics related to real estate law, land development and other subjects, and he has served as Chair of the Maryland State Bar Association’s Environmental Law Section. A 1976 graduate of the State University of New York at Purchase with a Bachelor of Arts in environmental science. In 1980, Mr. Henderson received his Master of Science from the Nelson Institute of Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison his Juris Doctor from the University of Wisconsin Law School.

Mr. J. Hershey is active in Rich & Henderson’s transactional, regulatory, and litigation practices, including with respect to environmental, administrative, business, zoning and land use, and contracts law. Prior to joining Rich & Henderson, He served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Ronald B. Rubin, Circuit Court for Montgomery County, Maryland. As a judicial law clerk, he regularly worked on cases in the Maryland Business and Technology Case Management Program. Mr. J. Hershey received a J.D. from the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University in Arlington, Virginia and a B.B.A in Finance and a B.A. in History from the College of William and Mary in Virginia. While in law school, he served as a legal intern for the Securities and Exchange Commission Division of Investment Management and for the Department of Justice Civil Division. Prior to enrolling in law school, Mr. J. Hershey worked as an Information Technology auditor for Ernst & Young, LLP, in Tysons, Virginia and in Washington, D.C. He is admitted to practice in Maryland and the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland.

Mr. P. Hershey  practices in the areas of environmental, natural and cultural resources, land use, criminal, construction, maritime, procurement, and commercial law. He advises clients on a wide range of environmental, commercial, marine/maritime and other laws and regulations and is active in the firm’s trial and appellate litigation practice. Prior to joining Rich & Henderson, Mr. P. Hershey  served as a judicial law clerk and senior judicial law clerk to the Honorable Christopher B. Kehoe, Maryland Court of Special Appeals, and as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Broughton M. Earnest, County Administrative Judge for the Talbot County Circuit Court. He received a B.A. in History from the College of William and Mary in Virginia, and a J.D. from the William and Mary Marshall-Wythe School of Law.

Mr. Moore’s main areas of practice are Environmental, Real Estate, Business, and Construction Law. Mr. Moore advises and represents individuals and businesses in civil litigation and commercial affairs including business asset purchases and sales, materials and mining, real estate, chemical manufacturing, energy development and construction. He also advises on regulatory, permitting and litigation matters. He delivers C-level consulting services for large regional development and manufacturing groups related to CERCLA remedial actions at legacy sites, real estate transactions, asset sales, mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Moore is also the owner and Principal Engineer with D. Moore & Associates, LLC with decades of environmental engineering and earthwork construction experience. He earned his B.A. degree in Environmental Sciences from the University of Virginia, his B.S. degree in Geology and his M.S. degree in Environmental Engineering from Virginia Tech and his J.D. degree from The George Washington University Law School.

Ms. Barnard provides legal ethics and risk management advice to lawyers, law firms, law students, and in-house legal departments. She also represents Oregon and Washington lawyers in attorney discipline matters and character and fitness proceedings, including on appeal. With a deep background in complex business and financial services disputes. Ms. Barnard is a frequent CLE speaker on legal ethics, risk management, and discipline defense issues, and also serves as Assistant General Counsel to the firm.

Ms. Bayer practices environmental and natural resources law. Her practice includes environmental regulatory compliance; contaminated sites litigation and allocation; managing environmental risks in transactions; and water rights. She counsels clients on compliance with state and federal environmental laws regulating air and water quality, waste management, hazardous substances, emergency planning, endangered species, and environmental policy. She is licensed in Oregon, Washington and California.

Ms. DiLillo Knock provides strategic guidance on a variety of issues, including water rights, environmental compliance, and due diligence. She helps clients understand and comply with a range of regulatory frameworks at the local and national levels. Ms. DiLillo Knock conducts legal research on complex environmental statutes like the Clean Water Act, the National Environmental Law and Policy Act, and the Endangered Species Act. While in law school, she actively participated in the Washington Journal of Social and Environmental Justice as well as the Environmental Law and Policy Clinic and served as a legal researcher for a tribal entity in Washington.

Ms. Howard works with companies and individuals to navigate complex natural resource and environmental regulations, and to obtain permits and authorizations. She also defends and resolves enforcement and regulatory actions from environmental and natural resources agencies in Oregon. Ms. Howard experience includes water; wetlands; endangered, threatened, and sensitive species; Confined Animal Feeding Operations; fertilizers and pesticides; and public and federal lands.

Ms. Liljefelt is a partner and the managing attorney at Schroeder Law Offices’ Portland, Oregon office. She joined Schroeder Law Offices in 2009 and graduated from Lewis & Clark Law School with an Environmental & Natural Resources certificate. Ms. Liljefelt represents water users in the West, focusing her practice on water rights review, evaluation, due diligence, permitting, transfer, forfeiture and cancellation, water-related real property and public lands issues and disputes, administrative contested cases, and state and federal litigation. She is licensed to practice law in Oregon, California, and Utah. Ms. Liljefelt is the chair of the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association’s Water Resources Committee, the former chair of the Oregon State Bar’s Environmental & Natural Resources Section’s executive committee, and serves on the Bar’s Agricultural Law Section executive committee. She enjoys cooking, kayaking, and camping with her family, and competitively races outrigger canoes with the Mountain Home Canoe Club.

Mr. Sanger’s legal and consulting practice at Sanger Law PC focuses on energy, administrative, and public utility law. He represents energy trade associations, municipalities, electric cooperatives, irrigation districts, end-use industrial and commercial consumers, investor owned natural gas and water utilities, and renewable and cogeneration electricity producers. Mr. Sanger advises hydro, biomass, geothermal, wind, solar, cogeneration, and other electricity generators on a wide variety of transactional matters, including negotiating power purchase agreements, interconnection agreements, wholesale power sales, resource development and sales, and other matters. He represents clients in energy and utility matters before state and federal courts, state public utility commissions, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and the Bonneville Power Administration. Mr. Sanger is also an adjunct instructor at Lewis and Clark Law School, and in Portland Community College’s Paralegal Program.

Mr. Sheets is the owner of BRS Legal, LLC, an Ontario-based law firm that focuses on water law, natural resources, and land use law in Oregon and Idaho. He has represented clients with a wide set of issues ranging from municipal water supply concerns to wildlife management policy, and individuals with diverse land use issues in negotiation and litigation roles. Mr. Sheets focuses on water-related legal challenges for agricultural and residential water users across Oregon and has expanded into Idaho in 2020. He is a graduate of Lewis & Clark Law School (2013) with a certificate in Environmental and Natural Resources Law and served as the Managing Editor of Lewis & Clark Law Review. In his spare time, Mr. Sheets represents a national non-profit Falconry advocacy organization, pro-bono as associate counsel, which compliments his practice as a licensed falconer.

 Ms. Smith represents and advises the OPUC Staff in matters before the OPUC, including water utility matters.

Ms. Baldwin represents businesses, municipalities and utilities in all aspects of litigation and risk management, regulatory compliance, air and water permitting, real estate transactions and insurance coverage. Her practice includes environmental litigation involving cleanup and cost recovery actions before Indiana and federal courts. Ms. Baldwin also has experience advising clients on Clean Air Act compliance and complex wastewater, stormwater and solid and hazardous regulations. Before joining Ice Miller, She worked at a law firm representing large industrial clients and other businesses in all areas of environmental law and helped clients find cost-effective solutions to compliance, permitting and enforcement issues.

ForeSight Consulting, LLC, a professional services firm established in 2004 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. ForeSight offers comprehensive civil engineering and land surveying services to the construction and building sectors. He manages the firm’s operations, directs its growth strategy, mentors team members, and continues to oversee engineering and surveying projects of various sizes throughout Indiana. A graduate of Purdue University, Mr. Bauer holds a bachelor of science degree in Civil Engineering Technology. He is a licensed professional engineer and professional surveyor in Indiana and has previously held professional licenses in several other states. In addition, he has served as an adjunct faculty member at Purdue University Fort Wayne, where he taught courses in elementary surveying, route survey and design, land survey and subdivision, and hydraulics and drainage. Mr. Bauer has played an active role in the Indiana Society of Professional Surveyors (ISPLS), serving on its board of directors from 2006 to 2015 and again from 2018 to 2020. He was honored with the President’s Award in 2010 for his contributions to the society, and the profession of land surveying. He served as president of ISPLS in 2019 and continues his involvement with the society on the Government Affairs Committee. Additionally, Mr. Bauer has served in leadership positions within the Northeast Chapter of ISPLS, including serving as chapter president on three occasions. He is regularly called upon to handle complex surveying cases and has served as an expert witness in matters involving boundaries, easements, and riparian rights. Known as a trusted resource for developers, title companies, and real estate attorneys, he has delivered continuing education presentations on professional surveying topics, including “Professional Surveyor’s Reports,” “Locating Land Boundaries: On Paper and On the Ground,” and “Conducting Due Diligence for a Purchase-Sale Agreement” through the American Bar Association.

Ms. Berg’s practice focuses on assisting clients with complex environmental, food, and agricultural regulatory and compliance issues. She advises clients in the complex permitting, operations, and reporting processes of federal and state regulatory programs and contributes her extensive experience to litigation and administrative proceedings. Ms. Berg also assists companies of all sizes on compliance with U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulations, guidance, policies, and procedures regarding food and agricultural products. She helps clients with environmental issues involved in property redevelopment and real estate transactions. Ms. Berg work includes review of environmental assessments, evaluation of potential environmental liabilities associated with real estate transactions, and evaluation of eligibility for federal and state Brownfields assistance programs.

Ms. Freveletti is the inaugural Nancy C. Ralston Conservation Fellow with the Conservation Law Center, and a graduate of Indiana University Maurer School of Law, magna cum laude. She has a passion for environmental and public interest work and has spent the last two years as an attorney at the Conservation Law Center working on a variety of environmental issues. In the last year, Ms. Freveletti has focused her work on working with other interested organizations to develop different approaches to address water quality and quantity issues in Indiana.

Gary Kent is in his 40th year with Schneider Geomatics in Indianapolis – having transitioned to part-time status in 2020. He also provides training, consulting and expert witness services as manager and owner of Meridian Land Consulting, LLC. He served as chair of the Joint ALTA/NSPS Committee responsible for the ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey standards from 1995 to 2021. He has also served on the Indiana State Board of Registration for Professional Surveyors since 2004 and is a past-president of both ACSM and the Indiana Society of Professional Land Surveyors. Mr. Kent has presented programs on boundary law, easements and rights of way, surveying standards and practice, and leadership multiple times in all 50 states.

Mr. Deverel, Principal Hydrologist with HydroFocus, Inc. in Davis, CA. Dr. Deverel has more than 40 years of hydrologic problem-solving experience in California and throughout the western United States. After completing a doctorate at the University of California at Davis in 1983, Dr. Deverel worked as a Researcher at the US Geological Survey until 1991. During this period, he investigated the hydrologic and geochemical processes associated with land subsidence. From 1991 to 1994, he served as the Assistant District Chief for the US Geological Survey California District, overseeing data collection and research for northern California. Since May 1994, he has worked in the private sector, opened a consulting firm in 1996 and cofounded HydroFocus, Inc. in 1998. Steven has authored numerous publications related to land subsidence and strategies for mitigating subsidence and has also led and participated in key investigations into impacts of subsidence on ecosystem processes, agriculture, and infrastructure. Steven is a registered Professional Geologist in California and Arizona, a registered Professional Geoscientist in Texas, a certified Hydrogeologist in California and a registered Professional Hydrologist with the American Institute of Hydrology.

Ms. Bowman currently teaches water law, energy regulation, natural resources and evidence at The University of Tulsa College of Law. Her work has been cited in the New York Times, and she is a sought after water expert who has been interviewed by PBS, CNN, and Democracy Now. Ms. Bowman is the Director of the Sustainable Energy and Natural Resources Law Program (SERL) at The University of Tulsa College of Law. An honors graduate of the University of Texas School of Law, Bowman clerked for Justice Jack Hightower of the Texas Supreme Court, and served as an honors trial attorney in the Environmental and Natural Resources Division of the U.S. Department of Justice under Attorney General Janet Reno. She was a Harry S. Truman Scholar at Columbia College, the Barbara Jordan Scholar at the LBJ School of Public Affairs, and the Oppenheimer Scholar at the Hauser Scholar for Nonprofit Organizations at the Kennedy School, where she earned her doctorate. Ms. Bowman has extensive law and policy experience in local, state and federal government, as well as in the non-profit sector. Before coming to The University of Tulsa College of Law, she has published widely on telecommunications and regulatory issues and has consulted for the Kenyan Government, USAID, the United Nations, and the U.S. State Department. Before joining The University of Tulsa, she taught at the American University in Cairo, Egypt, during the revolution of 2011, as well as at the University of Mississippi and the University of Arkansas. Ms. Bowman’s work is multidisciplinary, and is informed by the fields of history, law, science and technology studies, as well as political science. She is interested in energy, water, infrastructure, regulation, elections, and telecommunications, both in the United States, and in Africa.

Ms. Carson serves as general counsel and advises public agencies on a broad range of issues, including Water Law, civil litigation, Labor and Employment Law, the Public Records Act, CEQA, the Clean Water Act, land use, contract formation and negotiation, drafting and amending ordinances, resolutions, and personnel rules, conducting wage and hour audits, and management trainings. Ms. Carson provides advice and legal support on water, wastewater and MS4 issues for most of the Firm’s clients, including water quality, infrastructure, and rate-setting. She has represented county and municipal water districts, irrigation districts, mutual water companies, investor-owned public utilities, State Water Project contractors, city water departments, and transportation entities. She has litigated and advocated water rights. In her litigation practice, Ms. Carson has successfully litigated many complex cases and obtained dismissals of numerous cases through motions. She also interned with Wm. Matthew Byrne, Jr., then Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court, Central District. Ms. Carson was a certified law clerk for the Riverside District Attorney’s Office, handling jury trials and preliminary hearings.

Mr. Hrozencik is a research agricultural economist in the Conservation and Environment Branch of the Resource and Rural Economics Division. His research interests lie at the intersection of production and natural resource economics, specifically how firms and individuals utilize scarce resources or environmental goods as inputs to production. Mr. Hrozencik past research employs empirical and simulation modeling to understand how the agricultural sector utilizes groundwater. Future research will continue to explore the nuanced relationship between agricultural production and water resources.
Mr. Hrozencik received a Ph.D. in agricultural and resource economics at Colorado State University and a B.A. in economics and philosophy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Dr. Izbicki has worked for the U.S. Geological Survey for more than 40 years in Maryland, Massachusetts, and California. He retired in 2021 but continues to work for the USGS as an annuitant. In 2000 while working for the USGS, he obtained his Ph.D. in Soil Physics from University of California, Riverside. As part of the California Water science Center, his studies have focused on understanding the physical hydrology of coastal and desert aquifer systems primarily through the application of chemical and isotopic tracers. Recent work included studies of managed aquifer recharge, trace-element occurrence in desert aquifers, submarine groundwater discharge, and bacterial source identification in urban streams and near-shore ocean water. Dr. Izbicki has worked on natural hexavalent chromium occurrence in groundwater in the Mojave Desert for more than 25 years and has worked at the Hinkley site since 2015. He holds several patents for well-bore flow and sample collection equipment and associated techniques. Dr. Izbicki was awarded the California Groundwater Resources Association, Lifetime Achievement Award for exemplary contributions to the groundwater industry. He has worked internationally for the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Indian government, and the Chinese government.

Dr. Kisekka is a professor of Hydrology and Agricultural Water Management in the department of Land, Air and Water Resources and the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering at the University of California Davis. He also serves as the Director for the UC Davis Agricultural Water Center of Excellence, where he leads efforts on sustaining groundwater use and irrigated agriculture.
The overall goal of his research is to enhance sustainable water management in agroecosystems. Dr. Kisekka research focuses on quantifying the influence of irrigation on crop production, water balance, water quality, and climate change adaptation. His research is conducted at a range of scales from groundwater basin, to farm, to field to smaller scales (e.g., greenhouse and soil columns). Dr. Kisekka research involves both experimental studies, and modeling. He received a BSc. Agricultural Engineering from Makerere University in Uganda, and Masters and PhD in Agricultural and Biological Engineering (specializing in Hydrologic Sciences) from the University of Florida. Prior to joining UC Davis, he served as an Assistant Professor of Water Management at Kansas State University where he worked on irrigation and groundwater sustainability issues in the Ogallala Aquifer region.

 Mr. Loux splits his time between UC Davis Extension, where he is Chair of the Science, Agriculture and Natural Resources Department, and serving as an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Landscape Architecture/Environmental Design Program in Human Ecology. His primary teaching and research interests are in Sustainable Urban Planning and Design, Water Resources Policy, and Community Engagement and Collaboration around environmental, water and land use issues. In Extension, Dr. Loux is responsible for $6 million of professional education and over 5,000 professional enrollments each year in a wide array of fields including land use planning, sustainable transportation, water resources, GIS, environmental laws and policy, sustainable design, and related topic areas.

Mr. O’Neill oversees legal matters for a wide variety of public entities and private sector clients. He represents both public and private entities, emphasizing water law, environmental law, and municipal law. Mr. O’Neill practice area includes water rights (surface and groundwater) water quality, and water supply issues. He regularly advises clients on alternative water supply issues, including the development and sale of recycled water. Mr. O’Neill also provides legislative and policy support, drafting proposed statutes and regulations concerning a wide range of issues, from water quality issues to rate setting.

Ms. Schoengold is the Associate Director of the Nebraska Water Center. She joined the Department of Agricultural Economics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2005. Ms. Schoengold has a Ph.D. from the University of California-Berkeley in Agricultural and Resource Economics (2005), and a B.S. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Economics and Mathematics (1998). Her research program relates to a range of agri-environmental policy issues, with a significant focus on water and soil management. Specifically, she is interested in how individuals make decision regarding the use of scarce and/or polluting inputs, and how policy design affects those decisions. Ms. Schoengold research has been funded by a range of programs, including NSF, USDA-NIFA, USDA-ERS, USGS, and the Water for Food Daugherty Global Institute at the University of Nebraska.