Presenters

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.