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Dr. Dawson recently retired as the Associate Vice President for Administrative Operations at Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi where he oversaw facility operations, maintenance, grounds, custodial, and planning and construction as well as Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) for the “Island” campus. His experience spans federal, state, county and local municipality projects including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), General Services Administration (GSA), Department of Justice (DOJ), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Department of Defense (DoD) including the Naval Construction Battalion’s at Gulfport and Port Hueneme, Seabees, Navy Civil Engineer Corp, Army Corps of Engineers, Air Force Civil Engineers and RED HORSE units, in addition to higher education with the Texas A&M University System (TAMUS) University of North Texas System (UNTS) and Tarrant County College District (TCCD). Dr. Dawson has more than 38 years’ experience in urban planning, developmental programming, building and infrastructure design, construction and program management for a wide variety of capital investment programs and unique environments. He is a retired Air Force Civil Engineering officer with experience in the design and construction of numerous facilities supporting major weapon systems and the U.S. electronic security and space programs world-wide. Dr. Dawson is a registered architect in the State of Texas and a certified city planner. He is also a U.S. Green Building Institute Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Accredited Professional (AP) with experience in numerous sustainable projects. He has specialized mediation and disputes resolution training and experience directly related to the design and construction industry, successfully resolving construction claims based on errors and omissions, defective product or workmanships, scheduling deviations or Acts-of-God. Additional skills include preparation of specifications, bidding and construction plans, cost estimates, and bidding services related to federal and state contract requirements and processes.

Dr. Prasad is a licensed professional engineer, land surveyor, and professional planner with more than three decades of professional experience in civil engineering, surveying, and management field since his graduation. He has recently earned Ph.D. degree from New York University in Civil Engineering. Dr. Prasad has double M.S. degrees in Civil Engineering and Engineering Management from New Jersey institute of technology and an B.S. degree in Civil Engineering. He has more than 2000 hours of continuous professional education as instructor/participating professional (1990-2022) excluding formal education. Dr. Prasad is a New Jersey state certified emergency medical technician (EMT), emergency medical responder (EMR), fire fighter (FF). He is a fellow of American Society of Civil Engineers and also an active member of several professional organizations such as: AREMA, PMI, AISC, NYSAPLS etc. His technical papers were accepted in multiple ASCE journals and various other organizations like ASCE, AREMA & NYSAPLS conference proceedings for presentation and or publication multiple times.

Ms. Verley believes knowledge is power and there is always a solution for every situation. With a focus on sustainability, longevity and energy efficiency she stays up to date on the most innovative solutions for the building envelope. Through public speaking, digital media and articles, she is able to bring the forefront of information to local markets with a focus on proper use of materials situationally rather than a cookie-cutter approach. Ms. Verley’s building envelope focus includes masonry restoration and moisture management, waterproofing, roofing, single-ply and protected membranes, garden roofs, and assembly solutions. She earned her undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering.

Mr. Clase holds a bachelor’s degree in Urban Planning from the University of Cincinnati’s School of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning and a master’s degree in Public Administration from The Ohio State University’s School of Public Policy and Management. With expansive professional experience, he has previously employed as a public employee in city, village, township and county governments throughout Delaware and Union counties. As an experienced public official, Mr. Clase established the business in 2013 with the primary mission of helping clients to develop a local quality of life through smart growth and sustainable planning. Today, he has brought together a team of professionals who provide start to finish assistance on client projects. Mr. Clase is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners. He has also served as a member of regional planning commissions, public works committees, public safety committees, appeals board, zoning commission, health board, transit board, along with various other boards and committees. Since, 2013, Plan 4 Land has been focused on providing high-quality, professional land use planning and public policy assistance to local governments, small businesses and land owners. The company uses the expertise of those trained as, or who have served as, local government officials and small business owners, executives and managers to help provide assistance in the fields of conservation, development, policy and zoning. Plan 4 Land strives to blend conservation and development to better the quality of life for its clients. With a focus on conservation development, the firm strives to educate clients on the success of Randall Arendt’s vision for a farm village that provides smart growth opportunities as published in Rural by Design. 

Mr. Newell is the owner of Blue Church Surveys in central Ohio. Some of his projects include boundary, topographic, construction, and ALTA surveys. Mr. Newell has also served as project manager and survey manager for a regional survey and design firm in Columbus, Ohio. He has previously had experience as an instructor for Sinclair Community College. Mr. Newell received his received his undergraduate studies from Ohio State University. Mr. Newell is responsible for project management of Surveying and GPS projects. This work includes coordination with clients to manage client needs and expectations, and the daily coordination and supervision of full-time survey crews and office technical staff. These responsibilities include work assignments, schedule compliance, cost compliance, and quality assurance. Mr. Newell has been a licensed professional surveyor for 34 years, with more than 45 years of surveying experience and specializes in surveys that involve large engineering design applications. He routinely supervises American Land Title Surveys (ALTA), right-of-way, property description and resolution, construction staking, topographic, photo control, utility, geodetic control, and global positioning system (GPS) control. Mr. Newell has completed certification of OSHA-Approved Competent Person in Construction and 40-Hour Health and Safety to allow him to work on OSHA-classified hazardous sites.

Mr. Pempus has been a risk manager for more than 18 years, with experience in architecture, engineering, land use, law and professional liability insurance, and a unique and well-rounded background in the construction industry. Prior to risk management, he has 25 years of experience in the practice of architecture and engineering, and as an adjunct professor teaching professional practice courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels for the last 37 years. As a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and AIA National Ethics Council 2021 chair, he has demonstrated his impact on architectural profession. He is a licensed architect, attorney and property and casualty insurance agent.

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. Davis has over 15 years of experience in the Geothermal Resource and Environmental Consulting Industries. He specializes in resource exploration and development project management, well test planning and implementation, sampling of gases, liquids, and vapors, and 3-D conceptual model development as they pertain to resource evaluation and project due diligence. Mr. Davis has participated in all stages of geothermal project development including early-stage exploration, well-field development, and long-term reservoir management. His broad work experience across multiple disciplines in 15+ years with Geologica provides a practical understanding of all facets of geothermal resource development including geology, geophysics, geochemistry, conceptual modeling, well targeting and design, reservoir engineering, and conceptual power plant design. Mr. Davis has worked on geothermal projects in all stages of development in the Western US, Turkey, Central America, Eastern Europe, the South Pacific, Southeast Asia, East Africa, and the Caribbean.

After serving in the US Navy nuclear power field, Jay Egg began a career in mechanical design engineering & contracting. Now, as an expert consultant, Jay sits on several technical code committees internationally; notably the technical committee for the IAPMO Uniform Mechanical Code. Jay has co-authored two McGraw-Hill Textbooks focused on geothermal HVAC technologies and continues to write curriculum and lecture on the merits of Clean Heating and Cooling technologies.

Ms. Egg is a social media marketing consultant with a passion for writing and researching. She has overseen the social media accounts for multiple private and corporate organizations and is constantly learning new ways to understand and optimize demographic outreach and form beneficial business connections through social networking for her clients.

Mr. Johnson’s responsibility is to provide subsurface insights for the environmental impacts on groundwater from thermal exchange, and construction. His role as an environmental scientist includes hydrogeologic assessment, geochemical analysis, spatial analysis, pollutant dispersion modeling, environmental and permitting analysis, and economic assessment. Mr. Johnson’s experience includes environmental analysis for geothermal district energy systems, enterprise geodatabase management, and contaminant surveys.

Ms. Martin is a graduate student attending the Iceland School of Energy studying Sustainable Energy Engineering with a specialization in Geothermal. At the University of Colorado Boulder, she earned her bachelor’s in Environmental Engineering focusing on water resources and sanitation. Access to clean water and energy is critical. In her career, Ms. Martin hopes to combine her disciplines and design infrastructure for a sustainable future.

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.

Dr. Gokyer Erbis is a geotechnical engineer with 10 years of experience in research, development, and consulting in geotechnical earthquake engineering. She has been leading the technical efforts for one of Geocomp’s largest consulting projects on seismic assessment of coal ash impoundments. She has worked on various research and consulting projects that involved advanced field and laboratory testing for soil characterization. These projects include undrained behavior of coal combustion residuals, soil liquefaction and post-liquefaction behavior under different test conditions: cyclic triaxial, unidirectional and bidirectional direct simple shear, inducing partial saturation for liquefaction mitigation. She also has background in seismic instrumentation and numerical modeling. She has experience in using software tools to assess slope stability (GeoStudio), to conduct site response analysis (ProShake, DeepSoil), to analyze soil structure interaction (PYWall, Group), to model flow and transport in saturated/unsaturated porous media (SUTRA). She has authored and co-authored several publications in peer reviewed ASCE and ASTM journals and conference proceedings.

Ms. Nagarajan has been in the industry for about 18 years and brings a diverse range of experience and contagious enthusiasm to her work. Throughout her career, she has worked in different market sectors with expertise in the design and construction of foundations. She has been fortunate to work and lead projects in USA, South America, India and Canada. Ms. Nagarajan has an unbeatable network worldwide, leading to many conversations on challenges for women in the industry, leadership, DEI and hiring and retaining talent. Her passion for culture, community, nurturing young engineers, and STEM has led her to actively participate in technical associations like DFI, ASCE, G-I, PDCA, USSD and ISSMGE. Ms. Nagarajan is the Women in Deep Foundations (WiDF) chair, on the Board of Trustees of DFI, co-chair of the USSD DEI Committee, and member of the ASCE G-I Task Committee INNC and Awards Committee. Ms. Nagarajan is also the co-founder of WiDF groups in India, Mexico, and Metro NYC. She also received the DFI President’s Award in 2020 and was a podcaster for the Broadcasting Common Ground podcast series.

Ms. Bowman was born and raised in Farmington Hills, Michigan attending Farmington public schools. She next attended New York University and obtained a bachelor’s degree. Upon returning to Farmington, she took classes at Oakland University, earning a post-bachelor Certificate in Paralegal Studies. After spending several years working in various practice areas, Ms. Bowman ultimately landed with the regional insurance defense firm Kopka Pinkus Dolin in 2005. Over her 18-year career with KPD, she transitioned from trial paralegal to Litigation Manager, and was ultimately the legal operations manager in which she oversaw three Michigan offices and managed 70 direct reports. Ms. Bowman began the next phase of her career in January 2023 where she now serves as the program director of Paralegal Studies at Oakland Community College. She served on the Farmington Planning Commission from 2008-2015 before being elected to the Farmington City Council in 2015. She served as mayor on the Council from 2019-2023. Ms. Bowman lives in Farmington with her husband of 23 years. They share a love of motorcycles, golf and travel. Their son is an explosive ordnance disposal technician in the United States Navy.

Ms. Savaya was born and raised in the suburbs of Detroit. She has always had a passion for helping others. She attended Oakland Community College where she received her degree in Paralegal Studies in 2011. Shortly after, she began working in the legal field. Ms. Savaya has over 10 years of experience and knowledge working in civil litigation, criminal and traffic law, corporate transactional work, and Michigan no-fault litigation. She is hard-working, dedicated, and has a keen sense for organization. Ms. Savaya is committed to providing excellence both in and out of the workplace and loves what she does. She joined the Seva Law Firm in July 2016 with a primary focus on no-fault and bodily injury litigation. Ms. Savaya is the litigation manager at the Seva Law Firm, and in that role, she not only handles a full docket of cases, but also trains and teaches other paralegals how to handle their own dockets. On a given day, she will manage the firm’s calendar and docket, resolve most motions for the entire firm, and communicate with clients and defense attorneys. In addition, she manages all appeals, reviews court transcripts, and prepares all appellate court filings. Ms. Savaya also handles all paralegal assistance for trials. She is also a leader in the MAJ paralegal association and is active in many other paralegal associations. Ms. Savaya has hosted lectures at paralegal seminars. She is on the advisory board for the Macomb Community College Paralegal Program, and she is the vice chair for the Oakland County Bar Association paralegal committee.

Ms. Wernette teaches Ethics and Law Practice Management. Ms. Wernette is a dedicated public servant and educator with 30+ years of experience, including leadership roles in various settings. This includes positions as a middle school English and history teacher, manager for a multi-location healthcare company and paralegal at private law firms and Oakland Schools ISD supporting the legal needs of 28 school districts. Ms. Wernette has a bachelor’s degree in English from Oakland University and an ABA paralegal certificate from Oakland Community College.

Mr. Gallo is a civil engineer with more than 25 years of experience in the areas of water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure design, rehabilitation, and construction. He has worked in both consulting and government and is currently a consulting engineer with Mead and Hunt. He is skilled in the design of wastewater and storm water conveyance systems, USACE levee systems, combined sewer overflow (CSO) design, water and sewer rehabilitation, construction, and contract management. He is a past NASSCO certified CIPP inspector, and is a licensed professional engineer in the state of Virginia, Wisconsin, and Washington, DC.

As an arbitrator, structural/civil engineer, and expert forensic consultant with nearly four decades of experience, Mr. Hemmatyar has provided extensive expert services for defendants’ and plaintiffs’ attorneys on numerous construction litigation matters throughout the United States and Canada.

He has been retained as an expert engineer in over one hundred and fifty litigation matters on single and class-action legal cases by the U.S. government, law firms, and insurance carriers at the State and Federal levels, working with both plaintiff and defendant sides.

Mr. Hemmatyar’s understanding of core engineering and legal concepts has enabled him to effectively assist a wide range of clientele. He brings diversified experience in structural and civil engineering design, and in forensic engineering, investigation, and evaluation. Mr. Hemmatyar also conducts research, has assisted in the development of building codes and standards, and has supervised the construction of domestic and international projects. His experience includes special structures and new buildings as well as modifications, alterations, seismic/hurricane retrofits, and upgrades to existing structures. Mr. Hemmatyar has provided failure analysis, expert consultation, structural forensic investigation, and damage assessment services for numerous litigation and insurance-related matters.

He actively presents continuing education lectures to audiences of licensed engineers, architects, and general contractors on topics of structural and forensic engineering throughout North America. Mr. Hemmatyar has been the principal structural engineer on projects for clients such as NASA and several other high-profile agencies. Currently, he directs PSFEG and has served as Director for SEAOSC from 2011 to 2013. He has been interviewed by public media, including the History Channel (documentary episode: “Collapse of Ancient Structures”) and Reuters (Mexico City school collapse).

Mr. Knaak has been practicing law for nearly 45 years in Minnesota and 30 in Wisconsin and Colorado. He is the head of Municipal and Real Estate Development Law with Northstar Law Group. Mr. Knaak has tried cases and argued appeals throughout the country in both State and Federal Courts. For nearly that whole period he has been a city attorney. Past clients include the Minnesota cities of Fridley, Maplewood, Lake Elmo, Newport and Afton. He is currently city attorney for Ramsey and Taylors Falls, Minnesota, and continues to represent private clients on a variety of matters. Mr. Knaak also has considerable experience in litigation involving title insurance claims and title insurance. He served ten years in the Minnesota Senate, representing a district in the northeastern suburbs of the Twin Cities. Mr. Knaak was Special Counsel to the Minnesota Secretary of State in redistricting litigation and was lead counsel on the Senator Norm Coleman election recount. He is a frequent commentator on Twin City news programs on political matters and is a frequent guest political panelist of the Twin Cities Public Television Almanac program. Mr. Knaak also regularly teaches in national seminars on municipal law and has published a number of essays and articles on various topics. His article “Using Development Agreements to Further Environmental Ends: A Case Study” will be published this summer in the ABA’s Probate and Real Property Section magazine. Mr. Knaak earned his B.A. degree, summa cum laude, from John’s University, and his J.D. degree from the University of Minnesota Law School.

Ms. Land is a shareholder with LeVander, Gillen & Miller P.A. She concentrates her practice on municipal and governmental law, real estate and land use, and development. Ms. Land serves as city attorney for the cities of Cottage Grove, Stillwater, Hastings and Randolph. She is also general counsel to the South Metro Fire Department, a full-time joint fire department serving the cities of West St. Paul and South St. Paul. As a city attorney, Ms. Land has experience in several areas of municipal law including open meeting law, data practices, ordinances, employment, problem properties, land use, zoning/planning, economic development, residential development, public improvement projects, and all the issues that cities face on a daily basis. Ms. Land attended law school at William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota, where she received her juris doctorate degree with honors. Before this, she received a bachelor’s degree in English and Spanish at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Ms. Land has been admitted to the bar in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and U.S. District Court District of Minnesota. She is a regular speaker at the Minnesota Association of City Attorneys’ annual conferences as well as at several other government organizations, speaking around the state on the topics surrounding general planning and zoning. Ms. Land volunteers her time atz Trinity Lutheran Church on various committees and is actively involved in We Do Feet, a program that collects and donates furniture and household items to those in need.

Mr. Lindgren is a licensed land surveyor in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota, and he has more than 20 years of professional experience in surveying and right of way. He has planned, directed and executed large- and small-scale surveys including freight and light rail projects, DOT corridors, and residential/commercial sites ranging in size from less than an acre to 300 acres. He has worked for small and medium-sized firms and served clients in the public and private sectors. He started his own firm in 2019 and performs surveys primarily in Minnesota.

Ms. Villari is a licensed land surveyor with Cornerstone Land Surveying in Stillwater, Minnesota. She has over 30 years of experience in a variety of survey practices and has served as president of the Minnesota Society of Professional Land Surveyors and local land surveying societies.

Mr. Vogel is a land surveyor with LHB, Inc.; past chair of the Minnesota Board of Architects, Engineers, Land Surveyors, Landscape Architects and Geoscientists (AELSLAGID); past president of the Minnesota Society of Professional Surveyors (MSPS) and president of his local Arrowhead Chapter of MSPS. He earned his bachelor of science degree in Chemistry at the University of Minnesota in 1991 with additional education in land surveying from Metropolitan State College of Denver, Colorado. He has taught survey coursework at both Lake Superior College as well as the University of Minnesota and enjoys helping better the understandings of the role of land surveyors in today’s society.

Mr. Kurdi has been serving the electrical industry for over 30 years as an engineer, electrician and trainer. Mr. Kurdi has engineered (designed, specified and analyzed) government buildings (police stations, sheriff’s offices, fire stations, city halls, court houses, libraries, and jails), housing buildings (affordable, senior, assistant, memory care, adaptable use and student), hospitals, data centers, sport arenas, commercial office buildings, water/wastewater treatment plants and electric utility distribution and substations. Mr. Kurdi’s experience as an electrician includes estimating, laying out, wiring, installing and maintaining electrical systems for residential and commercial buildings. He has served as an engineer on construction projects in numerous locations in Texas, including San Antonio, Arlington, Bryan and Manor. He has developed and taught thousands of seminar hours over the years at Dunwoody College of Technology, Minnesota Electrical Association, IEEE and others. The seminars include NEC Code, electrician’s exam, MV system, electrical wiring, apprenticeship, estimation, electrical design, Revit MEP, and project management. Mr. Kurdi holds a BS degree in Electrical Engineering and a master’s degree in Adult Education. He is a registered electrical engineer (PE) in 37 states, including Minnesota and Texas. He holds a Class A master electrician license from the State of Minnesota. Currently, Mr. Kurdi is a senior electrical engineer and department head at BKV Group (A&E Firm with offices in Chicago, Dallas, DC & Minneapolis). Mr. Kurdi served as NCEL Board Member (Jan 2021 – present), IAEI MN Chapter president (Jan 2018 – Jan 2023), chair of IEEE Twin Cities PES/IAS (Aug 2019 – Jan 2023), Minnesota State Board of Electricity member (Jan 2018 – Jan 2020).

Mr. Harmanos is a professional engineer with extensive experience in subsurface exploration, soil testing, infiltration testing, geosynthetics, and seismic and advanced analysis. His expertise includes commercial, industrial and institutional foundation design; retaining wall and steep slope design; sinkhole remediation; landfill design; site work; forensic engineering; LEED consulting; and construction quality control/assurance (CQA/QC). Mr. Harmanos is a graduate of Drexel University where he received both his BS and MS degrees in Civil Engineering (Geosynthetics and Geotechnical). Hillis-Carnes performs geotechnical engineering consulting and laboratory testing services. Its construction services include evaluation of bearing materials, inspection of pile driving, slope inclinometer installation and monitoring, and retaining wall construction observation.

Mr. Floyd is a trial lawyer with the firm and is licensed in Tennessee and Kentucky. He is a partner in the Nashville office and focuses his practice on the defense of individuals and companies across Tennessee, Kentucky, and surrounding states. Mr. Floyd has tried numerous jury and bench trials to verdict in state and federal courts, including many as lead counsel. He focuses his practice on the defense of health care providers and hospitals as well as products liability defense, commercial, and domestic litigation. Mr. Floyd’s experience defending health care liability cases involves all aspects from pre-suit investigation to verdict and appeal, and his clients include physicians and providers of all specialties. He has significant experience with cases involving claims of catastrophic injury involving brain damage, permanent disability and disfigurement, surgical negligence, and issues related to consent and battery. Mr. Floyd takes pride in working closely with experts to evaluate these cases early on and formulating a defense based on the evidence and science. He is often called upon to speak to providers and discuss risk management and legal developments in the health care liability field. Common to every successful defense is his experience in evaluating a client’s position and strategizing with the client to achieve a favorable and realistic outcome. Although many cases do not advance to verdict, Mr. Floyd draws from his trial experience when necessary to present a case in a concise and persuasive manner. In addition to health care defense, Mr. Floyd has successfully tried cases to verdict involving contractual disputes and defended companies in cases where their product is alleged to have injured someone. He also works closely with individuals who are experiencing high-conflict domestic issues involving marital estates, businesses, and interstate visitation.

Mr. Graham focuses his law practice exclusively on family law matters, including divorce, custody, alimony, child support, parental relocation and Juvenile Court matters. He was admitted to the Tennessee Bar in 2018 and has practiced exclusively at Taylor, Bean & Hamer since. Mr. Graham brings a fresh perspective to the firm’s family law practice, with his experience in digital and social media so vital in today’s divorce cases. Mr. Graham is dedicated to working one-on-one with the firm’s clients to address the details that arise throughout their litigation. Mr. Graham graduated from the University of Memphis School of Law in 2018, cum laude, and received the prestigious CALI Award and Dean’s Award of Excellence. He attended East Tennessee State University and graduated with a B.A. degree in Political Science and minor in Legal Studies. He is an active member of the Memphis Bar Association Family Law Section and the Tennessee Bar Association.

M. Hamer focuses her divorce practice on high-asset, highconflict cases. Ms. Hamer believes that divorce should be handled with professionalism and discretion, and she works to diffuse destructive, expensive tactics from overly aggressive opposing counsel, always aiming to maintain the clients’ privacy while preserving assets for settlement. She draws from her extensive litigation experience, as well as her work as a trained mediator, to obtain results her clients can not only live with, that allow them to live well. A nationally recognized speaker for family lawyers, Ms. Hamer was recently invited to present to the ABA Family Law Section Spring Conference. She currently practices law in Memphis and Nashville. She is a Rule 31 trained civil and family law mediator, and she has also completed domestic violence mediation training. A leader in the legal community, Ms. Hamer is past chair of the Family Law Committee of the Memphis Bar Association, and she is an active member of the American Bar Association, the Nashville Bar Association, and the Association of Women Attorneys. She has successfully completed the prestigious ABA Family Law Trial Advocacy course at the National Institute of Trial Advocacy, and she was a member of the inaugural class of Tennessee Leadership. Before becoming a family law attorney, she practiced with Bass, Berry & Sims, PLC, in Nashville and Wolff Ardis, P.C., in Memphis, handling complex commercial litigation. Ms. Hamer graduated from New York University School of Law in 1996 and with high honors from the University of Tennessee in 1989, where she was a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

Mr. Lankford is an attorney in the Nashville Office. Mr. Lankford practices primarily in the field of domestic relations, assisting clients with divorce and post-divorce matters, including issues of child custody, child support, alimony, and financial and property disputes.

Mr. Mims, at 33 years old, brings over seven years of dedicated experience to the legal field, with a passion for family law that spans more than three years. His unique blend of legal expertise and a background in technology and mathematics enriches his approach to complex cases, allowing him to find innovative solutions and provide exceptional support to clients. Outside the courtroom, Mr. Mims enjoys immersing himself in the world of video games, indulging in the latest shows and movies, and pursuing self-development. His diverse interests reflect his commitment to continuous growth and his ability to adapt to various challenges in both his personal and professional life. Mr. Mims is a paralegal who thrives on the intersection of law, technology, and a genuine desire to help families navigate the complexities of the legal system.

Ms. Shepard graduated in 2013 from Brighton High School. She worked administrative jobs for several years after before landing at Miles Mason Family Law Group, PLLC in 2017 as a legal assistant. Ms. Shepard instantly fell in love with family law and knew it was what she was meant to do. Ms. Shepard also knew she wanted to be more involved and to learn as much as she could. From there she went to Rogers, Berry, Chesney & Cannon, PLLC, as a legal assistant. Ms. Shepard eventually worked her way up to paralegal with Rogers, Brackin & Davis, PLLC, and has been with the firm since its start in 2021.

Dr. Bezbaruah received his Ph.D. (2002) in Civil Engineering from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. Prior to joining NDSU in 2005, Dr. Bezbaruah worked on groundwater remediation and modeling at URS Corp (now AECOM) at Omaha, NE. Since joining NDSU, he has established a new research track on environmental nanotechnology.

Dr. Geza Nisrani is an Associate Professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering at South Dakota Mines – an engineering, science, and technology university. Dr. Nisrani received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Environment and Water Resources Engineering. He worked as a research faculty and is affiliated with the Colorado School of Mines with a focus in watershed modeling and development of decision support tools for water resources management. Currently at South Dakota School of Mines, he does research in water resource management and teaches courses in hydrology and water resources.

Dr. Hargiss is a professor and director of the School of Natural Resource Sciences at North Dakota State University. She has degrees in Science Education and received her Ph.D. degree in 2009 from North Dakota State University in Natural Resources Management. Dr. Hargiss main research focuses on water. It started with wetland ecology and water quality of the Prairie Pothole Region but has expanded to include water use, tile drainage, harmful algal blooms, environmental education, and the effects of energy development on natural resources.

Dr. Jia obtained her Ph.D. degree from the University of Arizona. She is a registered professional engineer in North Dakota and serves as a full professor at the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, North Dakota State University. With a keen focus on water resource management, Dr. Jia directs the North Dakota Water Resources Research Institute. Her extensive teaching portfolio covers courses in natural resource management systems, drainage engineering, wetland design, and controlled environment agriculture. Renowned from her research, she has addressed critical water issues in the region, including floods, drainage, and droughts. Currently, Dr. Jia pioneers the use of advanced technologies and mathematical algorithms to automate irrigation and drainage water management.

Mr. Woodward has 22 years of engineering and project management experience in various groundwater and watershed management programs and projects. He is currently a Senior Water Resources Engineer at HDR Engineering in Omaha, Nebraska. Mr. Woodward’s professional positions prior to HDR include the Papio-Missouri River NRD and Olsson. While working as the Groundwater Management Engineer at the Papio National Resources District (NRD), he gained valuable insight into Nebraska’s local geology and aquifers, surface water streams and rivers, and the state’s unique approach to integrated water management. Mr. Woodward attained a B.S. degree in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln and later received a graduate certificate in Geographic Information Science from the University of Nebraska – Omaha. He is a professional civil engineer in Nebraska and a Certified Floodplain Manager through the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM). Mr. Woodward has also served as an adjunct instructor at the University of Nebraska-Omaha for the past seven years, teaching courses in Water Resources and Nebraska Natural Resources Management. Mr. Woodward has lived in Omaha, Nebraska since 2002. He is married to a kindergarten teacher and has two girls and one boy. His children’s hobbies are his full-time hobbies, including baseball, football, softball, and dance.

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. Hanrahan has more than 47 years of industry experience. In addition to presentations in Canada, Taiwan and the Dominican Republic, he has also presented at the national level for many organizations, including the International Erosion Control Association, the Land Improvement Contractors of America, the Geotechnical Fabrics Institute, the National Working Waterfront Network, and the American Water Works Association. Mr. Hanrahan’s articles have been published in many magazines, including Erosion Control, Land & Water, Geosynthetics, and Landscape Architect & Specifier News. He has produced webinars for the International Erosion Control Association, the International Association of Hydroseeding Professionals, the New York State Society of Professional Engineers, and Forester University. Mr. Hanrahan has also served as a guest lecturer at the University of Mississippi, Ohio Northern University, University of New England, and Vermont Technical College. He has also been active in industry organizations. He was national president of the International Management Council in 1991-92 and served four terms as president of the Northeast Chapter of the International Erosion Control Association. Mr. Hanrahan is also a member of the Senior Advisory Committee of Envirocert. He has developed and delivered training events throughout his career. From 2008 to the present, he has organized coastal erosion control training events up and down the New England Coast, with multiple seminars in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. Event co-sponsors for these events have included the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, Maine Sea Grant, the Rhode Island Coastal Management Council, the University of Rhode Island Coastal Resources Center, Connecticut College, and Connecticut Sea Grant. Mr. Hanrahan has also assisted with the development of erosion control standards with the Illinois Tollway Authority, and the State Departments of Transportation in New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, and Illinois.

Mr. Murphy has a broad practice grounded in all types of real estate matters. His litigation practice focuses on property law, including disputes involving title and boundary issues, easements, adverse possession and prescriptive easements; public and private road issues; title insurance claims; land use, zoning and Act 250; construction, condemnation and tax appeals. In the course of his practice, Mr. Murphy has represented landowners, developers, municipalities and neighborhood groups in matters before the United States District Court for the District of Vermont, the Vermont Supreme Court, Vermont Superior Courts, the Vermont Environmental Court, the Vermont Environmental Board, the Water Resources Board, multiple Act 250 District Environmental Commissions, and various municipal zoning and planning boards. His transactional practice focuses on representing property owners and developers to establish and manage their operating entities; to acquire, finance, permit, manage, lease and/or sell (including “1031 exchanges”) a wide variety of commercial, residential, hotel, recreational, office and shopping center properties; and to establish condominiums and common interest communities.

Ms. Narigon works as the legal counsel for the Department of Environmental Conversation’s Drinking Water & Groundwater Protection Division (DWGPD). She graduated with her J.D. degree from Vermont Law School in 2022, with a focus in energy law. Her role with the DWGPD involves creating and revising rules and regulations, and working with state and federal entities to develop approaches to contaminants of emerging concern within a water context. In particular, she works extensively with the Safe Drinking Water Act.

Mr. Patch is the Agriculture Climate and Land Use Policy Manager at the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM). VAAFM facilitates, supports and encourages the growth and viability of agriculture in Vermont while protecting the working landscape, human health, animal health, plant health, consumers and the environment. Mr. Patch is the VAAFM designee to the Vermont Climate Council, Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, and the Current Use Advisory Board.

Ms. Davidson is an experienced extension agent with a demonstrated history of working in the higher education industry and providing outreach and education to Coloradans. Her horticulture skills focus on native plants, water conservation, pollinator habitat, and design. She is skilled in AutoCAD, Microsoft Word, Environmental Awareness, Adobe Photoshop, and Submittals. Ms. Davidson is a strong research professional with a BS degree in Horticulture from Colorado State University and an MLA degree in Landscape Architecture from University of Arizona.

Dr. Gornish received her MS and PhD degrees from Florida State University in 2013. She then completed two years as a post doc at the University of California, Davis. Dr. Gornish’s work largely focuses on vegetation management in arid systems with a focus on ecological restoration, weed management and soil management. She has published over 80 articles, given hundreds of talks and was recently selected as an ESA Early Career Fellow. In addition to vegetation management, Dr. Gornish is passionate about STEM inclusion and is also the director of GALS (Girls on outdoor Adventure for Leadership and Science). GALS focuses on providing science learning and leadership opportunities to traditionally underserved female high school students through backcountry programming.

Dr. McCoshum has designed urban, suburban, and rural conservation projects across the United States. His research expertise includes monarch ecology, milkweeds, and native bee communities, and he has more than 15 years of experience working in the arid Southwest. Dr. McCoshum has extensive experience rearing monarchs in laboratory settings, growing milkweeds, and creating vegetation management plants, and urban conservation designs. In addition to his research and professional work, he is the author of Inviting Pollinators and Other Wildlife into Your Garden, which dives into the processes of creating robust, aesthetically pleasing, wildlife habitats.

Ms. Valachovic is passionate about finding solutions to challenging problems bringing her skills in forestry, natural resources and sociological research, design and mitigation of the built environment for wildfire resilience, as well as her years rooted in County government and community engagement. She is a member of the California Governor’s Wildfire Forest Resilience Task Force and other California state fire policy workgroups. Ms. Valachovic is the co-lead of the Northern California region of the California Fire Science Consortium and is a founding member of the Northern California Prescribed Fire Council. She has co-authored papers on fire behavior in California forests and the intersection of fire performance in home and landscape design. She is active in California policy development and has been a technical resource for bioenergy, forest management, home hardening, and improvements to defensible space legislation. She will share her experience from post-fire assessments that have helped craft her vision for adaptation.

Nate “The House Whisperer” Adams is the author of The Home Comfort book and the Air Sealing course. He’s helped numerous clients in Cleveland, Ohio, electrify while making their homes healthier and more comfortable since 2014. Now he is teaching HVAC contractors how to naturally sell heat pumps through the HVAC 2.0 Technical Sales Process.