Presenters

Brad Baldwin is the Director of the Indiana Stream and Wetland Mitigation Program (IN SWMP) in the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Division of Land Acquisition. Prior to promotion to Director of IN SWMP in 2023, he was an IN SWMP Mitigation Project Manager and part of program development team working with IN SWMP since 2015. Brad has worked for the state of Indiana for 20 years having also worked in the DNR Division of Water (DOW) Project Development Section, DOW Technical Services Section administering Floodway Permits and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management 401-Wetlands Program as a Project Manager administering 401 Water Quality Certifications and State Isolated Wetland Permits. Brad is an U.S. Army veteran and holds a B.S.P.A. from the Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs.

Alecia Cassidy is an Assistant Professor of Economics in the Culverhouse College of Business at the University of Alabama. She received an M.A. in Economics from Duke University and her Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan. Her research focuses primarily on housing markets and household decisions relating to energy and the environment. Her article, “Cleaning Up the Great Lakes: Housing Market Impacts of Removing Legacy Pollutants,” with co-authors Robyn Meeks and Michael Moore, was published in the Journal of Public Economics in 2023.

Sam Dinkins was appointed Executive Director of the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) in November 2024 and has worked for the Commission for three decades. A respected leader in water quality management and emergency response, Sam previously served as ORSANCO’s Technical Programs Manager. During his ORSANCO career Sam has led major water quality initiatives across the Ohio River Basin, managed multi-agency collaborations, and directed emergency response efforts—most notably coordinating the water quality response following the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment in 2023 and the unprecedented Ohio River harmful algal bloom (HAB) in 2015 that affected over 700 miles of the river. His leadership and response efforts helped guide sampling and analysis for the entire Ohio River, ensuring timely and transparent communication with utilities, agencies, and the public throughout the basin. As Executive Director, Sam oversees ORSANCO’s mission to monitor, protect, and improve water quality in the Ohio River Basin. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Thomas More University and a Master of Science in Environmental Science and Policy from Johns Hopkins University

Keynote Speaker
Danielle Gallet is the Founding Principal and Water Strategist for Waterwell, LLC, based in Chicago. She has worked in the water industry for more than 17 years and is active in the American Water Works Association, the Source Water Collaborative, and the American Planning Association’s Water and Planning Network. Prior to starting Waterwell, Danielle served as Director of Water Resources for the Metropolitan Planning Council in Chicago. Recently she co-authored the Joyce Foundation white paper, “Stewarding Groundwater in the Great Lakes Region,” and was technical editor of the foundation’s 2024 report, Groundwater Governance in EPA Region 5. Danielle is known for combining her expertise in the water and planning sectors with her experience in business, the arts, and collaboration building to address the multifaceted water challenges that communities face today.

Adam Hershberger is the EPA Water Specialist at the Alliance of Indiana Rural Water. He has a background in water and wastewater operations management including treatment, distribution, and collection systems. Adam currently holds WT4, DSM, and Wastewater Class II certifications along with a Water Loss Audit Validator certification. He spent time as a Utility Asset Management Consultant prior to joining the Alliance of Indiana Rural Water in August 2023.

Dr. Tom Iseley is Professor of Engineering Practice and Beavers Heavy Construction Distinguished Fellow in the Lyles School of Civil and Construction Engineering at Purdue University. He has over 40 years’ experience in the planning, design, and construction of underground infrastructure systems. Dr. Iseley is an internationally recognized leader in trenchless technology and founding director of North American Society for Trenchless Technology. In 2004 he established the Buried Asset Management Institute – International (BAMI-I), a nonprofit professional organization dedicated to training and certification for water infrastructure asset management.

Kristi Johnson is the Watershed Stewardship Manager in the Division of Water at the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. She has previously worked as a watershed specialist for the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and a waterway permitting specialist for the Indiana Department of Transportation. She received a Master of Science Degree in Natural Resources and Environmental Management from Ball State University.

Kenneth K. Jones, Sr., is President Emeritus of Jones Petrie Rafinski, a multi-disciplinary consulting firm with offices in South Bend, Fort Wayne, and Elkhart. He is the firm’s primary client contact and business development lead, as well as a project manager on several of the firm’s projects. Mr. Jones is also president of the Economic Development Corporation and Brownfields Management Board of St. Joseph County, Michigan.

Dave Lampe is the Associate Director, Branch Chief of Science and acting Deputy Director for the USGS Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Water Science Center. He has been a hydrologist and project chief at the center since 2003. His interests include all things groundwater, urban stormwater reduction and green infrastructure implementation, and data visualization and dissemination.

Wei Liao is a Lead Research Engineer in the Lyles School of Civil and Construction Engineering at Purdue University. She has over 20 years’ experience in the planning, design, construction, and management of underground infrastructure systems, with a particular interest in utility asset management using innovative and data-informed approaches. Ms. Liao is a member of the board of directors of the Buried Asset Management Institute – International (BAMI-I), founder and editor of the BAMI-I Journal, and founder and director of the Global Buried Asset Management Congress (GBAMC).

Dr. Garth Lindner is the manager of the Resource Assessment Section with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources – Division of Water. He is also an adjunct faculty member at the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University. Garth holds a BA and MS, both from Indiana University, and a PhD from University of Maryland-Baltimore County in the fields of Geography and Environmental Sciences. This education and experience includes a broad interdisciplinary background in water resources and natural resource conservation, with special interest in watershed hydrology, hydrogeology, and fluvial processes.

Dr. Chris Lorentz is starting his 31^st year at Thomas More University, serving as Professor of Biological Sciences and Director of the Environmental Science Program. Alongside his teaching, Dr. Lorentz also serves as the Director of the University’s Ohio River Biology Field Station where he mentors undergraduate students and collaborates closely with the USEPA, Fish and Wildlife Services and water utilities in the area of aquatic biology.  His research focuses on bioassessments of aquatic ecosystems, conservation of threatened & endangered species, and source water protection.  Last year, Dr. Lorentz was elected as Chair of the Ohio River Basin Alliance, a non-profit organization working to set water resource priorities for the Ohio River Basin, to sustain healthy ecosystems and communities, and improve our water-dependent economies.

Jim McGoff is Chief Operating Officer and Director of Environmental Programs of the Indiana Finance Authority and has also served as the Finance Authority’s General Counsel. Prior to joining State government, Jim was a partner in the Indianapolis law firm Bingham McHale LLP (currently, Dentons, LLP), where he was a member of the firm’s public finance practice group, representing the State of Indiana and many Indiana cities and towns with their municipal borrowing needs.  He is a past member of the US EPA Environmental Financial Advisory Board (2016-2021), US EPA SRF State Workshop and the Council of Infrastructure Financing Authorities, serving as President from 2020-2022. Jim was also a member of the Great Lakes Protection Fund – Advisory Board. Mr. McGoff is a past member of the National Association of Bond Lawyers, Indiana and American Bar Associations and is a Certified Public Accountant (Inactive). He graduated with a degree in Accounting from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business and earned a J.D. from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law.

Dennis Schnurbusch II is the CEO of the River Heritage Conservancy (RHC), which created and operates Origin Park along the Ohio River in southeastern Indiana. Prior to joining RHC, he was Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium in Omaha, Nebraska, and the affiliated Lee G. Simmons Wildlife Safari Park. During his tenure there, the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium achieved the prestigious title of the number one Zoo in the nation and the Lee G. Simmons Wildlife Safari Park was recognized as the number one safari park. Mr. Schnurbusch is a native of Nashville, Tennessee, and a graduate of Belmont University with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration Management.

Maureen Bauer is State Representative for Indiana House District 6, which includes the City of South Bend. She was first elected to the Indiana House of Representatives in 2020.  Representative Bauer is a member of the House Courts and Criminal Code, Environmental Affairs, Judiciary, and Public Health committees. She also co-chairs the Indiana General Assembly’s Future Caucus and the Rural Caucus. Outside the legislature, Rep. Bauer serves on the Corm Marketing Council’s board of directors and on the Indiana University South Bend (IUSB) Advisory Board.

Patricia (Pat) Boy is State Representative for Indiana House District 9, which includes parts of LaPorte and Porter counties. She was first elected to the Indiana House of Representatives in 2018. Rep. Boy is the Ranking Minority Member on the House Natural Resources Committee and serves also on the Elections & Apportionment and Environmental Affairs committees.

Yi Ding is an Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Purdue University. Professor Ding earned her Ph.D. at the University of Chicago. Her research interests include sustainable computing, and she leads the Sustainable Computing Systems and Learning (STYLE) Lab at Purdue. Prof. Ding is co-author of a 2025 paper with Prof. Inez Hua, “Not All Water Consumption Is Equal: A Water Stress Weighted Metric for Sustainable Computing,” and in 2024 she and Prof. Hua organized a National Science Foundation (NSF) Workshop on Sustainable Computing, “AI, Water, and Biodiversity.”

J.D. Ford is an Indiana State Senator, representing District 29 which includes parts of Boone, Hamilton, and Marion counties. He was first elected to the Indiana Senate in 2018. Senator Ford is the Ranking Minority Member of the Senate’s Education & Career Development and Elections committees, and serves on the Commerce & Technology, Family & Children Services, Health & Provider Services, Homeland Security & Transportation, Utilities, and Veterans Affairs & the Military committees.

Dr. Tyler Hoskins is an ecotoxicologist and works as a Research Assistant Professor at Purdue University, in the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources and the Institute for a Sustainable Future. Dr. Hoskins is broadly interested in how chemical contaminants influence organisms in “real world,” a complex place where numerous abiotic and biotic factors influence how organisms respond to stressors such as contaminants. Dr. Hoskins regularly collaborates with molecular biologists to explore underlying mechanisms of toxicity and to link those mechanisms to effects at higher levels of biological organization. He focuses on aquatic systems; amphibians and wetland communities are preferred models. Recently he has focused on bioaccumulation and effects of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in aquatic systems. He was born and raised in Indiana and is passionate about water challenges in his home state.

Featured Speaker
Suzanne Jaworowski is the Secretary of Energy and Natural Resources for the State of Indiana, appointed by Governor Mike Braun. Her responsibilities as Secretary include providing policy leadership and coordination for a group of state agencies including the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, and the Indiana Office of Energy Development. Among other responsibilities, she has been charged by Governor Braun with implementing Executive Order 25-63 which calls for the development of a state water resource inventory, a state water management plan, and a strategy for improving the state’s water monitoring network. Secretary Jaworowski has a variety of private-sector and public-sector experience, having been Executive Director of Stakeholder Services at MISO Energy, Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor for Policy & Communications in the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy during the first Trump administration, director of communications and government relations at Hallador Energy, and founder of Ryder Research Consulting, where she advised energy companies, utilities, and industry associations.

John Ketzenberger is Director of Government Relations for the Indiana Chapter of The Nature Conservancy. In that role he leads policy development and engagement to advance TNC’s goals to fight climate change and biodiversity loss. John joined TNC in 2018 after eight years as president of the not-for-profit Indiana Fiscal Policy Institute. Prior to that he was a reporter, editor and columnist at leading newspapers in Indiana for more than 20 years. He spent several years reporting from Statehouse bureaus and was a regular panelist on the statewide public television show “Indiana Week in Review” for 18 years.

Theresa Landewe is the Midwest Regional Director at INTERA, a hydrogeologic consulting firm located in Bloomington. Theresa has been working in the field of water resource management for over 25 years, and her experience includes water-supply planning and development in Indiana and throughout the Midwest. She is currently the project manager for the Hamilton and Morgan County Water Studies and was a lead Scientist on the Central Indiana Regional Water Study in 2021. Theresa holds a bachelor’s degree in Biology from Saint Louis University and a Master’s degree from Indiana University’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs.

Dr. Daniele Miranda is a Research Assistant Professor at the University of Notre Dame, Department of Biological Sciences. Dr. Miranda’s works focus on the presence, fate, and transport of organic contaminants in aquatic ecosystems, including the Great Lakes region. With over a decade of experience, Since joining the University of Notre Dame in 2021, she has led several projects investigating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) bioaccumulation within Lake Michigan’s food webs. Dr. Miranda’s recent research efforts have concentrated on understanding how PFAS affect fish microbiomes and identifying molecular biomarkers to assess the impacts of PFAS accumulation in fish tissues. Miranda’s work integrates field and laboratory studies to investigate how contaminant exposure affects aquatic organisms.

Rick Niemeyer is an Indiana State Senator representing Senate District 6, which includes Benton and Newton counties plus parts of Jasper and Lake counties. He was first elected to the Indiana Senate in 2014, and before that served in the Indiana House of Representatives from 2012 to 2014. Senator Niemeyer chairs the Senate Environmental Affairs Committee, is Ranking Member on the Local Government Committee, and a member of the Tax and Fiscal Policy Committee.

Keynote Speaker
Bruno Pigott is currently a Special Advisor to the International Desalination and Reuse Association. He served most recently as the Acting Assistant Administrator for Water at US EPA from 2021 to 2025. Prior to that he worked at the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) from 2000-2021, serving as IDEM Commissioner from 2017 to 2021. As EPA Acting Assistant Administrator, Bruno served as a Co-Chair of the Gulf Hypoxia Task Force, and as IDEM Commissioner he served as a member of the Great Lakes Commission and a member of the Ohio River Basin Sanitation Commission. Prior to being Commissioner, he worked in a variety of positions in IDEM’s Office of Water Quality as Assistant Commissioner, head of the SRF program, the NPDES Compliance Branch Chief, and NPDES Permits Branch Chief. Bruno’s goal in life was to be right fielder for the Detroit Tigers, but somehow he was overlooked by the scouts.

Jim Pressel is State Representative for Indiana House District 20, which includes parts of LaPorte and Stark counties. He was first elected to the Indiana House of Representatives in 2016. Rep. Pressel is chair of the House Roads & Transportation Committee and serves also on the Elections & Apportionment and Utilities, Energy & Telecommunications committees. Chairing the Roads & Transportation Committee for five years, Rep. Pressel has promoted expanded local road funding options, work zone safety, and public-private partnerships to enhance road maintenance and efficiency.

Liz Rice is the Executive Director of the Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts, where she leads initiatives to support sustainable land practices across Indiana. An experienced nonprofit leader with a strong background in environmental conservation, workforce development, and community engagement, Liz has extensive experience in managing teams, securing funding, and driving strategic partnerships to advance conservation efforts. With a Master’s in Environmental Policy and a career spanning roles in the U.S. Peace Corps, HistoriCorps, and multiple conservation organizations, she is committed to building stronger, more resilient communities through collaborative environmental stewardship.

Scott Saum is the Program Manager of Cummins Water Works, a global strategic initiative under Cummins Inc.’s Corporate Responsibility function. In this role, he leads the development of high-impact community partnerships and oversees the deployment of grant programs across the company’s international regions. After joining the company in 2012, Mr. Saum has advanced Cummins’ commitment to environmental sustainability since 2022 by driving initiatives that deliver sustainable water solutions and strengthen communities worldwide. Scott holds a B.S.M.E degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Dayton and an M.S.O.M from the University of Arkansas. He is also a certified Project Manager Professional (PMP), and holds two design patents, recognized for innovation in component design and problem-solving.

Joe Schmees is the Freshwater Strategy Manager for the Indiana Chapter of The Nature Conservancy. He has worked in the water resources field for over 18 years. He worked for the Indiana Department of Environmental Management from 2007 until 2018 and managed the Indiana State Nonpoint Source and Total Maximum Daily Load Programs. Before joining The Nature Conservancy, Joe was the Executive Director of the Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts from 2018 through 2022. He has been active in various professional organizations: he is a current board member on the Lake Monroe Water Fund, is a past board member and Past President of the Indiana Lakes Management Society and is Past President and current Treasurer of the Indiana Water Resources Association. Joe has served three gubernatorial appointments, including the Indiana Stormwater Taskforce (2019), the Indiana Wetlands Taskforce (2021), and currently the Indiana Invasive Species Council.

Dr. Marta Venier is an environmental chemist and associate professor at Indiana University’s Paul O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Her research focuses on the fate, transport, and behavior of persistent organic pollutants, including both legacy and emerging chemicals such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides, flame retardants, and perfluorinated compounds (PFAS). She employs advanced analytical chemistry and mass spectrometry techniques to study these pollutants in air, water, soil, biological samples, and consumer products. Since 2019, Venier has led the Integrated Atmospheric Deposition Network (IADN), a U.S. EPA-funded program monitoring toxic chemical concentrations in the Great Lakes region.

Helena Volzer is Senior Source Water Policy Manager at the Alliance for the Great Lakes. In that role, she executes policy analysis, advocacy, and project implementation under the Agriculture and Water Restoration sections of the Alliance’s strategy. Helena implements work across the Great Lakes Basin – particularly in Ohio – to achieve the Alliance’s agriculture and source water protection goals relating to water use, water quantity, implementation of the Great Lakes Compact, and emerging water trends and issues. Prior to joining the Alliance, Helena served as an attorney at the Ohio Legislative Service Commission for over a decade. In that role, she provided legal research, bill analysis, and legislative drafting services on natural resources, agriculture, environment, transportation, and public safety matters to members of the Ohio General Assembly. Helena holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Studies from Wright State University and a Juris Doctorate from Case Western Reserve University School of Law.

Dr. Jack Wittman has 40 years of experience in the areas of regional water supply planning, water demand analysis, well field design, well head protection, water quality analyses, groundwater modeling, and regulatory compliance. Dr. Wittman has served as a consultant to federal, state, tribal, and local governments, as well as some of the largest water utilities in the world. He has consulted with utility regulators, governor’s offices, investor-owned utilities, and professional organizations on water supply planning and development. Dr. Wittman has been appointed by the governor of Indiana to the State Water Shortage Task Force, and is currently a member of the National Ground Water Association’s certification committee. Lately, Dr. Wittman has been actively supporting state water planning in areas with riparian water rights.