Attorney at Stites & Harbison
Dr. Early has practiced environmental law at Stites & Harbison, PLLC, for over 20 years. His work with industry includes advice on compliance, permitting, transactions, response to enforcement actions, participation in regulatory development, and related administrative and civil litigation. In addition to the environmental statutory programs, Dr. Early also advises on sustainability and energy matters. He is the current chair of the Kentucky Chamber’s Energy & Environment Council. Dr. Early is former chair of the American Bar Association’s Water Quality and Wetlands Committee of the Section of Environment, Energy & Resources and is a past chair of the Kentucky Bar Association’s Environmental Section. Before law, he was a professor of biology and chair of the Biology Department at Cumberland College in Williamsburg, Kentucky. Dr. Early earned a Ph.D. degree in Biology from the University of Louisville, and a J.D. degree from the University of Kentucky.

Project Manager at Third Rock Consultants
Ms. Rains is currently a project manager with Third Rock Consultants. Previously she had been with state government since May 2001, starting in the Division of Water’s Enforcement Branch where she issued notices of violations and negotiated/settled cases of noncompliance with municipalities and companies to return them into compliance with regulations. Ms. Rains became the state’s pretreatment program coordinator in July 2004, where her past experience in wastewater treatment plant operations was very useful in working with municipalities as they worked with industries to find a balance between successful commerce while still protecting the wastewater treatment plant. Prior to joining Third Rock, Ms. Rains had been the MS4 Coordinator for over 12 years where she worked with the MS4 communities to insure compliance with the KPDES Permit. She received a B.S. degree in Biology from Lincoln Memorial University.

Mr. Southall, RLA, LEED AP BD+C, ASLA, AICP, is a principal with Earthcycle Design, LLC, a landscape architecture, urban planning and community resilience design firm, based in Lexington, KY.  He is a Professional Landscape Architect in Kentucky and Ohio, a LEED Accredited Professional BD+C with the US Green Building Council (USGBC), and a Certified Planner with the American Planning Association.  Mr. Southall has over 25 years of professional experience in planning, design and project management. He has applied his sustainability design experience on a multitude of projects ranging in magnitude and complexity including: urban and site design for institute and community facilities with an emphasis on education and public outreach pertaining to Green Infrastructure (GI), Low Impact Development (LID) and Sustainable Sites.  Mr. Southall has presented on an assortment of sustainable practices and topics at statewide, regional and national conferences. In 2008, he shared the State of Kentucky Governor’s Award for Environmental Leadership. In 2009, he received an Environmental Commission Award from Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government for his environmental outreach and sustainable design efforts in Lexington. Mr. Southall graduated from the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture. Currently, he serves as one of twelve Sustainable Champion for American Planning Association (APA), serves on the steering committee of Empower Lexington (a climate action plan to reduce CO2), and as Treasurer for LFUCG’s Environmental Commission. In March 2017, Mr. Southall completed a three-day Climate Reality Leadership Corps training to become a Climate Reality Leader and served as Mentor in October, 2017. He is a past Chapter President and Trustee of Kentucky ASLA, past Board of Director member for Southeast Stormwater Association (SeSWA), and Market Leadership Advisory Board (MLAB) for USGBC Kentucky. Mr. Southall is a member of American Society of Landscape Architects and American Planning Association.