Ms. Cooper is a member of Cooper, Riesterer, & Gross PLC, Attorneys at Law, located in Brighton, Michigan. She specializes in real estate and municipal law, counseling commercial and residential property owners, sellers, buyers, landlords, tenants, and brokers on all aspects of real estate and zoning law. Ms. Cooper is municipal counsel to a general law township and municipal water authority in Livingston County. She advises clients on their simple and complex transactional and litigation issues including purchase and sale agreements, land contracts, leases, site acquisition, development, financing, quiet title, riparian rights, easements, boundary disputes, variances, and zoning approvals. Complicated issues are often referred to her for creative solutions. Ms. Cooper is a frequent speaker, presenter, and moderator for various realtor groups and brokerages, the State Bar of Michigan’s Real Property Law Section, and various other community organizations. She is a certified instructor for CE Marketplace, Michigan’s continuing education center for real estate professionals. Ms. Cooper has been practicing law for 22 years, graduating from Wayne State Law School in 2003 cum laude and Michigan State University’s James Madison College in 1998 with high honors.

Ms. McKay is a recognized leader in environmental policy with more than two decades of experience at the intersection of science, law, and public policy. She has built a career advancing water resource protection through strategic advocacy, coalition-building, and deep engagement with regulatory and legislative frameworks. Her work is known for bridging technical expertise and policy solutions to address complex environmental challenges across the Great Lakes region. Until recently, she served as chief policy and government affairs director for the Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council, where she led the organization’s comprehensive policy agenda to strengthen water resource protections at the local, state, and federal levels. Earlier in her career, Ms. McKay worked with the Public Interest Research Group and in the Michigan Legislature. She was appointed by former Michigan Governor Rick Snyder to the Michigan Pipeline Safety Advisory Board. She currently serves on the Great Lakes Commission, the Michigan Underground Storage Tank Authority, the Land Information Access Association Board of Directors, and the Northern Michigan Area Committee. She also serves on the Environmental Council Board of Directors, rising to its chair from 2022 to 2024. Ms. McKay holds dual degrees in Environmental Studies and Political Science from Michigan State University.

Ms. Rivette is a professional engineer with over 30 years experience in water resources.
She has an Environmental Engineering degree from Michigan Technological University. In the stormwater world, she spent over 10 years with the City of Grand Rapids, where she managed their Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit. This included revising their stormwater code, reviewing land development permits, and leading the City’s green infrastructure initiatives. She also worked closely with MS4 managers across the state to work jointly on MS4 permit compliance and ensure consistency of programs in West Michigan.

Ms. Isely is a veteran of the West Michigan legal and environmental communities and has held a number of positions in the nonprofit and academic sectors focused on research, policy implementation, and collaboration. She’s served in leadership and as the interim executive director, deputy director, and director of water programs at the West Michigan Environmental Action Council; as project manager for West Michigan Strategic Alliance’s Green Infrastructure Initiative; research associate for the Annis Water Resources Institute at Grand Valley State University; Sea Grant Fellow with the Great Lakes Commission; and litigation attorney for Legal Aid of Western Michigan and the Michigan Migrant Legal Assistance Project, Inc. Ms. Isely has more than 30 years of experience in law, water policy, research, outreach, and public speaking. She holds a J.D. degree from Wayne State University Law School, an M.S. degree in Biology from Grand Valley State University, and a B.S. degree in Finance from the University of Maryland. She is appointed to the Michigan State Waterways Commission and serves on the Community Advisory Group for the PFAS contamination at the various Wolverine Worldwide contaminated sites in Northern Kent County (MI). She has published several academic and technical papers on environmental and collaborative management topics.

An economist focused on the intersection of sustainable watershed management and urban planning, Ms. Viars employs a strategic blend of policy instruments and financial tools to forge innovative solutions for pressing urban water challenges. Rooted in collaboration, her approach prioritizes diverse social and cultural values of nature to foster equitable participation and resource allocation, building both climate resilience and economic prosperity for all communities. Ms. Viars holds both an M.S. degree and a B.S. degree in Economics from the Belk College of Business at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte. She previously served as an adjunct professor in Economics at Grand Valley State University and participates in various regional environmental advisory committees and as a Great Lakes Senior Environmental Leadership Fellow.