Principal in Sherwood Design Engineers’ Houston OfficeSteven F. Albert has practiced civil engineering for 40 years with the past 20 years focused on the effective application of Low Impact Development (LID) and sustainable design techniques applied to a wide variety of public and private development projects.  Steve has extensive experience in land and site development, stormwater management design, stormwater system modeling, grading, water distribution, and sanitary sewer systems.  He has led and participated within integrated site design teams and has collaborated with architects, landscape architects, ecologists, regulators, and environmental specialists.  Almost all of his projects adapt LID methods for stormwater runoff quantity reduction and quality enhancement applied to residential subdivisions, commercial developments, institutional campus master plans, and individual building sites.  Steve is an active lifetime member of ASCE and serves as the Sustainability Committee Chair for the Houston Branch.  He is also a member of the Steering Committee of the Houston Land/Water Sustainability Forum.  Past affiliations include serving as an Advisor to the Conservation Foundation of Naperville, IL and on the Naperville Plan Commission and Riverwalk Commission.  He has made presentations in LID methods to numerous and diverse professional and trade groups focused on the cost-effective use of LID methods.

David Batts LEED AP is the co-founder of the Texas Land/Water Sustainability Forum and has been a part of leading the adoption and implementation of Low Impact Development throughout the state of Texas. Through the Forum’s efforts and the success of their Professional Low Impact Development Design Competitions in Houston and North Texas, they have successfully proven that Low Impact Development not only offers an ecologically sustainable solution, but also provides opportunities to decrease infrastructure costs, increase lot yield, and provide an economically viable answer to all types of development. Because of his efforts, developers throughout Texas are using Low Impact Development to differentiate themselves while positively impacting their bottom line. Mr. Batts is the President of Construction EcoServices, a services and systems provider focused on all aspects of storm water quality and quantity management

Zachary Christeson LEED AP is vice president and senior landscape architect with HOK in Houston. Mr. Christeson, a registered landscape architect, has extensive experience in the planning and design of corporate environments, academic campuses, public institutions, mixed-use districts, residential communities and medical facilities throughout the US, Asia and the Middle East. During his 15-year tenure, he has provided project leadership on numerous landscape architecture and master planning projects. Mr. Christeson is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects. As a LEED accredited Professional, he is an expert in understanding the role of the landscape architect in the integrated design process.

Douglas W. Darr is an architect/accessibility specialist with Accessibility Check. Mr. Darr received a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Texas A & M University. He is a licensed Architect in Texas and is NCARB certified. Mr. Darr is also a registered accessibility specialist in Texas and a certified ICC accessibility inspector/plans examiner. His architectural career was primarily centered on the production and quality assurance of construction documents for a wide variety of project types both large and small, simple and complex. His project experience covers residential, commercial, and institutional facilities both in the private sector as well as the public sector. In 1986 he formed his own firm, Douglas W. Darr, Architect. Experience in the use of codes and standards during his architectural career led to formation of Accessibility Check in January 1995, teaming up with wife Teresa L. Darr, AIA. Accessibility Check offers a variety of services centered on accessible design and compliance issues involving TAS, ADA and ABA Accessibility Guidelines, UFAS, ANSI A117.1, and the Fair Housing Act. In addition to plan reviews and inspections, the firm offers existing building and facility assessment reports, accessibility training seminars, and accessibility consultation services. Mr. Darr is a charter member of the Accessibility Professionals Association (APA) and has been actively involved in that organization from its inception. He has served in several leadership roles, including president, and currently serves as a member of the Technical Standards Committee. He holds an APA “ADA Specialist” designation from the organization.

Cory R. Thornton is an attorney with Crain Caton & James who represents clients in environmental, health and safety (EHS) matters. His practice is broad-based, assisting clients with regulatory compliance, EHS litigation, and transactional matters. Mr. Thornton advises clients on air, waste, and water compliance issues in Texas, throughout the United States, and internationally. He counsels clients in corporate and real estate transactions regarding environmental assessments, due diligence, and contractual arrangements for protection against environmental liabilities. He also represents clients in civil and administrative proceedings, involving such issues as violations of state and federal law, cost recovery actions under state and federal Superfund laws, and tort claims for property damage and personal injury. Mr. Thornton routinely advocates for clients in front of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the Occupational Health & Safety Administration and other federal and state agencies.