Download printable agenda here:   Agenda

Conference Day 1 – Monday, September 15, 2025

7:50 am – The Year in Review – Jessie Merrigan (Spencer Fane); Ed Tormey (Administrator, Iowa DNR); Mike Linder (Koley Jessen); David Cozad (Director, EPA Region 7); Roger Walker (REGFORM – moderator).

 

8:45 am – Air Update: Understanding EPA’s Ambitious Air Agenda and Timetable for Change – Dana Skelley (EPA Region 7); Mary Hauner‑Davis (Burns & McDonnell); Michael Hermsen (Iowa DNR); Stephen Hall (MDNR); Melissa McDonald (KDHE); Brittany Barrientos (Stinson).

 

8:45 am – Buffalo Quarry: The First Gray Bat Mitigation Bank in the US – Greg Jarman (Liberty Utilities).

 

8:45 am – OSHA Fundamentals for Advancing Environmental Pros – April Greene (KTL).

 

9:15 am – SPCC Secondary Containment – Real‑World Challenges – Taylor Wilson (Trinity Consultants).

 

9:15 am – Worker Health Programs That Prevent Problems – Jenn Holliday (Terracon).

 

10:15 am – PFAS Regulatory Framework and Strategies for Assessing Enterprise Risk – Brittany Barrientos (Stinson); Brian Hanks (Ramboll).

 

10:15 am – Think Like an EHS Director – Linden Terpstra (EHS Support Source); Rebecca Schilling (O‑I); Eric Bauer (Integrated DNA Technologies); Brian Wanzenried (Bunge); Stephanie Hilton (Stantec).

 

10:15 am – Environmental Permitting for Emerging Data Centers – Nick Steinke (Olsson); Bria Weast (Olsson); Kevin Wailes (Olsson).

 

10:40 am – The Business Case for Smarter Waste Management – Kevin Harvey (GHD).

 

11:05 am – Build EHS Systems That Actually Work – Derek Farmer (Progressive Safety); Rebecca Schilling (O‑I); Gus Campbell (Seaboard Foods); Arianna Howard (Syncra Group).

 

11:05 am – Recent and Emerging Federal Environmental Developments – Eric Wooten (Terracon).

 

11:05 am – IT Tools for EHS Compliance and Demonstration – Joseph Kunes (KTL).

 

11:40 am – Emergency Response: New Trends and Trusted Techniques for Facility Emergency Preparations – Ryan Russell Kemper (Thompson Coburn); Jim Price (Spencer Fane – moderator).

 

11:40 am – Making Sense of the Multistate General Permit – Tyler Marshall (The Stanley Group).

 

11:40 am – Considerations when Permitting Construction Projects at Existing Facilities – Ken Gouvion (Burns & McDonnell; CPESC, CISEC).

 

12:05 pm – PFAS Stack Testing – Tim Russell (Barr); Jim Price (Spencer Fane – moderator).

 

12:05 pm – Get Buy‑In for Your EHS Vision – Linden Terpstra (EHS Support Source); Katrina Gilbank (Actus Nutrition); Stephanie Hilton (Stantec); Gus Campbell (Seaboard Foods); Lynn Wilson (NTT Global Data Centers Americas).

 

1:20 pm – PFAS Destruction Technology – Tim Russell (Barr); Jim Price (Spencer Fane – moderator).

 

1:45 pm – Build EHS Teams That Stay and Succeed – Brittany Barrientos (Stinson); Eric Bauer (Integrated DNA Technologies); Brian Wanzenried (Bunge); Lynn Wilson (NTT Global Data Centers Americas); Derek Farmer (Progressive Safety).

 

1:45 pm – Keynote Address – Kurt Schaefer, Director, MDNR – Kurt Schaefer (Missouri Department of Natural Resources).

 

2:20 pm – The Roberts Court on Administrative Law: A Not So Quiet Revolution – Adam Miller (Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLC).

 

3:20 pm – Last Word: Our Region 7 State Directors – Leo Henning (Director, Environment, KDHE); Kyra Moore (Deputy Director, MDNR); Steven Goans, P.E. (Deputy Director, DWEE); Ed Tormey (Administrator, IDNR); Kevin Perry (REGFORM – moderator).

 

3:20 pm – De‑watering at Clean‑Up Sites and the Nexus to PFAS – Adam Troutwine (Polsinelli); Emily Pulcher (Burns & McDonnell).

 

3:20 pm – AI: Ethical and Practical Questions for Lawyers and Consultants – Joe Zaleski (Shook, Hardy & Bacon); Tyler Marshall (The Stanley Group).

 

3:20 pm – Demystifying Insurance for EHS Leaders – Susan Thiel (Holmes Murphy).

 

3:45 pm – Status of Coal Combustion Residuals in Region 7 – Jessie Merrigan (Spencer Fane); Michael Alowitz (GHD).

 

Conference Day 2 – Tuesday, September 15, 2025

7:55 am – Introduce Day 2 – Ryan Russell Kemper (Thompson Coburn).

 

8:00 am – Keynote Address – Jim Macy (EPA Region 7 Regional Administrator.

 

8:30 am – Remediation Update – Understanding New Changes/Challenges – Brian Hoye (Burns & McDonnell); Kyle Foote (Stinson); Michael Jury (Geosyntec); Grant Harse (Lathrop GPM); Kristen Ellis Johnson (Stinson).

 

8:30 am – Developing Background Concentrations for Use in Modeling Demonstrations – Joseph Stolle (Ramboll).

 

8:30 am – Water Issues Update – Jeff Robichaud (EPA Region 7); Aimee Davenport (Stinson); Tom Stiles (KDHE – invited); Adam Schnieders (Iowa DNR); John Hoke (MDNR); Rob Morrison (Barr – moderator).

 

8:55 am – Developing SWPPPs Across Multiple Jurisdictions – Ken Gouvion (Burns & McDonnell).

 

9:40 am – New Developments in Permitting (all media) – Panelists:  (Nebraska DEE); Christian New (Terracon); Art Goodin (MDNR); Dan Wilkus (Evergy); Stacy Stotts (Polsinelli – moderator).

 

9:40 am – Why Choose VCP? The Pros and Cons – Grant Harse (Lathrop GPM); Deanna Ross (Team UES); Andrea Schiller (KDHE).

 

9:40 am – Navigating EHS Challenges in Food Industry – Adam Platt (Conagra Brands); Joseph Tell (KTL – moderator).

 

10:30 am – No More NEPA? Not So Fast! – Shanna Braun (Barr); Allison Pearson (Barr).

 

10:30 am – Ace Your OSHA Inspection Like a Pro – Andrew Brought (Spencer Fane); Michael Rubin (Ogletree Deakins); Brian Wanzenried (Viterra); Susan Thiel (Holmes Murphy).

 

10:30 am – Air Quality Updates – NSR, Ozone, and PM2.5 – the Madness Continues! – Kasi Dubbs (Trinity Consultants).

 

10:30 am – PFAS Remediation: What are the Options? – Hannah McIntyre (Geosyntec).

 

11:20 am – Compliance and Enforcement Update – David Cozad (EPA Region 7); Drew Brought (Spencer Fane); Tom Grever (Shook Hardy Bacon – moderator).