MECC 2025 Speakers
Michael Alowitz, GHD
michael.alowitz@ghd.com
Mike has been a consulting engineer for over 20 years. His primary work areas include environmental remediation, Superfund, coal-fired power plants, and NPDES permitting. From his work in the coal-fired power industry Mike has witnessed compliance challenges and energy transition impacts first hand. Closures have presented opportunities for implementation of greener technologies due to existing grid connection infrastructure. Mike is currently manages a large, complex Superfund site in a fractured bedrock environment in Iowa. Mike has a B.S. in Environmental Science from State University of New York at Plattsburgh, and an M.S. Environmental Engineering and an M.B.A. from the University of Iowa.
Brittany Barrientos, Stinson
brittany.barrientos@stinson.com
Brittany’s deep understanding of environmental, health and safety laws across the regulatory, transactional and litigation spectrums allows her to find well-rounded and practical solutions to complex issues. She has significant experience assisting clients with environmental, health and safety regulatory requirements arising under the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, solid and hazardous waste laws, Superfund, OSHA and PHMSA, as well as state and local environmental laws and regulations. Brittany’s broad experience gives her the ability to issue-spot across media and type of issue, in a way that provides both continuity and efficiency for her clients. She has worked extensively with municipalities and electric-generating utilities, mobile sources, and clients in the chemical, manufacturing and real estate industries. Her journalism background and endless curiosity also serve her well as she navigates FOIA issues, inspections and information requests, and investigations across sectors. Brittany is also a recent graduate of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce’s esteemed two-year Centurions Leadership Program, and she is excited to continue to “Learn. Serve. Lead.” in the Community.
Eric Bauer, Integrated DNA Technologies
ebauer1@idtdna.com
Eric Bauer is currently the Sr. Global Director of EHS for Integrated DNA Technologies. He has over 30 years of global experience leading environmental, health and safety program development and implementation in the USA, North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific regions. Prior to Integrated DNA Technologies, he served in various technical and leadership roles with Vought Aircraft, The University
of Iowa, Terex Corporation and Collins Aerospace / Raytheon Technologies. He has served on several local sustainability advisory boards, AIHA local chapters, and the American Board of
Industrial Hygienists board from 2008-2012.
Eric attended the University of Iowa where he earned a master’s degree in Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health and a bachelor’s degree in Botany.
Shanna Braun, Barr
sbraun@barr.com
Shanna has 20 years of environmental consulting experience, with a specific focus on environmental review requirements under federal and state-equivalent processes. She assists with environmental impact assessments and facilitates the environmental approval process for projects related to natural resources, energy transmission, alternative energy, flood management, and mining. She is specialized in navigating the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process for numerous federal agencies, along with associated federal approval processes. Shanna is adept at navigating state-equivalent environmental impact assessment programs and frequently navigates projects through federal, state, and local permitting processes following the environmental review step. She brings strong depth of experience in agency collaboration and public engagement, facilitating meetings with more than 100 attendees. Shanna’s work focuses on the Midwest and Intermountain West, where she leads multidisciplinary teams on EIS and EA projects as well as natural resources-focused baseline data collection and permitting.
Stephanie Broden, Stanley Consultants
BrodenStephanie@stanleygroup.com
Stephanie Broden, EIT is an environmental engineer-in-training and member of the Stanley Consultants Environmental Compliance team. In this role, Stephanie assists a variety of clients in developing regulatory solutions such as SWPPPs, Antidegradation Analyses, and SPCC plans. She holds a certification as an Iowa Certified SWPPP designer (ICSD) and has also assisted with projects in several other states, including Illinois, California, Ohio, and South Dakota. Stephanie also has extensive field work experience in PFAS water sampling.
In May of 2020, Stephanie earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She then went on to receive a Master of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Iowa in 2024.
Andrew Brought, Spencer Fane
abrought@spencerfane.com
Andrew Brought counsels manufacturers, industrial clients, and businesses with complex environmental and workplace safety / OSHA matters. He currently serves on the firm’s Executive Committee and has held other leadership positions at the firm including co-chair of the Environment and Energy practice group. Andrew has extensive experience helping companies with workplace safety incidents and industrial accidents that involve the intersection of health, safety, and environmental regulations and government agencies including OSHA, the EPA, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Board, and the Justice Department. From complex workplace fatalities and injuries to more routine compliance inspections, Andrew is frequently called upon by a variety of industrial sectors to assist in handling crisis management situations, strategic response, and incident investigations. He has a particular focus on chemical accident prevention programs, including EPA’s Risk Management Plan (RMP) program and OSHA’s Process Safety Management (PSM) program and cases involving chemical releases. In connection with his white collar criminal and civil practice, Andrew helps his clients manage and reduce liability through his substantial experience in enforcement matters associated with the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, RCRA, EPCRA, OSHA, and related environmental laws. He also assists his clients by conducting compliance audits and internal investigations as appropriate. And in those situations where win-win outcomes are not achievable, he helps his clients litigate and resolve environmental disputes.
William Carr, KDHE
William.J.Carr@ks.gov
William Carr started his tenure in August 2025 as the Director for the Bureau of Water at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). The Bureau oversees drinking water, wastewater, and watershed regulatory programs as well as the State Revolving Fund water infrastructure financing programs. Prior to becoming the Bureau Director, he served as program director for the drinking water state revolving fund, and as a chemist in the KDHE radiochemistry laboratory. William has been with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment for 32 years. William was a trustee board member for the Kansas Section of the American Water Works Association from 2018 to 2022 and currently serves as Vice President for the Council of Infrastructure Financing Authorities and has been a member of that Board since 2018.
David Cozad, US EPA
cozad.david@epa.gov
Dave Cozad is the Director of the Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Division for EPA Region 7 in Kansas City. He started in that position in October 2019. Prior to that, he was the Regional Counsel for EPA Region 7 for twelve years, where he was responsible for leading the Region’s 45-person legal office. He recently three six-month temporary details at EPA HQ in Washington, D.C., serving in senior leadership positions during the last two presidential transitions. Dave has been with EPA Region 7 for thirty-one years, and prior to that, he worked with the Department of Justice in Washington D.C., on environmental enforcement matters. Dave has a B.B.A. in Economics from James Madison University and a law degree from the College of William and Mary.
Kasi Dubbs, Trinity Consultants
KDubbs@trinityconsultants.com
Ms. Kas Dubbs is currently a Principal Consultant serving as a Project Manager in Trinity’s Kansas City office. She has provided air quality consulting services to a wide variety of industries for 25 years. Her primary focus is the support of capital projects to evaluate air quality impacts and prepare applications for air construction permits. She routinely manages projects focused on demonstrating compliance with the NAAQS, including the NAAQS for both ozone and PM2.5. One important aspect of these projects is understanding the existing levels of air quality for both pollutants, including understanding if there are exceptional event impacting the air quality. Another critical aspect is understanding how the project-related impacts for these pollutants are determined. Kasi has expertise in managing these critical parts of a project.
Aimee D. Guzman Davenport, Stinson
aimee.davenport@stinson.com
Aimee assists public and private clients in resolving environmental, energy and administrative law matters with governmental agencies and third-parties. Aimee’s practice involves a keen understanding of administrative agencies and the legal authority under which they operate in areas of rulemaking, permitting and enforcement. Co-chair of the firm’s Environmental practice group, Aimee works closely with experts in state and federal litigation, she helps clients employ informed strategies to achieve long-term resolutions to meet operational needs. Prior to entering private practice, she served as deputy general counsel to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources where she advised the department in governance, contract, environmental, employment and other matters as assigned. Prior to her time with the department, Aimee served as an attorney for the Missouri Public Service Commission where she advised the commissioners and chief law judge in rate, tariff and complaint cases.
Derek Farmer, Progressive Safety
derek.farmer@progressivesafetyservices.com
Derek is a seasoned safety professional with over 20 years of experience, currently serving as the Director of Risk and Safety Services at Progressive Safety. He specializes in designing, implementing, and managing robust safety systems, including Process Safety Management (PSM), OSHA Voluntary Protection Program (VPP), and internal corporate auditing frameworks.
With extensive global experience across eight countries, Derek has successfully led Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) teams and developed comprehensive corporate risk strategies. His expertise enables him to guide organizations in adopting risk management approaches that deliver measurable results while fostering sustainable, safety-first cultures.
As a Certified Safety Professional (CSP) and holder of a Master’s of Business Administration (MBA), Derek combines technical proficiency with strategic business acumen. He is adept at translating complex safety regulations into practical, actionable solutions that align with organizational goals. His leadership has empowered clients to enhance workplace safety, reduce operational risks, and achieve compliance with industry standards.
Kyle Foote, Stinson
kyle.foote@stinson.com
Kyle blends state and federal environmental experience and familiarity with regulatory compliance strategies and governmental programs and enforcement efforts to advise on facility operations and business and real estate ventures in the complex arena of environmental law.
An environmental lawyer, Kyle advises clients on the federal and state laws regulating air, water, hazardous substances and wastes, and natural resources. He represents companies large and small before the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state environmental agencies to advise on regulatory compliance and move business forward. He represents clients in diverse sectors, including manufacturing, energy and electric utility, real estate (acquisition and development), mining, propane and petroleum storage and distribution, telecommunications, finance and banking.
Kyle develops creative solutions to environmental issues arising in business and real estate transactions. He performs critical environmental due diligence, obtains construction and operating permits for facilities, and advises clients on liability exposure and risk mitigation strategies. Kyle represents clients during on-site inspections and investigations by the EPA and state environmental agencies, and coordinates audits, investigations and responses under environmental laws. He works with environmental consultants to oversee investigation and remediation of contaminated properties, and with state voluntary cleanup and tank insurance fund programs.
Formerly an environmental attorney for an international engineering company, Kyle managed environmental permitting and compliance for domestic and international electric generation facilities and other industrial projects. He offers environmental regulatory experience in more than 35 states, and has experience working with EPA, Corps of Engineers, US Fish & Wildlife Service, and state environmental and natural resources agencies.
Katrina Gilbank, Actus Nutrition
kgilbank@actus.com
Katrina Gilbank is the EHS Director – East at Actus Nutrition, where she supports multiple sites with environmental, health, and safety compliance and program development. She began her career in government as an environmental permit writer and inspector before transitioning to the private sector. Her work includes overhauling compliance programs to reduce noncompliance events, implementing EHS software to improve data accuracy, negotiating the closure of enforcement actions, leading ISO 14001 and 50001 implementations, and revamping employee safety reporting systems. Katrina holds a B.A. in Biology and Environmental Science from Carthage College, an M.S. in Environment & Resources from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and an M.J. in Environmental Law from Tulane University Law School.
Kate Gleeson, KDHE
kate.gleeson@ks.gov
Kate currently serves as the Deputy Director of Environment. Previously, she served as an environmental attorney in the Office of Legal Services before taking on the role of Senior Environmental Attorney in 2018.
Steven Goans, NDWEE
steve.goans@nebraska.gov
Steve Goans is Deputy Director at the Nebraska Department of Water, Energy, and Environment. Steve is responsible for implementation of permitting programs and assisting in compliance issues. Steve has been with the Department for more than 36 years working mostly in water programs and special projects across all divisions. Steve lead the development of the Assessing Wastewater Infrastructure Needs (AWIN) project which helps identify sustainability risks for communities. AWIN is used to make decisions on design, timing, and enforcement as NDEQ administers environmental requirements. Previous to NDEQ Steve worked for a private contractor on military projects around the country.
Steve received a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and has additional education in Civil Engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Steve is a Professional Civil Engineer registered in the State of Nebraska. Steve is board chair of the University of Nebraska Civil and Environmental Advisory Board. Steve is a member of the Nebraska Water Environment Federation, American Society of Civil Engineers, Association of Clean Water Administrators and active in the Environmental Council of States.
Art Goodin, MDNR
arthur.goodin@dnr.mo.gov
Art Goodin was named as Director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Environmental Quality, in May of 2025.
Art began his career with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources in 2002, as an environmental specialist in the Southeast Regional Office. He worked in water pollution control, spending most of his time on stormwater and land disturbance permitting and inspections. In July 2007, Art joined the department’s Environmental Emergency Response section as an on-scene coordinator in southeast Missouri, working on hazardous materials emergencies, homeland security and emergency management issues. Art left the department in 2011, to work as an environmental manager in the private sector. Art rejoined the department in 2012, and resumed his emergency response duties. In 2014, Art became Chief of the regional office’s Water Pollution unit, where he led the unit’s efforts to improve operational efficiency and increase the impact of its compliance assistance activities. Most recently, Art served as Director of the department’s Southeast Regional Office, located in Poplar Bluff from March 2019 to January of 2022. He holds a bachelor’s degree in general studies and a master’s degree in Public Administration from Southeast Missouri State University.
Ken Gouvion, Burns & McDonnell
kgouvion@burnsmcd.com
Ken Gouvion is a senior environmental scientist with Burns & McDonnell, with a biology background, and supports the firm’s environmental programs and EPC projects. He specializes in construction stormwater permitting and erosion and sediment control plan development, but also handles floodplain permitting, highway occupancy, and railroad permitting, among other non-environmental permitting. He has a wide range of project experience, including linear construction projects, such as electrical transmission lines and pipelines, as well as power stations, renewables, and airports.
He has developed SWPPPs and ESC Plans for projects in 20 states and Indian Country, conducted SWPPP inspections and audits, and/or worked as a full-time onsite environmental inspector on projects in 9 states.
April Greene, KTL
agreene@goktl.com
April Greene, CSP, CHMM, has a 10+-year history of providing environmental, health, and safety (EHS); quality; and food safety services to manufacturing facilities, laboratories, and food and beverage companies. She has specialized expertise in conducting safety assessments; managing regulatory compliance obligations; facilitating Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) training; and developing and managing corporate programs to ensure compliance with regulatory and certification requirements. April is a Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM), certified ISO 45001 and 14001 Lead Auditor, and Wisconsin Department of Natural
Resources (WDNR) Green Tier Auditor.
April Greene, CSP, CHMM, has a 10+-year history of providing environmental, health, and safety (EHS); quality; and food safety services to manufacturing facilities, laboratories, and food and beverage companies. She has specialized expertise in conducting safety assessments; managing regulatory compliance obligations; facilitating Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) training; and developing and managing corporate programs to ensure compliance with regulatory and certification requirements. April is a Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM), certified ISO 45001 and 14001 Lead Auditor, and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) Green Tier Auditor.
Tom Grever, Shook, Hardy & Bacon
TGREVER@shb.com
Tom counsels and litigates in all aspects of environmental law, including air, water, hazardous waste, Superfund and natural resource damages. He assists clients in negotiating and obtaining environmental permits from state and federal environmental agencies and defending these permits from legal challenges. His practice includes significant focus on Clean Air Act permitting and enforcement, including new source review, Title V operating permits, and hazardous air pollutants. Tom works with clients in a broad range of industries, including utility, cement, agricultural products, mining and chemical manufacturing. Tom’s environmental litigation experience includes successful arguments in federal and state courts of appeal. In addition, Tom counsels clients on occupational health and safety issues and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) compliance. Tom began his career as an assistant attorney general in the Ohio Attorney General’s environmental enforcement section, representing the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources in civil and criminal enforcement, permit appeals, and development of environmental regulations.
Stephen Hall, Missouri DNR
stephen.hall@dnr.mo.gov
Stephen Hall was appointed staff director of the Air Pollution Control Program on Aug. 25, 2021. Stephen has worked for the department for 24 years; the last 14 years in the Air Program. Most recently, he served as the chief of the program’s Air Quality Analysis Section. Stephen has a Bachelor of Science in Physics and Mathematics and a Master’s in Business Administration.
Adam Hammes, SGS North America
adam.hammes@sgs.com
Adam leads a highly-experienced Sustainability Assurance team for SGS North America. He has 20 years of experience as a corporate sustainability executive, consultant, author, and instructor. He founded multiple organizations and earned his MBA, with international education and leadership experience integrating sustainability into business strategy. To keep remain current, Adam maintains various professional credentials, such as: FSA Credential—Level I (SASB), GRI Certified Professional, Certified ACCO Climate Change Professional, GHG Lead Auditor Certificate (ISO 14064-1), etc.
Brian Hanks, Ramboll
BHANKS@ramboll.com
Brian has over 25 years of experience providing solutions to clients’ remediation and environmental regulatory challenges. He leads Ramboll’s PFAS growth team in the Midwest and co-leads the PFAS legal-sector team for the Americas. Mr. Hanks provides technical support in facility compliance, due diligence, and litigation matters and applies this experience and perspective in his sensitivity to client confidentiality and management of public issues in high-profile projects. He has worked with law firms, participating in the development and support of expert opinions, advising counsel regarding technical matters related to litigation, and has provided support for settlement and trial. He has also worked with counsel on matters to provide technical support in resolving alleged regulatory non-compliance. He has provided client management and design support for a wide range of soil and groundwater remediation projects in Superfund and state-led programs.
Grant Harse, Lathrop GPM
grant.harse@lathropgpm.com
Grant Harse focuses his practice in environmental and natural resources law, including all types of compliance, transactional and litigation matters arising under the Clean Air Act (CAA), the Clean Water Act (CWA), the Resource Conservation Recovery Act (RCRA), the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA or Superfund), the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA), and state analogs, among others. Grant advises clients regarding their regulatory requirements, in administrative negotiations with both the Environmental Protection Agency and state agencies, and in litigation of environmental claims, including claims brought pursuant to citizen suit provisions.
Kevin Harvey, GHD
kevin.harvey@ghd.com
Kevin Harvey is a Principal and Technical Director with 22 years of Waste Management and Regulatory Compliance experience. Kevin is the North American Operations Manager of GHD’s Waste Services Group, which is a group of technical experts and waste Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) developed to assist internal GHD project managers and external GHD clients with waste management and regulatory compliance support. In this role, Kevin manages several enterprise-wide waste management and compliance support portfolios for large oil and gas, petrochemical, transportation, manufacturing and other industrial clients.
Mary Hauner-Davis, Burns & McDonnell
mhauner@burnsmcd.com
Mary Hauner-Davis is the Technical Service Leader and Department Manager for Air Quality at Burns & McDonnell, where she specializes in air permitting, noise control, regulatory compliance and sustainability services. With over 27 years of experience, she has assisted numerous industrial and power facilities with preparing permitting strategies to obtain complex permits and regulatory compliance. She manages a team of air permitting engineers that prepare air permit applications, perform air dispersion modeling studies and prepares analyses regarding air regulatory compliance for clients throughout the United States. She also assists clients with greenhouse gas and ESG evaluation and planning. She graduated from Cornell College with a BA in Chemistry and obtained a masters degree from University of Iowa in Environmental Engineering.
Leo Henning, KDHE
Leo.Henning@ks.gov
Leo G. Henning is the Director of Environment for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). He directs all environmental program activities and oversees a staff of approximately 380 employees. Leo has worked for KDHE for over 32 years. During his career Leo has directed the Bureau of Environmental Remediation, the Kansas Health and Environmental Laboratory and the Bureau of Environmental Field Services. Mr. Henning received a bachelor and master degree in Geology from Wichita State University and is a licensed professional geologist.
Michael Hermsen, Iowa DNR
michael.hermsen@dnr.iowa.gov
Michael Hermsen is a Senior Environmental Engineer in the Construction Permitting section of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR). With 25 years of service to the Department, he specializes in writing and reviewing construction permits. In this role, he serves as the lead technical contact for the section on federal regulations, including New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) and National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP). Michael holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Iowa.
Stephanie Hilton, Stantec
stephanie.hilton@stantec.com
With over two decades of experience in Safety and Health, Stephanie Hilton is a highly motivated and strategic leader known for her strong focus on execution and results. She is passionate about embedding best practices and safety management philosophies that prioritize prevention, empower employees to fail safely, and embrace a human performance approach that actively engages individuals in the solutions.
Stephanie has a proven track record of influencing and collaborating across all levels of an organization—from front-line employees to executive leadership and board members. Her leadership style fosters a culture of psychological safety, continuous improvement, and operational excellence in health and safety.
John Hoke, Missouri DNR
john.hoke@dnr.mo.gov
John Hoke is Deputy Director of the Division of Environmental Quality at MDNR. His portfolio includes the Water Protection Program, Waste Management Program, Environmental Remediation Program, and two Regional Offices. Prior to his work as Deputy Director, Hoke worked as Director of the Water Protection Program at MDNR where his primary duties included managing and directing staff work implementing state and federal clean water and safe drinking water law in Missouri. Hoke has a Bachelor’s degree in Geology from the University of Illinois – Urbana/Champaign and a Master’s degree in Geology from the University of Missouri – Columbia.
Jenn Holliday, CIH, Terracon
Jenn.Holliday@Terracon.com
Jennifer Holliday, CIH is a Project Manager and Senior Industrial Hygienist with Terracon Consulting for the Central Iowa Region. She has served as an Industrial Hygienist for 11 years, managing programs and teams, improving standards of practice and risk management, and expanded her network to product development – paving a path of impacting PPE availability and end-user operation. Jenn has served most recently as an active AIHA Volunteer in the 4-year officer rotation of the Women in IH, and the Leadership and Management Committees. With a diverse background in chemical, manufacturing, power generation, and consulting, she has blazed a trail to lead others in the field.
Arianna Howard, Syncra Group
ahoward@syncragroup.com
Arianna Howard helps EHS teams align digital tools, systems, and data with how work actually gets done—making technology more practical, usable, and outcome-driven. She brings a unique blend of field experience and systems expertise, with a background in environment, health, and safety and deep roots in IT and data strategy. As a Co-Founder & Partner at Syncra Group, she provides consulting and advisory support to organizations across high-risk industries, guiding them through EHS software selection, implementation, and continuous improvement. Her work spans strategy workshops, AI enablement, product advisory, cross-functional rollouts, and team upskilling with a strong focus on reducing friction, improving visibility, and making systems work better for the people who rely on them.
Brian Hoye, Burns & McDonnell
bhoye@burnsmcd.com
Brian Hoye, PG is a Senior Geologist and Project Manager at Burns & McDonnell who has served on and managed a variety of environmental projects for private-sector and Department of Defense clientele. His practice has focused on emerging contaminants, new environmental regulations, and innovative site characterization techniques. Brian serves as a core member of Burns & McDonnell’s Remediation Practice and leads their Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Technical Group.
Paul Jacobson, Spencer Fane
pjacobson@spencerfane.com
Paul helps businesses manage their environmental and workplace safety legal challenges. In the environmental context, Paul helps companies comply with federal and state requirements for all environmental media, navigates site remediation challenges, defends against agency enforcement efforts, and works on a variety of environmental and toxic tort litigation. Paul helps companies with immediate and long-term responses to environmental disasters. Paul also helps clients with California Proposition 65 product labeling requirements.
In the workplace safety context, Paul assists clients with all stages of OSHA inspections and enforcement, and has experience defending inspections involving a wide range of OSHA standards, including Process Safety Management, Permissible Exposure Limits, robotics safety, and more.
Greg Jarman, Liberty Utilities
gregory.jarman@libertyutilities.com
Greg Jarman is the Manager of Renewable and Environmental Compliance for Liberty Utilities Central Region, he has been with Liberty Utilities over 5years. He ensures that Liberty maintains compliance with water, hazardous waste, air, wildlife and other environmental regulations. Greg’s responsibilities include managing Buffalo Quarry Gray Bat Mitigation Bank, project permitting and compliance with wildlife regulations at Liberty Utilities three wind farms North Fork Ridge Windfarm, Kings Point Windfarm and Neosho Ridge Windfarm. Greg worked with USFWS to create the countries first gray bat mitigation bank Buffalo Quarry Gray Bat Mitigation Bank. Prior to working for Liberty Utilities Greg worked for Missouri Department of Natural Resources working with the Environmental Emergency Response Unit and the Water Quality Monitoring Unit. He received a bachelor’s degree in Conservation and Wildlife Management with a minor in Field Biology from College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri.
When he isn’t working he can be found with his wife and 5 kids on their small farm raising sheep, hogs and goats. He enjoys spending time in the outdoors and coaching his kids in a variety of sports.
Kristen Ellis Johnson, Stinson
kristen.johnson@stinson.com
Michael Jury, Geosyntec
mjury@geosyntec.com
Michael Jury is a Project Geologist in Geosyntec’s Overland Park, Kansas office, and possesses over 10 years of experience in which he has exceled at planning, leading, conducting, and managing projects and field work related to site investigation/remediation, routine monitoring and operation and maintenance (O&M) of remediation systems, and sampling of different types of media. He has also been involved in a number of site investigations where he planned, managed, and performed oversight of drilling and monitoring well installation using a wide variety of drill rigs; lithologic logging in accordance with the United States Classification System (USCS); sampling of a multitude of media (e.g., soil, sediment, bedrock, mine tailings, ground water, surface water, soil gas, and ambient air), test pitting, well development, and aquifer testing. He has been involved in environmental investigations at a broad range of facilities under regulatory programs such as the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), the United States Army Corp. or Engineers (USACE), the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ), the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (NDHHS), the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment (ADEE), and sites subject to laws under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). In addition, Michael is knowledgeable with industry specific software such as ESRI ArcGIS, Surfer, and RockWorks17 that allows him to support Geosyntec on a variety of environmental projects.
Ryan Russell Kemper, Thompson Coburn
rkemper@thompsoncoburn.com
Ryan has a broad and diverse practice serving clients navigating sophisticated matters related to air, water, land, energy, agriculture, emergency response and climate issues. He serves as a vice-chair of Thompson Coburn’s Environmental Law Group and has successfully handled cases across the country under the full spectrum of federal, state, and local environmental laws and regulations. Ryan has nearly two decades of experience in litigation, regulatory and counseling work. Ryan also counsels clients on climate, ESG, and environmental justice issues. He has handled significant air and climate issues and has advised clients with regard to major source permitting, carbon sequestration, GHG reporting and accounting, and the environmental aspects of government incentive programs for carbon offsets and credits, including clients in the energy sector. Prior to entering private practice, Ryan worked on environment and energy issues as committee staff in the Illinois State Senate and on Capitol Hill.
Joseph Kunes, KTL
jckunes@goktl.com
Joseph Kunes has nearly 15 years of experience developing and maintaining EHS and other information management systems. He leads the development and implementation of various Microsoft 365-based compliance management systems. Joseph works extensively with clients to ensure the successful implementation of data management solutions, providing onsite project deployment/implementation services, user support, and training.
Michael Linder, Koley Jessen
Michael.Linder@koleyjessen.com
Mike Linder has over 35 years of experience in environmental law. His experience covers all aspects of environmental regulation, permitting, compliance, and policy.
Before joining Koley Jessen, Mike served as the Governor-appointed Director of the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) from 1999 through 2013. The NDEQ (now known as the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy) administers and enforces all environmental laws in Nebraska. Prior to becoming Director, Mike served as the NDEQ’s Legal Counsel for ten years. His experience includes state, local, and federal environmental laws dealing with water quality, air quality, groundwater, and waste management. Mike has worked closely with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at the regional and national level. He has been a leader locally and nationally on environmental issues and policy.
Since joining Koley Jessen, Mike has handled numerous compliance and permitting matters as well as strategic consultation on environmental requirements and trends. He has also supported Koley Jessen’s transactional practice groups on environmental due diligence issues. Mike is a Fellow of the American College of Environmental Lawyers and was named “Lawyer of the Year” in Omaha by Best Lawyers® in 2023 for his work in Environmental Law.
Jim Macy, U.S. EPA
macy.jim@epa.gov
With nearly 40 years of experience, Jim Macy is a seasoned leader with a proven track record in environmental protection across the Heartland.
Possessing a deep commitment to both regional and national environmental leadership, he has built a career marked by innovative solutions, strong partnerships, and a relentless focus on improving public service delivery.
Throughout his career, Macy has remained deeply rooted in his community and dedicated to improving environmental resilience for future generations.
Prior to joining EPA Region 7, he served as director of the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE), where he successfully led the integration of the state’s energy and environmental agencies into a unified department. Macy’s leadership was instrumental in fostering collaboration and improving the state’s environmental policies and practices.
He also served for nearly 30 years with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MoDNR), where he held various leadership roles, including regional director of the Kansas City Regional Office and director of the Financial Assistance Center.
Nationally, Macy made significant contributions to advancing cooperation among state and federal agencies, as well as environmental innovation. He served as president of the Environmental Council of the States (2019-2020) and co-chaired the cooperative federalism workgroup for four years. Additionally, Macy was a long-time executive member and co-chair of the E-Enterprise Leadership Council, where he championed the development of shared governance approaches and customer-centric innovations to improve permitting, compliance, and quality assurance processes.
Macy is recognized for his passion for teamwork and process improvement. At NDEE, he implemented Lean Six Sigma principles to streamline operations and establish a pioneering state network aimed at continuous improvement across partner agencies.
A native of Gallatin, Missouri, Macy holds a Bachelor of Science in agriculture and a master’s in education from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He was honored with the EPA National Notable Achievement Award in 2001 for his work in Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) stakeholder involvement.
Macy and his wife, Lisa, have been married for 31 years. They have two daughters and a grandson. Often accompanied by his French Brittany Spaniel, Molly, he enjoys spending time outdoors fly fishing and crafting custom fly rods.
Tyler Marshall, Stanley Consultants
marshalltyler@stanleygroup.com
Tyler Marshall, P.E., is a principal environmental engineer and Stanley Consultants’ environmental technical lead. In this role, Tyler is responsible for providing innovative leadership across all aspects of environmental and water resources engineering services and serving as an advocate for emerging environmental areas of focus. He serves as a trusted advisor on several industry and regulatory workgroups for the development and implementation of a range of new environmental initiatives, policies and laws.
Tyler maintains a broad civil and environmental engineering background, including regulatory compliance, environmental planning and design of systems to achieve regulatory goals. He has extensive experience in almost all varieties of NPDES permitting. He has worked with a wide range of facilities and regulators in many states through all phases of the NPDES process.
Melissa McDonald, KDHE
melissa.mcdonald@ks.gov
Melissa McDonald has been on staff in the Bureau of Air at KDHE since 2007 and currently serves as the Chief of the Air Regulations, Planning and Data Analysis Section. Her primary responsibilities and work experience include regulatory development, air quality planning, and stabilizing fee revenue for the Bureau. Melissa holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from Washburn University.
Drake McGruder, Anchor Glass Container Corporation
Drake.McGruder@anchorglass.com
Drake McGruder is the Director of EHS for Anchor Glass Container Corporation, a leading manufacturer of glass containers for the food, beverage, beer, liquor, and ready-to-drink industries. He has been in that position for the past 2 1/2 years. Prior to his current role at Anchor, he held roles with increasing EHS responsibilities at both the plant and corporate level for The Kraft Heinz Company (10 years) and Hormel Foods (2 years). Drake holds both a B.S. degree in Biological Engineering as well as a M.S. degree in Engineering from the University of Arkansas. Away from work, he enjoys Razorback sports, going to Lake Ouachita, working out, and collecting sports cards and memorabilia. He currently resides in Fort Smith, AR with his wife and two children.
Hannah McIntyre, Geosyntec
hannah.mcintyre@geosyntec.com
Hannah is a senior staff engineer in Geosyntec’s Kansas City office. Her experience focuses on emerging contaminants by engaging in site and remedial investigations and litigation support. She has helped develop guidance documents, presentations, and fact sheets on lines of evidence to assess the effectiveness of PFAS remedial technologies for both the US Department of Defense and the United Kingdom Environment Agency. Hannah has supported US Department of Defense Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) projects and Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP) projects. Her ESTCP projects include assessing field scale-up, cost, and performance of ultraviolet/silica-based granular media treatment to destroy PFAS in concentrated liquids and conducting side-by-side assessments of PFAS destructive technologies.
Jessie Merrigan, Spencer Fane
jmerrigan@spencerfane.com
Jessica Merrigan counsels clients on environmental matters regarding regulatory requirements and represents them in litigation of environmental claims, including contribution claims under the federal Superfund law. She has significant experience helping clients in administrative negotiations with both the Environmental Protection Agency and state agencies, advises them on additional or equivalent state law requirements, and assists clients with facility audits, compliance initiatives and waste reduction programs. Throughout her career, Jessica has worked with clients to monitor the ongoing changes in chemical regulations and implement programs to manage evolving state, local and federal requirements for chemical management, disclosure and research. Jessica also helps clients with environmental issues involved in property redevelopment and real estate transactions. Her work includes review of environmental assessments, evaluation of potential environmental liabilities associated with real estate transactions including those created by CERCLA, and evaluation of eligibility for federal and state Brownfields assistance programs. In addition, she works with clients to transfer and maintain permits, through the completion of appropriate plans and applications and coordination with responsible agencies. Her experience has included national, regional and local projects ranging from single site sales to transactions involving hundreds of millions and up to $2 billion in assets.
Adam Miller, Shook, Hardy & Bacon
amiller@shb.com
Adam Miller has a national trial practice focusing on toxic tort, environmental, product liability and commercial disputes. He has tried and litigated numerous toxic tort, product liability, and environmental tort liability cases. As Co-Chair of Shook Hardy & Bacon’s Toxic Tort and Environmental Liability practice groups, Adam represents clients in the chemical and product manufacturing sectors around the country.
Adam represents clients in civil jury trials including class actions in federal and state courts around the country, as well as in high-stakes environmental disputes.
Adam is skilled at presenting complex scientific and technical issues to judges and juries. He has received recognition from Chambers USA, The Best Lawyers in America, and the Missouri Lawyers Weekly, which named Adam to its Power List of Environmental Lawyers in 2023 and 2024.
Kyra Moore, Missouri DNR
kyra.moore@dnr.mo.gov
Kyra Moore was named deputy director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources in April 2025.
As deputy director, she oversee the department’s Division of Environmental Quality and Division of Energy. Kyra has served the department for more than 25 years in several roles, including director and deputy director of the Division of Environmental Quality, and director of the Air Pollution Control Program. Kyra holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Missouri – Columbia and resides in Columbia, Missouri.
Rob Morrison, Barr
rmorrison@barr.com
Rob has over 30 years of experience in water resources & environmental engineering. His background includes water permitting, water quality science, total maximum daily load studies, anti-degradation procedures, and compliance assistance. He has assisted clients with NPDES permit renewals ranging from coal combustion power plants to municipal wastewater treatment facilities. He has led & participated in the design of domestic wastewater & industrial water treatment projects. Rob worked for 24 years at MDNR, where he led RCRA Permits & Corrective Action Section & the Water Pollution Control Branch.
Christian New, P.E., Terracon
christian.new@terracon.com
Christian W. New, P.E. is a licensed professional environmental engineer with more than 40 years of business management and environmental consulting experience. Currently a department manager at Terracon, Christian leads a team of environmental professionals in Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri who specialize in regulatory compliance for industrial and commercial clients.
Over the course of his career, Christian has worked extensively across the full spectrum of environmental programs, including air permitting, water and stormwater permitting, oil pollution prevention, and hazardous waste management. Previously, Christian managed Terracon’s Omaha environmental department, where he oversaw a broad portfolio of environmental services. Today, he focuses on helping clients proactively identify and mitigate compliance risks—supporting both operational excellence and transaction readiness for manufacturers and their advisors.
Christian brings a practical, business-minded approach to environmental compliance, translating complex regulatory requirements into actionable strategies for manufacturers, executives, and professional service providers alike.
Allison Pearson, Barr
APearson@barr.com
Allison Pearson is an environmental engineer with over 13 years of experience in National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting, water-quality-based toxics control, stormwater management, municipal pretreatment permitting, environmental review, and general regulatory assistance. She coordinates with clients, public officials, and regulatory agencies at the state and federal level to facilitate complex permitting projects for construction, industrial, and mining facilities at the state, local, and federal level. Allison is involved in a variety of permitting and regulatory projects including antidegradation analysis; groundwater quality monitoring for contaminated sites; pretreatment program evaluation; stormwater permitting; and surface water quality analysis. She enjoys the challenges of permitting new discharges and has recently been involved in such projects for nitrogen fertilizer facilities, biofuels facilities, and non-metallic mineral underground mines. Allison is currently involved in projects for private industry clients in mining, power, manufacturing, ethanol production, and oil pipelines as well as municipal clients.
Kevin Perry, REGFORM
kperry@regform.org
Kevin is Assistant Director at REGFORM, a Missouri business association focused entirely on State environmental regulations & policies. He is a registered lobbyist & holds a BS degree in biology. He has over 30 years of experience, including work as a biologist at US EPA Office of Water. He sings in the choir at church.
Adam Platt, Conagra Brands
adam.platt@conagra.com
Adam Platt is an Environmental Health & Safety leader with 20 years of experience guiding engineering projects, EHS compliance strategy, risk management, and sustainability programs across large-scale manufacturing and industrial operations. As Director of EH&S at a Conagra Brands, he oversees regulatory compliance (air, water, waste), permits, audit readiness, Process Safety Management (PSM), and environmental systems aligned with ISO 14001/45001.
Adam is known for delivering measurable results — driving multi-million dollar cost savings through compliance improvements, reducing environmental violations by over 30%, and leading enterprise-wide ESG and sustainability initiatives. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in multiple states (NE, FL, MA, WI), holds an MBA from University of Florida, and leverages both technical and business acumen to partner with executives, operations teams, and regulatory agencies.
He holds master’s and bachelor’s degrees in civil & environmental engineering from Penn State University, has been deeply involved in integrating acquisitions and aligning cross-functional teams, and is passionate about building robust systems that embed compliance, safety, and environmental stewardship into business strategy.
Gyanendra Prasai, KDHE
Gyanendra.X.Prasai@ks.gov
Gyanendra Prasai is a professional Environmental Engineer licensed in Kansas and Nebraska. Gyanendra holds a M.S. in Environmental Engineering from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. He is managing the Air Permitting Program in the Bureau of Air at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) for over eight years. Prior to that, he worked in KDHE’s Public Water Supply Section for approximately three and a half years. Before joining KDHE, he served as an Environmental Engineer for the State of Nebraska for about six years.
Jim Price, Spencer Fane
jprice@spencerfane.com
Jim Price is a partner and co-chair of the Environment and Energy practice group at the Kansas City, Missouri, office of Spencer Fane LLP, where his practice concentrates in environmental law, regulation, litigation, and business transactions. Jim represents clients in environmental compliance, environmental management, transactions, and disputes. He frequently writes and speaks on environmental law and has contributed to several books on environmental law. Jim has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America for many years and has been named one of the Super Lawyers and Best of the Bar in Kansas City. Jim received his bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri, and he graduated with honors from Harvard Law School.
Emily Pulcher, Burns & McDonnell
eapulcher@burnsmcd.com
Emily leads the Midwest Region Remediation department at Burns & McDonnell. She is a licensed chemical engineer and holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Washington University in St. Louis and a master’s degree in environmental engineering from Missouri University of Science & Technology. Her experience includes groundwater and surface water treatment system design and operation and maintenance, site investigation, and regulatory negotiations. Emily also leads Burns & McDonnell’s PFAS and Emerging Contaminants practice. In this role, Emily coordinates a team of PFAS-focused professionals to provide comprehensive PFAS risk-mitigation services to clients nationwide.
Jeff Robichaud, U.S. EPA, Region 7
robichaud.Jeffery@epa.gov
Jeffery Robichaud is a second generation EPA scientist who has worked for the Agency since 1998. He is the Director of the Water Division. After three years with an environmental consulting firm, Jeff joined EPA as an engineer in EPA’s Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water in D.C. In 2001, he moved to Kansas City and has served as Senior Policy Advisor to the Regional Administrator, Chief of the Environmental Assessment and Monitoring Branch, Deputy Director of the Environmental Sciences and Technology Branch, Acting Assistant Regional Administrator, and Deputy Director of the Water, Wetlands, and Pesticides Division. Jeff hails from Redmond, WA and earned his Bachelor of Science in Environmental Systems Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and his Master of Science in Engineering Management from the University of Kansas.
Deanna Ross, P.G., UES
dross@teamues.com
Deanna is a senior geologist and office manager at UES’s Topeka office with over 30 years of experience in the environmental industry. She has worked with the private, municipal, federal and state business sectors to address environmental issues through both state programs and private consulting.
Deanna’s technical expertise includes: due diligence, investigation and remediation, land use controls, and State of Kansas program compliance. Deanna managed the Voluntary Cleanup and Property Redevelopment Program at KDHE for 12 years with over 250 sites with projects ranging from investigation to remediation representing industry, commercial, oil and gas, railroad and agriculture. Additionally, she managed the Environmental Use Control Program and State Cooperative Programs while at KDHE. Prior to her work at KDHE, Deanna worked as a consultant, conducting field activities and managing environmental sites from investigation to remediation phases for clients. Deanna has a B.S. in geology from Wichita State University.
Michael Rubin, Ogletree Deakins
michael.rubin@ogletree.com
Michael Rubin focuses his practice on issues involving occupational safety and health law. He advises and represents employers across multiple industries and around the country in connection with OSHA inspections, investigations, and enforcement actions. He also develops and audits safety programs and policies and counsels employers on related risk-management strategies. He has hands-on experience managing accident investigations—including those involving multiple fatalities—and regularly represents employers before, during, and after the OSHA inspection process. Michael regularly contests citations on behalf of employers and negotiates for the withdrawal and/or settlement of citations. With nearly 20 years of litigation experience, Michael is a skilled trial attorney who engages in litigation before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. Michael has tried multiple OSHA matters.
Tim Russell, Barr
trussell@barr.com
Tim, who has more than 35 years of environmental consulting industry experience, established Barr’s air-quality testing practice in the early 1990s and oversees projects involving stack testing and ambient air monitoring, as well as wind-resource assessments and meteorological monitoring. Tim has managed or participated in hundreds of stack tests encompassing the full range of EPA test methodologies for clients in the mining, power, refining, forest-products, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, and agriculture sectors.
Tim has participated in numerous research, engineering and compliance PFAS test projects, such as one in which multimedia testing was used to measure perfluorinated carbon emissions (PFAS), which were then incorporated into mass balance calculations to characterize nationwide emissions across an entire industry. Tim is a pioneer in measuring PFAS in air with over two decades of PFAS stack test method development and testing experience including stack tests across North America and in Europe. Barr’s stack test group is busy in 2025 assisting with the evaluation of several PFAS destruction technologies treating a variety of contaminated media. He holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of North Dakota and a MBA from St. Thomas University.
Kurt Schaefer, MDNR
kurt.schaefer@dnr.mo.gov
Kurt U. Schaefer was named Director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources in January 2025.
Kurt’s legal career has spanned three decades, including serving as a former state senator and assistant attorney general. He has worked with governmental entities at every level, including all branches of government, state agencies, numerous boards and citizen commissions and political organizations. Kurt served as general counsel and deputy director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources from 2005-2007. He oversaw the emergency response, environmental remediation and cleanup from the Taum Sauk Reservoir failure, and served as lead counsel in negotiating settlement for the damages and restoration, valued in excess of $170 million. Kurt also served as lead counsel in negotiating state and federally required sewer infrastructure capital improvements with the City of Kansas City and the St. Louis Metropolitan Sewer District, valued in excess of $3 billion and $4.2 billion, respectively.
Kurt earned a Bachelor of Arts in Geography from the University of Missouri, and a Juris Doctor and a Master Studies of Environmental Law from the Vermont Law School.
Andrea Schiller, KDHE
Andrea.Schiller@ks.gov
Andrea is the chief of the Redevelopment Section in KDHE’s Bureau of Environmental Remediation. The Redevelopment Section is responsible for implementation redevelopment-focused programs such as Voluntary Cleanup, Brownfields, Long-Term Stewardship, Environmental Liability Release, and Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation. Andrea has been at KDHE for 17 years, having previously been the unit manager for Long-Term Stewardship & Brownfields and a project manager for Voluntary Cleanup. Prior to working at KDHE, she was a staff geologist for a private consulting firm. She received her B.S. in geology from KU in May 2004.
Rebecca Schilling, O-I
rebecca.schilling@o-i.com
Rebecca Schilling is the Global Director of Environmental Affairs at Owens-Illinois (O-I) Glass, where she leads the company’s global environmental strategy with a focus on reducing environmental impacts across air, waste, and water. With a multidisciplinary background spanning pharmaceutical, explosives, and glass manufacturing, she brings a cross-sector perspective to environmental and industrial sustainability. She has lived and worked internationally — including leading a source contamination remediation global assignment in rural India. A 2025 Manufacturing Institute Women MAKE Awards Honoree, Rebecca is also a strong advocate for increasing female representation in manufacturing. She founded O-I’s Global Women’s Engagement Network to foster a culture of allyship, mentorship, and inclusion, and she views diversity as a critical driver of innovation and EHS. Rebecca believes that true transformation and embedment of environment, health, and safety (EHS) practices happen when organizations invest in their people — empowering them as stewards of sustainable progress and embedding EHS as a shared cultural and behavioral values, not just a compliance obligation.
Adam Schnieders, IDNR
adam.schnieders@dnr.iowa.gov
Adam Schnieders has spent more than 25 years working to advance water quality programs at the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. He has coordinated Iowa’s water quality standards, supervised the NPDES permitting program, and played a key leadership role in developing Iowa’s Nutrient Reduction Strategy—a statewide effort uniting point and nonpoint source sectors to reduce nutrient pollution in Iowa’s waters and downstream. He now serves as Water Quality Resource Coordinator, which is responsible for the management and coordination of water quality policies and partnership programs for the DNR.
Dana Skelley, US EPA Region 7
Skelley.Dana@epa.gov
Dana Skelley has been with U.S. EPA Region 7 since 1997, and currently serves as the Director of the Air and Radiation Division. The Air and Radiation Division handles standards implementation, review and approval of state implementation plans, air modeling and monitoring, air toxics, permitting, delegations, indoor air and grants. She began her EPA career with the Office of Regional Counsel and has served in a variety of roles. Dana received a Bachelor of Science in Animal Ecology and Environmental Studies from Iowa State University and a Juris Doctorate from Drake University.
Nick Steinke, Olsson
nsteinke@olsson.com
Nick Steinke, PE, CPEA, SFP, is a Vice President at Olsson. A former regulator, Nick has 24 years of experience assisting clients with environmental compliance and permitting, auditing, and program management. Nick has also provided climate, sustainability, and strategic planning services for clients. Nick is also Olsson’s Local Area Leader for the headquarters office in Lincoln, NE, where he is responsible for building lasting relationships with clients and community leaders, and fostering company culture and collaboration.
Joe Stolle, Ramboll
JSTOLLE@ramboll.com
Throughout his career, Joe Stolle has been active in air pre-construction permitting, State Implementation Plan (SIP) coordination, steady and non-steady state dispersion modeling, and emission inventory development. He has worked on numerous minor and major source pre-construction permits, air dispersion modeling studies, and has developed emission inventories for essentially all air pollutants of interest. Additionally, Joe represented industry on several lead SIP revisions including three revisions to the lead SIP in Herculaneum, Missouri and a revision to the lead SIP for the Viburnum trend in Southeast Missouri.
Stacy Stotts, Polsinelli
sstotts@polsinelli.com
Stacy Stotts is a member of the Environmental and Natural Resources group and her practice centers on representing businesses, organizations and individuals in environmental regulatory and administrative matters, enforcement matters, private party suits, compliance counseling, and corporate and property transactions. Stacy strives to provide well-rounded guidance relating to clients’ current legal needs, as well as efficiently identify and mitigate potential complications that might arise down the road.
She has represented clients in the areas of air, water, superfund and hazardous waste law. Her work also includes assisting clients in commenting on proposed agency rulemakings. Her expertise also extends to advising clients on compliance and regulatory obligations in California, including Proposition 65 compliance and obtaining carbon credits.
Joe Tell, KTL
jtell@goktl.com
Joe Tell is the Executive Committee Chair and a founding member of KTL, a management consulting firm that provides sustainability, EHS, and food safety risk management services for industrial and government clients. He has over 25 years of experience developing and implementing management systems in these areas to reduce risk and improve performance. Joe has extensive experience working with industry and the federal government and has provided support to several U.S. federal agencies throughout his career including USAID, USDA, DOI, and DOD. He serves on the Director’s Council at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Joe has a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Northwestern University and resides in Atlanta, GA.
Linden Terpstra, EHS Support Source
linden@ehssupportsource.com
Linden Terpstra is an accomplished environmental, health, and safety (EHS) professional and passionate entrepreneur with expertise across the EHS world. After building a strong foundation in consulting, Linden later transitioned to experience life in industry, gaining valuable insights into electronics manufacturing and the budding battery recycling industries.
Linden is the founder and CEO of EHS Support Source, an interactive online platform and concierge service that makes it faster and easier for businesses to find and hire EHS third-party experts. EHS Support Source provides industry leaders with a resource to identify local services that align with their unique needs, vet potential providers’ past work performance on similar projects, and streamline the process to identify the most suitable resources.
Susan Thiel, Holmes Murphy
SThiel@holmesmurphy.com
Susan Thiel is a seasoned risk management and safety professional with over 18 years of experience helping organizations identify hazards, improve safety performance, and strengthen risk management programs. Susan was an honors graduate of Appalachian State University with a BSBA in Risk Management and holds professional designations as a Certified Fire Protection Specialist (CFPS), Associate in Risk Management (ARM), and Associate in Insurance Services (AIS).
As a Senior Risk and Safety Consultant at Holmes Murphy & Associates, Susan partners with large and complex clients across multiple industries to assess risk exposures, develop strategic safety initiatives, and build a culture of safety excellence.
Her expertise spans hazard assessments, policy and procedure development, loss trend analysis, crisis management planning, and program monitoring. Susan delivers engaging in-person and virtual training seminars, facilitates on-site safety audits, and guides organizations through catastrophic incident investigations and post-incident improvement planning.
Known for her practical approach, Susan blends deep technical knowledge with clear communication and collaborative problem-solving. Her goal is not only to reduce risks, but to equip clients with the tools, strategies, and confidence to manage them proactively.
Ed Tormey, Iowa Department of Natural Resources
ed.tormey@dnr.iowa.gov
Ed is Division Administrator of Iowa DNR. He has been with IDNR since 2004. Prior to that, Ed worked in OH, in both public and private sectors. He has over 35 years of experience practicing environmental law. He has a JD from the Univ. of Iowa School of Law.
Adam Troutwine, Polsinelli
atroutwine@polsinelli.com
Adam Troutwine represents businesses and individuals confronting environmental issues in transactional, permitting, compliance and litigation settings.Adam’s experience as in-house counsel for a nationwide electrical contractor gives Adam insight into the environmental related issues his clients face on a daily basis. As both an in-house and law firm lawyer, Adam strives to develop relationships with his clients so that he can provide practical advice on day-to-day matters, as well as when larger issues arise.In corporate or real estate transactions, Adam assists clients by evaluating risks and developing strategies to move the deal forward through comprehensive due diligence, drafting language in purchase agreements or negotiating remedies to environmental issues.
Adam also regularly represents current owners of contaminated sites to develop and execute remediation strategies while negotiating with government authorities and potentially responsible parties. His experience includes removal and response actions before state agencies and the EPA in jurisdictions across the country.
Adam works extensively on behalf of mine and quarry operators to navigate permitting processes in order to open new mine sites, has represented clients in contested hearings before state agencies, has prosecuted appeals of agency decisions to the circuit and appellate court, and has appeared before county zoning boards to secure necessary approvals to conduct mining or quarrying activity. Likewise, Adam advises mining clients in all aspects of their operations, including compliance, remediation, mine expansion and in transactional matters.
Kevin Wailes, Olsson
kwailes@olsson.com
Kevin Wailes is a Senior Client Consultant for Olsson. He has 47 years of electric utility experience serving as chief executive officer of utilities in Colorado, Florida and Nebraska, most recently 14 years as the CEO of the Lincoln Electric System in Lincoln, Nebraska. He has also held many leadership roles in state, regional and national electric utility organizations, including eleven years as the co-chair of the Electricity Subsector Coordinating Council. He holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Colorado State University.
Ashlie Walker-Deffenbaugh, TVH Parts Co.
ashlie.walker-deffenbaugh@tvh.com
Ashlie N. Walker-Deffenbaugh is a Safety, Health & Environment (SHE) professional with over six years of experience in the field. She currently works at TVH Parts Co., in Olathe, Kansas, where she manages, promotes, and maintains global EHS standards for TVH Americas. Previous work experiences include, prefabricated construction, electronics manufacturing/testing/research, and wholesale trade/warehousing. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry with a minor in Mathematics and a Master of Occupational Safety and Health. Ashlie is a Certified Safety Professional (CSP) and is certified as an ISO 45001 – 2018 Lead Auditor. Her expertise includes building and maintaining programs from the ground up, developing ISO-certified OSH management systems, risk management, hazard identification, incident management, policy development, and regulatory compliance. Ashlie is adept at developing and implementing methodologies for management and frontline workers to build a safety culture and ensuring continuous improvement through employee-led activities.
Roger Walker, REGFORM
rwalker@regform.org
Roger Walker, J.D., LLM (Environmental Law) BS (Journalism/Education). Walker currently serves as the Executive Director of the Regulatory Environmental Group for Missouri (REGFORM) — a business association that has forged positive relationships with State and Federal agencies, in the support of sound science, purposeful regulations, fair funding, meaningful discussion and consensus-building. Walker also serves as a consultant and legal adviser to corporate clients. In 2014, he created and continues to serve as Chair of the annual “Midwest Environmental Compliance Conference.” In 2009, he helped co-found the Missouri Energy Initiative (MEI) and was its Director for four years. Walker has also worked as Of Counsel for a St. Louis law firm, Armstrong Teasdale, taught “Environmental Law” as an Adjunct Instructor at St. Louis University, and clerked for the Missouri Supreme Court.
Brian Wanzenreid, Bunge
brian.wanzenried@viterra.com
Brian Wanzenried leads Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) for Bunge’s grain operations in the United States and
Mexico, based out of Omaha, Nebraska. He is a chemical and environmental engineer with over 34 years of experience in
regulatory compliance, safety and industrial hygiene, process safety, training, site assessments and remediation, and
natural resource management. At Bunge, he oversees employee safety and health, environmental compliance, security,
and transportation programs across more than 70 grain and ingredient facilities throughout the U.S. and Mexico.
Bria Weast, Olsson
bweast@olsson.com
Bria Weast is an Associate Project Manager for Olsson in Wichita, Kansas. With over 14 years of experience, her expertise is environmental compliance comprised of RCRA, stormwater, CWA, CAA, SPCC, DOT, Tier II reporting, and TRI reporting. Her experience also includes the completion of dozens of environmental compliance audits and hundreds of Phase I Environmental Site Assessment. Bria has served clients in various industries throughout the United States, including aerospace, vehicle manufacturing, universities, metal finishing, petroleum, oil and gas, painting and coating, and general manufacturing. Bria has a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from the University of Kansas.
Jacob Westen, MDNR
jacob.westen@dnr.mo.gov
Jacob Westen was named as General Counsel for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources in March 2021. He is responsible for part of the day-to-day management of the General Counsel’s Office.
Jacob began his career with the department in 2018, serving as the department’s Deputy General Counsel. Before joining the department, Jacob served as the Deputy Staff Counsel for Water and Sewer at the Missouri Public Service Commission. His government service began with the Agriculture and Environment section of the Missouri Attorney General’s Office, where he conducted civil environmental litigation on behalf of the state. He earned the Attorney General’s Award for Best Appellate Brief in 2015, and the Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Litigation in 2014. Jacob is a graduate of the University of Missouri – Columbia’s School of Law and the Missouri Leadership Academy program.
Dan Wilkus, Evergy
dan.wilkus@evergy.com
Dan is the Director, Environmental Services, for Evergy, Inc. headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. Dan has over 30 years of regulatory permitting experience both as a consultant and as a member of the electric utility industry. His experience includes overseeing air and water compliance related activities as well as regulatory construction and operating permit projects. Over his career, Dan has worked with numerous electrical and industrial facilities regarding environmental regulatory issues. Dan obtained a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Atmospheric Sciences both from the University of Kansas. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Kansas.
Brock Wilson, US Foods
brock.wilson@usfoods.com
Brock Wilson is a safety and health professional with extensive experience in the food and beverage industries, currently serving as SHE Field Leader for both the Northeast Region and Specialty at US Foods since July 2019. Previous roles include Corporate Safety Manager for Specialty at US Foods, Director of Workers’ Compensation at Pinnacle Foods/ConAgra Brands, and Senior Safety Manager at Pinnacle Foods Group LLC. Brock also held various safety and health positions at PepsiCo and LOPAREX, INC., as well as an EHS Intern/EHS Specialist role at GENENCOR INTERNATIONAL. Brock holds a Master of Science in Public Health – Industrial Hygiene from the University of Iowa and a Bachelor of Arts in Biology & General Science from Coe College.
Taylor Wilson, Trinity Consultants
twilson@trinityconsultants.com
Taylor Wilson, P.E. is a Principal Consultant and Broadening Consulting Services Manager for Trinity Consultant’s Kansas City office. His primary work areas include environmental compliance and reporting, including topics such as EPCRA (Tier II, TRI, etc.), CWA (NPDES, SWPPP, SPCC, etc.), RCRA, and CAA compliance. He also serves as Trinity’s national instructor for Introduction to Environmental Regulations and Introduction to Reporting & Recordkeeping, among other courses. He has a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering and is a registered Professional Engineer in 18 states.
Lynn Wilson, NTT Global Data Centers
lynn.wilson@global.ntt
Lynn Wilson serves as the Environmental Engineer for the Americas at NTT Data, where she spearheads the development of a forward-thinking environmental management program. With a rich, multidisciplinary background—including roles as Global Director of Engineering & EHS in the pharmaceutical industry, EHS Manager and Plant Manager roles in chemical manufacturing—Lynn brings deep expertise and strategic insight to sustainability initiatives.
Her career is marked by the successful design and construction of cutting-edge manufacturing facilities, each tailored to minimize environmental impact while maximizing operational efficiency. Lynn’s distinctive strength lies in her ability to merge technical excellence with visionary leadership, cultivating high-performing teams and driving a culture of sustainability.
Passionate about creating solutions that serve both ecological and business goals, she inspires others by sharing her vision and empowering teams to achieve environmental and operational excellence.
Eric Wooten, J.D., Terracon
eric.wooten@terracon.com
Eric Wooten, J.D., leads Governmental Affairs and serves as a Senior Environmental Manager at Terracon. With over a decade of experience, he proactively monitors presidential actions, congressional legislation, and federal regulatory developments to inform business strategy. Eric collaborates with industry trade associations and Terracon’s nationwide network of subject‑matter experts to translate policy shifts into actionable insights. He also leads multidisciplinary teams in developing operations-focused sustainability strategies and compliance programs.
Joseph Zaleski, Shook, Hardy & Bacon
jzaleski@shb.com
Joseph is an attorney in the Environmental and Toxic Tort and Exposure Litigation Practice group at Shook, Hardy & Bacon. He has advised and represented clients across a spectrum of industries and environmental legal challenges. Joseph has focused his practice on regulatory compliance counseling, enforcement defense, and complex litigation strategy spanning major federal environmental statutes like the National Environmental Policy Act, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, CERCLA/Superfund, RCRA, FIFRA, and TSCA, as well as state equivalents. Joseph’s past work has included representing clients in negotiating administrative settlements with the United States Environmental Protection Agency and state environmental regulators. This involved alleged Clean Air Act violations and federal and state pesticide law, negotiating federal consent decrees with the United States Department of Justice, litigating challenges to EPA and state environmental agency rulemakings, and advising parties on CERCLA/Superfund investigations and litigation related to remediation cost recovery. Joseph earned his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law, where he was the executive editor for the Virginia Environmental Law Journal.