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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.

Professor Fratta is an associate professor in Geological Engineering and Civil Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He holds Civil Engineering degrees from three different universities: a diploma from U.N. Corboda (Argentina), an M.A.Sc. degree from U. of Waterloo (Canada), and a Ph.D. degree from Georgia Tech (USA). He has over 20 years of teaching experience through courses in soil mechanics, foundation engineering, and applied geophysics, and he is the author of three books. Professor Fratta also supports a research group that pursues studies in near-surface geophysics, wave propagation in soils and groups, and experimental geotechnical engineering.

Ms. Fabricant, MLA, is a registered consulting arborist operating out of SavATree’s Dallas-Fort Worth branch providing comprehensive tree and shrub care services. Some popular services that she offers to clients include tree risk assessment, tree and landscape appraisal, permitting, construction and compliance, tree surveys and preservation plans, municipal services, and more. Ms. Fabricant has diverse experience working in arboriculture-horticulture, design, and business. She has been a lifelong volunteer and liaison focusing on environmental sustainability and recovery projects. Ms. Fabricant earned her master’s degree in Landscape Architecture from The University of Texas at Arlington.

Ms. Gutkowski is an Environmental Project Manager, ISA Certified Arborist, and ESA Certified Ecologist with over six years of experience in ecological assessment, restoration planning, and environmental permitting. At Rodgers Consulting, she leads natural resource strategies for development projects across Maryland, including forest stand delineations, stream restoration planning, and ecological inventories. With a Master of Science in Conservation Science from the University of Queensland, Kelly brings a strong academic foundation in ecological research, including work on coral reef and seagrass ecosystems, genetic and paleoecological analysis, and advanced statistical modeling. Kelly has extensive experience guiding environmental review and permitting for diverse development and infrastructure projects. She routinely deciphers ecological data into regulatory guidance, technical documentation, and stakeholder communication, helping clients and agencies achieve balanced outcomes that integrate ecological sensitivity with sustainable growth. Through her leadership, Kelly applies ecological science to guide evidence-based planning and stewardship that support resilient landscapes and thriving communities.

Ms. Lubell-Brand is a professor of Horticulture at the University of Connecticut. Her research and outreach on native plants has focused on the identification and development of novel species as landscape plants and their propagation to broaden the palette of natives available to consumers. She earned her B.A. degree from the University of Rochester, her M.S. degree from the University of Connecticut and her Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut.

Mr. Seibert’s work explores how people relate to the landscapes that sustain them, questioning dominant ways of seeing and knowing the world. Through teaching, writing, and design, he seeks to imagine more just, reciprocal, and promising futures.

After 20 years in photography creating art, and selling and installing professional photography equipment, Mr. Williams decided to change careers and make the world a better place by becoming a LEED accredited professional through the US Green Building Council in 2006. LEED introduced him to water issues. Then there was drought. With a love of rivers and appreciation of water, he decided to focus on rainwater harvesting and water efficiency as Georgia entered its worst drought in its history from 2006 – 2009. In 2007, Mr. Williams started designing and installing rain harvesting systems. In 2008, he became an American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association accredited professional, ARCSA AP, and is currently a regional representative. In 2012, Mr. Williams began auditing commercial, institutional and multifamily buildings’ water use and providing solutions to reduce water use primarily through fixture upgrades. He spent the next several years auditing commercial, institutional and multifamily buildings as part of his job in sales and account management working for several different companies. In 2013, he landed the contract for fixture upgrades for the Bank of America Plaza’s LEED Silver Certification, reducing water by 57 percent, receiving all seven points and saving 2,669,360 gallons per year. The project won the USGBC’s Ebie award for water efficiency, the Atlanta Metro Chamber’s E3 award for water, the USGBC – GA Chrysalis award as well as the Atlanta Better Building Challenge award. In 2019, Mr. Williams started representing Sustainable Water’s WaterHub water recycling system that uses eco-engineering processes to clean wastewater for non-potable needs. Sustainable Water brought the WaterHub to Emory University, recycling more than 400,000 gallons daily. Currently, he is designing and installing rainwater systems in Georgia and helping others use water more efficiently through water audits, billing assessments and fixture recommendations. Mr. Williams is chair of the Ocmulgee Basin Advisory Committee of the Metro North Georgia Water Planning District and has been active since 2007. He still creates art though his photography.

Mr. Ash, CRE, joined Carlin & Ward in 2019 bringing 15 years of experience in real estate law for public projects to the representation of property owners in eminent domain acquisitions. Now a partner at Carlin, Ward, Ash & Heiart, LLC, his practice focuses on real estate litigation and trial advocacy in eminent domain matters and tax appeals. He collaborates with experts in various disciplines including real estate appraisers, engineers, planners, and environmental consultants. Mr. Ash is certified by the New Jersey Supreme Court as a certified civil trial attorney, handling all aspects of condemnation valuation jury trials, commissioner hearings, and tax appeals in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Court, Tax Court, Supreme Court, and United States District Court for the District of New Jersey and Southern District of New York. In 2018, he was awarded the CRE® designation by the Counselors of Real Estate®, an international group of real estate professionals recognized as leading advisors in complex real property matters with approximately 1,000 members worldwide, of which only about 50 are practicing attorneys. Mr. Ash has been recognized as “Rising Star” and Super Lawyer in Eminent Domain 2012 through 2022. He earned his B.A. degree from Rutgers University and his J.D. degree from New England School of Law.

Ms. Brennan concentrates her practice in the fields of redevelopment, land use, and eminent domain. She handles transactional and litigation matters, as well as entitlements. She has extensive experience in negotiating and drafting redevelopment agreements and associated documents and legislation. Ms. Brennan has also drafted and defended zoning and land use ordinances. She has successfully challenged land use board decisions in both New York and New Jersey, and has successfully defended redevelopment designations and agreements in Superior Court in New Jersey. Ms. Brennan has also counseled businesses and communities related to aviation and airports regarding compliance with federal and state environmental regulations, including the development of OSHA-required coursework for airport employees. Before she was an attorney, Ms. Brennan was a duty manager for a major airline. Ms. Brennan founded the Land Use and Redevelopment Committee of the Essex County Bar Association and is a member of the Aviation Law Committee of the New Jersey Bar Association and the Air and Space Law Committee of the NYC Bar.

Mr. Pollock is certified by the New Jersey Supreme Court as a Civil Trial Lawyer. This certification is bestowed by the Court upon select attorneys who demonstrate sufficient levels of experience, education, knowledge and skill in a specific area of law or practice and have been recognized by their peers as having sufficient skills and reputation in the designated area of law, among other requirements. Mr. Pollock also teaches trial practice and other related courses for the National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA). In client references provided to Chambers USA, Mr. Pollock has been called “an excellent trial lawyer” who is a “very zealous advocate,” and who is “relentless, personable, intelligent and creative.” He has also been noted as someone with a “significant depth of experience and knowledge in environmental law” who also “is very knowledgeable about insurance.”

Mr. Sokolove is a nationally recognized flood causation / flood damage attorney with over 45 years’ experience representing businesses, individuals, developers, communities, and nonprofit organizations in a wide range of legal and regulatory matters involving flood insurance, flood risks, floodplain management, sea level rise, wetland regulation, lender liability and eco-development. Bob heads up the firm’s Flood Litigation Team, the only one of its kind in the country, made up of lawyers and paralegals dedicated to the pursuit of flood claims on behalf of individuals and entities which have suffered flood losses. Mr. Sokolove regularly litigates multi-party environmental disputes, inverse condemnation matters, and flooding and wetland related cases across the United States. Mr. Sokolove represents developers and communities in connection with the creation of sustainability and environmental projects on a for-profit-basis, and assisted in the creation of over seven billion dollars’ worth of saleable wetland and habitat credits through the development of the wetland mitigation banking concept. Mr. Sokolove has also represented some of the largest lending institutions in the country with respect to flood risk and portfolio analysis. In mid 2024, Mr. Sokolove and members of his Flood team obtained what is believed to be the largest flood litigation award in the country, ($23 million) against a municipality, which caused flood damage to four separate plaintiffs. Mr. Sokolove’s ability to leverage his knowledge and experience into tangible positive results for clients has made him a coveted speaker at conferences, a respected expert witness, and a published writer on subjects involving flood insurance and revenue creation through green initiatives. His clients include some of the largest developers and organizations in the country. In addition to his law degree, Mr. Sokolove holds a Certificate in hydraulics and hydrology from the University of California at Davis, which is extremely helpful when litigating flood matters and advising lenders, municipalities, developers, and real estate entities.

Mr. Buckley’s practice involves commercial real estate transactions with an emphasis on commercial mortgage loans, including construction loans, workouts and foreclosures; acquisitions and dispositions of commercial properties, from vacant land to shopping center properties and golf courses; commercial leases, including ground leases; and master-planned communities. He has experience in land use issues, municipal development agreements and residential and mixed-use projects CC&Rs. His clients have included financial institutions and other lenders, developers, public entities and nonprofits. As a founding member and chair of the Real Property Section of the State Bar of Nevada, Mr. Buckley has been instrumental in the enactment of the Section’s legislative proposals and Nevada’s enactment of uniform laws such as the Uniform Commercial Real Estate Receivership Act (2017).

Mr. Morrison is the Managing Member of Morrison Law. The firm specializes in water rights, real estate transactions and litigation and administrative matters. He is Licensed to practice law in both California and Nevada, and a practitioner of water, environmental, land use, and natural resource law. Mr. Morrison has experience at all levels of the water appropriation process, from filing applications and statements to administrative hearings to district and Supreme Court review. He also has knowledge of regulations governing complex interbasin and interstate river and groundwater systems. Mr. Morrison earned his J.D. degree from University of the Pacific-McGeorge School of Law.

Ms. Fairbank is an engaged and results driven Of Counsel attorney with broad experience involving the management and resolution of controversial and complex matters who practices in our Business Litigation and Natural Resources practice groups from our Reno, NV office. With many years of experience handling a broad spectrum of civil matters, including extensive trial and appellate experience and a practice focused on water and natural resource law, she most recently served as a Deputy Administrator for the Nevada Division of Water Resources. In this capacity, Ms. Fairbank worked with the Nevada State Engineer in administering Title 48 of the Nevada Revised Statutes in the management of water rights and the Silver State’s water resources. she also represented the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection in handling a variety of permitting and compliance matters involving hazardous waste disposal and management, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), mine reclamation, the Clean Water Act (CWA), the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) and related state environmental laws. Ms. Fairbank also has experience handling legislative matters and has extensive practice experience before the Nevada State District Courts, Federal District Courts in Nevada and California, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the National Labor Relations Board, the Equal Opportunity and Employment Commission, and state administrative agencies.

Mr. Silva is one of the best-known practitioners of eminent domain and takings litigation in the State of Nevada, as well as a leading practitioner of municipal law. His practice includes representing condemning agencies, municipalities, counties, state agencies and utilities—primarily in Nevada, as well as California and nationwide. He also represents private landowners in takings matters. He also serves as a judge pro tempore for the Reno Municipal Court. Mr. Silva frequently presents educational material at leading industry conferences, including IRWA, IMLA, APA, and Western States Surveyors. He is highly devoted to advancing education of the bar and industry, and writes extensively. Mr. Silva has contributed to the Nevada Real Property Practice Manual, the Nevada Civil Practice Manual, the Nevada Appellate Practice Manual, the Nevada Civil Jury Instructions, the Nevada Appellate Rules of Procedure, the Miller & Starr treatise on real property law, and frequently publishes articles in publications such as Nevada Lawyer and other law journals. Prior to entering practice, Mr. Silva served as a staff attorney at the Nevada Supreme Court and as a law clerk to the Hon. Patrick Flanagan at the Second Judicial District Court in Washoe County, Nevada. In law school, he served as an extern to the Hon. John A. Houston at the United States District Court for the Southern District of California.

Mr. Taggart is the founding partner of Taggart and Taggart, Ltd. Long respected in the water rights arena, representing businesses and municipalities in transactional and litigation matters, his practice includes water rights acquisitions, sales, contracts, easements, well share and water delivery agreements, adjudications, permitting, extensions, transfers, certification, regulatory compliance and litigation of water rights disputes before state administrative bodies as well as State and Federal trial and appellate courts. Additionally, he practices real property, real estate, land use, redevelopment, complex and general civil litigation, and administrative proceedings. Mr. Taggart provides his clients the unique combination of legal experience combined with particularly skilled considerable success in representation of clients and projects. He continues to be actively involved in working with and handling matters and individuals, corporate clients, business owners, contractors, developers, and lenders throughout Nevada look to him to represent them in complex water law cases and issues.

Mr. Giordanengo is the founder and principal restoration ecologist of AloTerra Restoration Services. He has 33 years of professional and academic experience in ecology, ecological restoration, business, and economics; 23 years of natural resource project management experience; 10 years of natural resource research experience; over 200 publications, oral presentations, articles and technical papers. He has founded and managed several non-profit organizations, and facilitated several complex stakeholder engagement processes with federal, state, local, non-profit, and private entities. Mr. Giordanengo earned his M.S. degree in Rangeland Ecosystem Science from Colorado State University and his B.S. degree from San Diego State University.

Mr. Crompton specializes in complex civil cases across the United States. He has led numerous large-scale litigations, obtaining significant verdicts, settlements, and results on behalf of his clients. A native of Herrin, Illinois, he grew up in a hardworking, union family. Mr. Crompton’s family and close family friends have worked in heavy, dangerous industries, trades and services including railroading, agriculture, mining, natural resources, manufacturing, construction, labor, maintenance, machinery, transportation and trucking, towing/road service, electrical linemen, structural/steel, teaching, and engineering. He has successfully taken on some of the largest, most aggressive corporations and industries, including pharmaceutical, agricultural, asbestos, petroleum/oil, banking, automotive, and manufacturing. Mr. Crompton’s cases have been featured in various media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Time, CNBC, MSNBC, NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News, Law360, New York Times, LA Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Missouri Lawyers Media, St. Louis Post Dispatch, St. Louis Business Journal, and the St. Louis Record, to name a few. Additionally, his legal writings, teachings, and materials have been published in and widely circulated by well-known industry publications. He has received numerous awards and recognitions, including a Martindale-Hubbell preeminent AV rating (5.0/5.0), a Top 100 Trial Lawyer, in the Global Directory of Who’s Who (Top Lawyers), a designation by Super Lawyers, and being ranked in the top 5% of private practice attorneys nationwide by Best Lawyers in America.

Ms. Crompton is an experienced trial attorney and dedicated advocate for justice. Her passion to try cases led her to join the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s office prosecuting some of the most serious and egregious offenses in St. Louis City. Ms. Crompton tried over 40 jury trials and countless bench trials during her 11+ year tenure, having an impressive record of felony convictions. It was during her time there that she sought justice on behalf of many women and children who were survivors of sexual crimes and domestic violence. Standing up and giving a voice to those who cannot speak for themselves is the reason she chose to attend law school. Ms. Crompton continued her career at a woman owned plaintiffs law firm concentrating her practice in the areas of catastrophic trucking cases, product liability, wrongful death, medical negligence, employment litigation, and personal injury. Just prior to joining the firm, she operated in a business role as Director and Counsel for a private legal services company. There she managed all services to facilitate resolution of civil litigation matters. Additionally, she was accountable for training and management of employees and independent contractors, marketing, sales, purchasing, budgeting, and ultimately viability. She also created and managed a Continuing Legal Education (CLE) program offering insight on a wide range of legal topics to lawyers and other professionals across the country. Ms. Crompton is committed to assisting many causes and organizations including the Missouri Bar and local affinity bar associations. She is a past President of the Women Lawyers’ Association of Greater St. Louis (WLA) and currently serves as Vice President for the Missouri Bar. Ms. Crompton is actively involved with many committees furthering the missions of access to justice, women in the profession, and educational outreach including past Chair of the Government Lawyers Committee, Chair of the CLE Committee and co-Chair of the ADR Committee. She serves as an adjunct professor of law at St. Louis University School of Law teaching courses on Mediation and Trial Advocacy.

Mr. Kurtz practice includes wrongful death personal injury, products’ liability, medical malpractice probate law, elder law, wills and trusts, business and tax law, and real estate. His personal injury practice allows him to help people who have been seriously injured or lost a loved one in an accident. Mr. Kurtz has extensive trial experience and works hard to get clients the compensation they deserve. He is admitted to practice in Missouri, Kansas, and before the U.S. Federal Courts. Mr. Kurtz earned his A.B. degree from the University of Missouri in Columbia, his M.A. degree from the University of Pennsylvania, and his J.D. degree from the University of Missouri Columbia School of Law.

Ms. Largent serves as a Practice Group Leader for the Rails to Trails practice group. Her primary focus is representing landowners nationwide whose property has been taken by the federal government without just compensation. In addition to establishing when the government is liable for taking land, Ms. Largent’s practice centers largely on establishing the value of the land taken. She also focuses her practice on appellate litigation and commercial disputes. Ms. Largent has assisted in drafting dozens of appellate briefs in the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, Eighth Circuit, and Eleventh Circuit, as well as the Supreme Court and Appellate Courts of Illinois and Appellate Court of Missouri.

Ms. Justin has been practicing law for more than 23 years. For the first ten years of her legal career, Ms. Justin worked as an insurance defense attorney for two insurance companies and a civil defense firm. Since that time, she has focused her practice on plaintiff’s personal injury, family law and estate planning cases. Ms. Justin has tried both jury and bench cases, including divorce cases, and argued cases before the Missouri Supreme Court. She earned her J.D. degree from St. Louis University School of Law, attending the evening program while working during the day. Ms. Justin earned her M.B.A. degree and two undergraduate degrees in psychology and business from Webster University. She is a member of The Missouri Bar, and is licensed to practice law in Missouri and federal courts.

Mr. McConnell’s parking design and consulting experience encompasses nearly 30 years of work with airports, government, military, transit, higher education, resort, healthcare, and corporate clients. He is a member of the National Parking Association’s Parking Consultants Council and a founding member of ASCE’s Structural Engineering Institute. He is well-versed in precast concrete, cast-in-place concrete, and steel construction. Mr. McConnell’s experience includes numerous restorations, parking study, and programming projects. Several of his projects have received LEED certification, and he is an accredited GBCI Parksmart Advisor.

Mr. Simpson founded Gradelta Engineering in 2020 with the intent to help clients better understand the combination of geotechnical and structural engineering that he has worked with for the past 20 years. He earned his B.S.C.E. and M.S.C.E. degrees from Georgia Institute of Technology. He currently provides engineering services to contractors and fellow engineers for earth structure pricing, along with the plans and calculations needed for construction. He frequently consults with clients regarding the optimal structure type and location on the construction site to minimize risk and maximize useable space. He also works in the education sector providing not just seminars such as this one, but also acting as a subject matter expert creating study guide and test prep content for the NCEES Professional Civil Engineer exam. Mr. Simpson has also worked with lawyers and insurance companies during forensic investigation and lawsuits surrounding retaining walls and slope failures. His hope is that through the instructional services that he currently provides, slopes will remain stable and retaining wall failure will be eliminated.

Dr. Atalah teaches construction management at Bowling Green State University (BGSU). He has taught and mentored hundreds of construction management students since 2000. Dr. Atalah has written many peer-reviewed-journal and conference papers. He has made hundreds of construction management presentations in many national and international conferences and educational seminars. Dr. Atalah has been involved in the construction of water and wastewater projects since 1984. He earned a Doctor of Engineering degree, an MS degree in Civil Engineering, and MBA degrees from Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, LA. After his graduation with a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering in 1982, he worked on the construction of wastewater projects in very challenging conditions such as high ground water table, stratified soils, unknown utilities, congested streets, and nearby high-rise buildings. Dr. Atalah also worked on the construction of water and wastewater projects in very challenging conditions such as tunneling in very sensitive tourism and commercial areas where construction disturbance must be minimized on the island of Oahu, Hawaii.

Mr. Davenport has 40 years of experience in the construction of schools, hospitals, chemical plants, laboratories, manufacturing facilities, parking garages, warehouses and office buildings. He has experience in many phases of construction including estimating, design-build, scheduling, purchasing, project management, supervision, training, and productivity. Since 2009 when he took early retirement from McCarthy Building Companies in St. Louis, Missouri, Mr. Davenport has worked for number of commercial builders as an independent contractor providing estimating and project management. He has worked for Turner Construction and Hercules Construction in St. Louis from 1979 to 1995. Mr. Davenport completed an apprenticeship with the Carpenters’ District Council of St. Louis in 1982 and worked in the trades until 1985. He has has bachelor degrees in Construction Management from Washington University (1984) and in Psychology from Maryville University in St. Louis (1974). Mr. Davenport has been a member of the American Society of Professional Estimators where he has served as a member of the National Board of Directors. He served on the Education Committee, the Awards Committee, as well as the By-Laws Committee. Mr. Davenport also participated in leadership positions at the local ASPE St. Louis Metro Chapter 19. He achieved his CPE (Certified Professional Estimator) in 1995. Mr. Davenport is passionate about construction, especially estimating. He is excited about sharing his knowledge. Mr. Davenport is open to learning new and better estimating and building systems and methods to improve himself and others.

Ms. Herrera is an aquatic biologist with over eight years of experience in natural resource assessment, including wetland delineations, environmental permitting, stream assessments, mussel/macroinvertebrate surveys and identification, and threatened and endangered species surveys. She graduated with a B.S. degree in Biology and Program in the Environment (PitE) from the University of Michigan and an M.S. degree in Water Resource Science from the University of Minnesota Duluth. Ms. Herrera recently moved back to the mitten to work for Holland Engineering’s Environmental Group. She holds a USFWS permit to survey and handle federally listed mussel species. Her favorite mussels are the spectaclecase and snuffbox.

Mr. Hunter currently leads the wetland and botany service with Copperhead Environmental Consulting and manages the company’s satellite office located in Staunton, Virginia. He began his career in 2015 working as a wetland scientist and wildlife biologist, and has since accrued extensive experience leading wetland delineations, conducting surveys for federal and state listed flora and fauna species and providing maintenance and monitoring services for wetland restoration projects. He completed Master’s level research at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA studying correlations between invasive plant prevalence, environmental factors, and native plant assemblages on wetland mitigation banks. He has worked as a wetland and stream mitigation manager and has led field surveys on large-scale energy projects, roadway expansions, commercial real estate, and federal land improvement projects. Mr. Hunter has developed and implemented botanical inventories and related research, invasive species management, and mitigation monitoring plans across Appalachia, the mid-Atlantic, and the southeastern United States. He was certified as a Professional Wetland Scientist (PWS) in 2023 by the Society of Wetland Scientists Professional Certification Program, and as a Qualified Hydrologic Professional (QHP) by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.

Mr. Macalus is an Environmental Technician that performs multiple services for Environmental Permitting and Wetland and Watercourse Delineations. Throughout his career he has performed habitat, vegetation, and wildlife surveys throughout Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Maine. He specializes in aquatic ecology and has a passion for the conservation and preservation of the aquatic resources that affect us every day.

Mr. Miles is an attorney with Beveridge & Diamond. He advises clients ranging from individuals to FORTUNE® 500 companies on federal and state litigation, alternative dispute resolution, and regulatory compliance, with a focus on endangered and protected species. Building on years of broad litigation experience, Mr. Miles focuses his practice on the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and other federal and state environmental laws. He also advises clients in complex regulatory matters, including ESA compliance, Clean Water Act permitting, and carbon capture and sequestration. Before law school, he was a published biologist, studying the effects of insecticides on wetland ecosystems and the effects of mineral transport on amphibian populations. He applied these skills working for the U.S. Geological Survey and as a researcher at Purdue University. Today, he bridges the gap between science and law, bringing subject matter fluency in both fields to his practice. Mr. Miles regularly lectures on environmental law at universities across the country, including the University of Wisconsin, SUNY Binghamton, New Mexico State University, and the University of Texas El Paso.

Mr. Redmond is Of Counsel with Beveridge & Diamond. Prior to joining B&D, he served as an Attorney-Advisor for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Office of the General Counsel’s Natural Resources and Environment Division in Washington, DC, where he advised and represented USDA and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) in numerous public lands management, real property, water rights, hydropower, and other program implementation and litigation matters. He has assisted in legislative and regulatory drafting and advised the agency on a number of issues related to land management, hydropower, carbon stewardship, wetlands mitigation, and land and water conservation. In this role, he served as USDA’s lead attorney on efforts to achieve a national framework for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers siting of wetlands mitigation projects on U.S. Forest Service Lands. Mr. Redmond additionally served as the lead attorney for USDA and USFS in prominent national litigation and negotiations. In private practice, he also served as outside counsel and water counsel for state political subdivisions in prominent multiagency federal, state, tribal and local resource management and infrastructure efforts, including negotiating and litigating ESA and NEPA compliance for large water diversion projects such as on the Colorado River and Middle Rio Grande.

Mr. Scarborough joined Young/Sommer in 2023 and focuses his area of practice on energy, environmental, and land use law. Prior to joining, Austin worked at other law firms in the Capital Region, where he assisted clients on various energy, environmental, land use, and cybersecurity matters. He provides counsel on matters such as environmental compliance, due diligence, and obtaining permits and approvals at local and state levels. He also regularly presents on wetlands issues and updates at the state and federal level.

Dr. Gregory H. Nail is a 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 continues to be professionally active by working summer internships, carrying on consulting work, supervising senior design projects, and regularly delivering continuation programs, all oriented around computational hydraulic and computational hydrologic modeling. Dr. Nail earned his B.M.E. degree from Auburn University and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Texas A&M University.

Mr. Paulsen is a licensed civil engineer with over 20 years of experience in stormwater management, flood control, and resilient infrastructure design. He currently serves as a Senior Managing Consultant at Engineering Systems Inc. (ESi), where he leads forensic investigations and advises public agencies and private clients on complex water infrastructure and flood risk projects across the country.

Prior to joining ESi, Mr. Paulsen served as the Executive Director of the Metro Flood Diversion Authority, where he successfully led the $3.2 billion Fargo-Moorhead Flood Diversion project, the first U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Public-Private Partnership (P3) of its kind. His leadership included land acquisition, permitting, climate resilience planning, and large-scale BMP integration across municipal boundaries.

Mr. Paulsen is a Certified Floodplain Manager and an expert in the application of green stormwater infrastructure (GSI), construction-phase BMPs, and regulatory permitting under Minnesota’s MS4 and CSWGP programs. He frequently works with watershed districts, local governments, and developers to address erosion control, stormwater reuse, and long-term system maintenance. He has also served as a municipal elected official and continues to advocate for integrated, cost-effective stormwater solutions that benefit both infrastructure and the environment.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from North Dakota State University and resides in Moorhead, Minnesota.

Mr. Daugherty provides legal representation and strategic counsel on water rights, water quality, and water-related legislation to municipalities, water and wastewater providers, Indian tribes, universities, ditch companies, developers, and private ranches, resorts, and landowners. He brings a blend of private practice and public interest experience to a dynamic practice that spans representation of both large and small entities in water rights matters across the county. Mr. Daugherty advises municipal water suppliers with complex integrated systems on protecting and expanding their water rights portfolios, helps regulated entities navigate complicated water quality regulations, assists landowners in understanding their decreed and undecreed water rights, negotiates comprehensive agreements for ditch companies and developers, and defends water users’ rights in court. He regularly appears before state and federal courts, agencies, and commissions and counsels clients on federal, state, and local water-related regulation and administration. Mr. Daugherty’s years living and working in Indian County inform his approach to matters involving tribal interests. Before joining the firm, he worked in the Navajo Nation’s attorney general office, where he provided legal representation and counsel to the tribal departments of land, environmental protection, fish and wildlife, and historic preservation. Mr. Daugherty earned his J.D. degree from the University of Colorado School of Law.

Ms. Dickinson is a water resource engineer with the Division of Water Resources and a board member of the nonprofit Colorado Groundwater Association. She previously worked in the South Platte River basin and Denver Basin, and now currently supports water administration in the Gunnison, Colorado, Yampa and White River basins. She studied environmental engineering and hydrology at the Colorado School of Mines. She grew up in Colorado and enjoys hiking and rock climbing.

Mr. Kelley advises clients in the agriculture, natural resource, and advanced energy industries related to complex real property and regulatory issues. From his experience sorting cattle and throwing irrigation tubes, to helping clients solve title, survey, mineral, and water issues, he brings a practical approach to developing legal project strategies; navigating the federal, state, and local permitting processes; and monitoring the ongoing governmental rulemakings that impact his clients’ projects. Mr. Kelly provides general counsel services to agriculture and oil and gas clients, advises clients through mining and oil and gas transactions, solves title questions, provides water rights counsel, and helps clients navigate public lands law. He has experience representing clients before the Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission, and Colorado Water Court, drafting oil and gas development plans, and assisting clients as they navigate implementing solar energy projects. His knowledge extends to regulatory matters across the Rocky Mountain West.

Ms. Leppek brings over a decade of in-depth professional experience in water rights and water resources engineering, stakeholder-informed planning, watershed management, water supply and demand planning, water efficiency planning, water resources funding support, and expert witness testimony. Ms. Leppek leads the Water Resources Team in SGM’s Glenwood Springs office. Her team supports a wide range of clients across Colorado with water rights acquisition and agreements, water court applications, changed water rights, plans for augmentation and exchange, water rights portfolio management, well permitting, hydraulic modeling and more. Outside of work, she volunteers with Middle Colorado Watershed Council and writes spoken word poetry about water issues.

Ms. Light received her bachelors of science – civil engineering degree from Colorado State University in 1993 and her masters of science – civil engineering degree with emphasis in hydraulics and hydrology also from Colorado State University in 1998. Ms. Light started her engineering career in consulting working for Muller Engineer Company in Lakewood, CO and then went on to work with the United State Bureau of Reclamation also in Lakewood before joining the Colorado Division of Water Resources (DWR) in 2001. With DWR, Ms. Light began working as the hydrographer and eventually took on the duties of the assistant division engineer in Division 6. Ms. Light was appointed division engineer for Division 6 in August 2006. Ms. Light lives in Steamboat Springs with her husband, and her daughter, a recent graduate from high school, is now attending college at Western Colorado University.

Mr. Racz advises municipalities, agriculture, mining, industry, and utilities on all aspects of compliance with the Clean Water Act (CWA) and Colorado Water Quality Control Act (CWQCA). Mr. Racz regularly represents clients in hearings and public comments regarding water quality standards, Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs), rule makings, and policies. His experience also includes all aspects of National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) and Colorado Discharge Permit System (CDPS) permits including public comment, adjudications, litigation, compliance advice, enforcement, and citizens suits. Mr. Racz regularly provides comment and testimony on the intersection of water quality and water resources regulation and legislation. With an emphasis on the unique challenges of water supply projects in the arid west, he counsels clients through environmental permitting, including CWA Section 404 dredge and fill and wetland permitting, water quality certifications, Endangered Species Act consultation and permitting (ESA), and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). He also represents clients in acquiring, protecting, and using water rights, including water rights adjudication for surface and groundwater rights, changes of water rights, and plans for augmentation, as well as water rights purchase and sale transactions. Mr. Racz earned his J.D. degree, summa cum laude, from the University of Illinois College of Law.

Ms. Avalos is a nationally renowned leader in providing accessibility-related services and is a sought-after speaker with a knack for using an upbeat approach to help others understand the complexities of compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). With over 40 years of experience, she provides expert witnessing on ADA, 504, Federal Housing Administration, and Air Carrier Access Act legal cases. In 1990 she founded Accessology Too, LLC which is a national leader in providing accessibility consulting services and is one of the largest U.S. firms dedicated solely to accessibility and access issues. Since its founding, Accessology has worked closely with the Department of Justice and the U.S. Access Board to remain knowledgeable and adept with the constant changes that occur regarding ADA guidelines. Accessology has worked on numerous multi-million dollar projects to impact accessibility compliance during all stages, from schematics to construction and final inspections. Since 2005 Accessology has specialized in the development, execution, and monitoring of the required ADA Transition Plans for Title II entities to help them avoid access-related litigation since so much litigation is tied to not having a Transition Plan on file. Ms. Avalos and her team at Accessology are committed to removing structural and attitudinal barriers that adversely impact people with disabilities.

Mr. Breuning is the founder and owner of Green Roof Technology, a firm specializing in Green Infrastructure and Green Roof design, engineering, consulting, material sourcing, plant selection, and – most importantly – construction supervision. Mr. Breuning’s extensive experience also covers all aspects around structural topics, roofing, waterproofing, and maintenance of Green Roofs and Green Walls. This includes Food Roofs or Urban Agriculture, Blue/Green Roofs, Brownfield Roofs, Wetland Roofs, Solar Garden Roofs (old term: Biosolar), Retention Roofs, Bioroofs, and any combination of the mentioned, in any climate zone on Earth.

Dr. Souza is the founding partner of Princeton Hydro, LLC. From its inception in 1998 through 2018, he served as president of Princeton Hydro, retiring from the company in 2019. Over the past 35 years he has dedicated his career to the management and restoration of aquatic ecosystems, in particular lakes, ponds, and reservoirs. Dr. Souza received his B.S. degree in 1974 from the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, his M.S. in 1976 from Rutgers University, and his Ph.D. in 1981 from the University of Connecticut. He has served over the past 25 years as an instructor and course coordinator for the Rutgers NJAES Office of Continuing Professional Education, developing and implementing multiple short courses focused on the management and restoration of aquatic ecosystems. Dr. Souza is also an adjunct professor at Temple University (Ambler Campus), teaching a graduate studies course in the Department of Landscape and Horticulture (Tyler School of Art and Agriculture). He also conducts a professional continuing education course focusing on green infrastructure stormwater management for CPES through Montclair State University.

Mr. Tolman is the president and owner of AccenaGroup, a company that has served Utah and surrounding states as stormwater plan and consulting experts since 2007. His industry certifications include QSWPPP, Utah RSI, CISEC, and CPESC. Mr. Tolman has presented several times at American Public Works Association (APWA) conferences, CASQA, Stormcon, and other industry conferences. He has consulted on U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Utah State consent decrees and regularly guest lectured for construction management classes at Brigham Young University and Utah Valley University.

Mr. David Romano is a degreed Electrical Engineer with extensive experience in the specification, design, analysis, and testing of analog, digital, and RF/IF circuitry and subsystems. Over the course of his career, he held key engineering roles at Boeing Satellite Systems and Hughes Space and Communications in Los Angeles, California, where he contributed to the design and analysis of analog, digital, and intermediate-frequency circuitry for communication satellite payloads.

Mr. Romano’s most recent role at Boeing Satellite Systems was as a Technical Subcontract Manager. In this position, he was responsible for the specification and procurement of microwave units spanning L- to Ka-band frequencies from both domestic and international vendors. His technical responsibilities included drafting specifications at the subsystem and unit levels, reviewing Statements of Compliance, participating in internal and vendor Design Reviews, evaluating technical data, and overseeing the delivery and integration of units into communication satellites.

As part of his supply chain management duties, Mr. Romano traveled extensively across Europe, Asia, and the United States to monitor development schedules and assess the performance of various units and subsystems. He has in-depth knowledge of the specification and performance of Low Noise Amplifiers, Receiver Downconverters, IF and Limiting Amplifiers, and Solid-State Power Amplifiers.

Mr. Romano retired from Boeing Space and Communications in June 2015. Since 2022, he has been authoring and delivering online interactive webinars on topics including Electromagnetic Radiation, Electromagnetic Interference, Fourier Analysis, and AC-DC Circuits. He has also presented programs on Harmonic Generation, Variable Frequency Drives for AC motors, Fuses and Circuit Breakers, and 3-Phase Power for industrial applications.

Mr. Romano attended Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, on scholarship from 1964 to 1969.

Mr. Stimac is the owner and president of a building code consulting company called Compliant by Design. In addition to providing educational opportunities on aspects of the application of the building codes, Compliant by Design provides consulting services to municipalities, architects, developers, and building owners on the application of the building codes to provide code compliant and safe buildings. He has over 40 years in the code enforcement profession. 30 years of that was with the City of Troy from where he eventually retired as the Director of Building and Zoning in 2010. Mr. Stimac has served on many code development committees over the years including the Chairman the BOCA and ICC Building Code Interpretation Committees, Vice Chair of the Building Code Change review General Committee, and the ICC Log Structures Standard Development Committee. He has also been the President of numerous inspector associations including the Southeast Michigan Building Officials and Inspectors Association, Oakland County Building Officials Association, and the ICC Region 5. Mr. Stimac is also a registered architect as well as Certified Building Official and has been teaching classes on code related topics since the adoption of Public Act 54.

Mr. Lawendowski specializes in residential structural design and water/wastewater systems, and he is a residential building inspector. He is a long-time Alaskan who retired from the military after more than 23 years of service and has more than ten years of engineering and construction experience. Mr. Lawendowski’s background includes experience in design, construction, testing and monitoring of engineered projects. He has worked all over the state of Alaska, including extensive time in the arctic and remote regions. Mr. Lawendowski takes a practical and economical approach to design, considering who is going to be doing the construction and how it will be done. He has hands-on experience in the construction of water and wastewater systems; the construction and renovation of buildings and large earth works projects. He is currently licensed in AK, HI, ID, ME, MT, TX and UT.