2021 Agenda & Speakers

August 9 Agenda – Day 1

August 9 – Regional Planning Forum

When:

August 9th, 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Where:

Agenda
In-Person & Virtual
1:00 pm	Central Indiana Water Study & Public Meeting – Demand & Availability Findings, Recommendations, and Panel Discussion	Dr. Jack Wittman, Intera Jeff Frey, USGS Mark Basch, Indiana Department of Natural Resources
2:15 pm	BREAK/ACTIVITY
2:30 pm	New IFA Funding Guidance (SWIF), Regional Project Showcase, Statewide Regional Planning Discussion, and Agency Q&A Panel	Sarah Hudson, Indiana Finance Authority Maureen Hayden, Commonwealth Engineering, Inc. Drew Flamion, Commonwealth Engineering, Inc. Ken Smith, Indiana Department of Natural Resources Mike Spinks, Town of Spencer
3:30 pm	BREAK/ACTIVITY
3:45 pm	Existing Regional Basin Commissions’ Structure, Activities, & Future Statewide Regional Planning Needs	Matt Meersman, St. Joe River Basin Commission Rod Renkenberger, Maumee River Basin Commissioner Scott Pelath, Kankakee River Basin Commission
5:30 pm – 6:15 pm	White River Alliance Annual Meeting

August 10 Agenda – Day 2

August 10 – Main Summit Event

When:

August 103th, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm

Where:

The Athenaeum

Agenda
In Person & Virtual
8:30 am	Welcome	Leonard Hoops, Visit Indy
8:45 am	Regional & Statewide Water Challenges & Needs: the Role of the Summit & Its Roadmap Forward	Jill Hoffmann, White River Alliance
9:05 am	Keynote Address – Stormwater on the Margins	Rachel Scarlett, Purdue University
9:45 am	BREAK/ACTIVITY
10:05 am	National Showcase & Speaker Q&A: Strategic Stormwater Infrastructure Investments & Incentive Programs, Insights from Detroit & Philadelphia Local Showcase: What’s It Really Take to Shift the Focus of Stormwater Management: Experiences & Tools from the City of Bloomington, IN	Amy Liu, City of Philadelphia Palencia Mobley, City of Detroit James Hall, City of Bloomington Heather Williams, Wood
11:45 am	LUNCH & NETWORKING
12:30 pm	Drought Planning & Industry Considerations with the State Climatologist & the Indiana Chamber	Greg Ellis, Indiana Chamber of Commerce Beth Hall, Indiana State Climate Office – Purdue University
1:00 pm	Agriculture Best Practices Showcase & Panel: Edge of Field Monitoring, Two-Stage Ditch Findings, and Practical Considerations for Future Conservation Efforts	Todd Royer, Indiana University Dan Perkins, Perkins Good Earth Farm Chad Schotter, Natural Resource Conservation Service Jordan Seger, Indiana State Department of Agriculture
2:00 pm	Carbon Credit Markets, Their Role in Water Management, and Associated Policy Discussions	Senator Sue Glick, Indiana Legislature Bill Schleizer, Delta Institute
2:35 pm	BREAK/ACTIVITY
2:50 pm	Next Steps Discussion & Participant Input: How to Advance Policy & Programs	Matt Meersman, St. Joe River Basin Commission Scott Pelath, Kankakee River Basin Commission Jim McGoff, Indiana Finance Authority John Ketzenberger, The Nature Conservancy
3:40 pm	Legislative Happenings & Other Agency Initiatives – Wastewater Work Group & PFAS Initiatives – Carbon Credit Work Group – Wetlands Regulation Update & Task Force – Announcement: Post-Summit Topical Forums	Representative Carey Hamilton, Indiana Legislature Representative Peggy Mayfield, Indiana Legislature Senator Sue Glick, Indiana Legislature David Bausman, Indiana Department of Natural Resources Bruno Pigott, Indiana Department of Environmental Management
4:50 pm	Participant Wrap-Up & Concluding Commentary
5:00 pm – 7:00 pm	Happy Hour Networking & Live Music – In the Rathskeller Bier Garten – Music by She Drums with Knives

Speakers

Mark Basch

Indiana Department of Natural Resources - Department of Water

Mark Basch is a hydrogeologist with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water. Mark received his Undergraduate Degree in Geology from Ball State University in 1979. He then worked three years for Reynold's Supply, Inc., a well installation and service company, prior to obtaining a Master's Degree in Geology from Indiana University. Mark has been employed with the Division of Water since 1984, and currently heads up the Division's Water Rights and Use Section.

David Bausman

Indiana Department of Natural Resources

David Bausman serves as the Legislative and Public Policy Director for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR). In this role, he manages the relationships between DNR staff, members of the Indiana General Assembly, the Governor's office, and local, state and federal agencies. During his time at DNR, he worked on a variety of conservation issues and is currently working with the Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) to coordinate the carbon credit working group. Before joining DNR, David worked at the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), where he previously served as a Deputy Attorney General and Legislative Director. Prior to his role serving the OAG, he lead the policy and regulatory affairs team at ISDA, and he served as the executive director of the Indiana Land Resources Council and was the Lt. Governor’s proxy for the Environmental Rules Board.

Drew Flamion

Commonwealth Engineers, Inc.

Drew has significant stormwater, dam and levee experience with field evaluation, inspection and assessment of existing facilities; complex hydrologic and hydraulic modeling capabilities; design and planning for necessary rehabilitation, upgrades or new critical facilities; various waterway permit assistance; erosion control design and permits; and construction oversight and engineering for all such projects. Drew has provided leadership in the creation of Master Plans, Preliminary Engineer Reports for funding opportunities and inspections of High Hazard Dams. Drew has led various types of projects for design and construction oversight, including: stormwater collection structures and piping networks, detention facilities, channel enhancement and armorment, rehabilitation and upgrades to dams and levees, lake dredging, emergency drawdown facilities, roadway drainage improvements, trenchless pipe installation, concrete coatings, groundwater drainage facilities, embankment and critical utility infrastructure protection, irrigation systems, waterway debris removal, worker safety components or improvements, energy dissipation facilities, land acquisition, green infrastructure and wetland plantings.

Jeff Frey

US Geological Survey

Jeff Frey is a hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Water Science Center. He received his undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Minnesota and his Master’s Degree from Indiana University SPEA Program in 1992. He has been with the USGS since graduation primarily with the National Water-Quality Assessment Program focusing on nutrient transport, fate, and biological processing.

Susan Glick

Indiana State Senator

State Sen. Sue Glick represents Indiana State Senate District 13, which includes all of LaGrange, Noble and Steuben counties and the western third of DeKalb County. First elected in 2010, Glick serves as Chair of the Senate Committee on Natural Resources. She also serves as ranking member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and the Senate Committee on Corrections and Criminal Law. In addition, Glick serves as a member of the Senate Committee on Judiciary and the Senate Committee on Rules and Legislative Procedure. Glick is also the Assistant President Pro Tem of the Senate. Currently an attorney in private practice, Glick previously served as LaGrange County Prosecuting Attorney, and as counsel for the towns of Shipshewana and Topeka, as well as the LaGrange County Park Board. She is the President of the LaGrange County Corn School Committee and a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, the National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution, the Indiana State and LaGrange County Historical Societies and is a former member of the LaGrange County Library Board. Glick has been honored in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2016 with the Distinguished Public Service Award by the Indiana American Legion and received a Sagamore of the Wabash from Gov. Otis R. Bowen in 1974. A graduate of Indiana University in Bloomington and the Indiana University School of Law in Indianapolis, Glick is a member of the American, Indiana State and LaGrange County Bar associations.

Beth Hall

Indiana State Climate Office

Dr. Beth Hall became the Indiana State Climatologist in 2019. With over 27 years of experience in climate services, she is excited to better serve the climate needs of stakeholders across the state. In 2012, she became Director of the Midwestern Regional Climate Center– one of six federally funded climate centers across the US -- at the University of Illinois. In 2021, she won the 5-year contract that has brought the MRCC to Indiana and Purdue University. With this addition to her job responsibilities, climate services will continue to grow for both Indiana and the Midwest region. With climate impacting nearly every aspect of our lives, Dr. Hall is interested in investigating historical climate trends and spatial variability that will provide new knowledge to non-meteorological fields and developing operational climate resources from which stakeholders can benefit.

James Hall

City of Bloomington

James is a 17 year environmental professional with all that having to deal with water. He has worked for local, state, and federal agencies and in the private industry in many different roles. For the past 3 years James has been the Assistant Director of Environmental Programs for the City of Bloomington Utilities office. That position oversees five areas; Pretreatment, MS4, Water Quality, the Laboratory, and an environmental specialist that helps keep the utilities office in compliance with various environmental regulations.

Carey Hamilton

Indiana State Representative

State Representative Carey Hamilton was first elected to the Indiana House of Representatives in 2016 to represent Indiana House District 87. She serves as Assistant Democratic Leader in the Indiana House of Representatives. Hamilton is a member of the Indiana House Ways and Means Committee; the Indiana House Family, Children and Human Affairs Committee; and the Indiana House Utilities, Energy and Telecommunications Committee. Hamilton has served as a nonprofit executive and has worked in the environmental field for more than 20 years. During that time, she has managed various policy development initiatives and public outreach programs. She was the executive director of the Indiana Recycling Coalition (IRC) for nine years, beginning in September 2008. Prior to serving in this post, Hamilton owned an environmental consulting firm. Earlier in her career, she served as a program manager for the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and as the first leader of Indiana’s Greening the Government Program. In 2021, Hamilton received Indiana Wildlife Federation's Conservation Champion Award, which is presented to only two state legislators each year. Additionally, Hamilton co-led environmental programs for the 2012 Indianapolis Super Bowl Host Committee, and is a board member of both Keep America Beautiful and the National Recycling Coalition. Hamilton is a graduate of Pike High School in Indianapolis and has a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University-Bloomington.

Maureen Hayden

Commonwealth Engineering, Inc.

Maureen Hayden is a business development manager and client liaison for Commonwealth Engineering, Inc. In this role, she works with communities, large and small, to identify solutions to their water and wastewater infrastructure challenges and to help them find State and Federal funding to invest in their systems. Before joining the Commonwealth team, Maureen served as Director of Intergovernmental Relations for Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch. She worked closely with elected officials and civic leaders to strengthen rural economies and communities through capacity building, advocacy, and innovation. In her previous career as a journalist, Maureen was the Statehouse Bureau Chief for 13 newspapers located across Indiana, specializing in reporting on how politics and policymaking at the Capitol impacted local communities.

Leonard Hoops

Visit Indy

At the helm of Visit Indy, Leonard and his team are charged with growing Central Indiana’s economy by driving the region’s $5.4 billion convention, tourism and event industry. Under his leadership, Visit Indy has shattered all-time records for convention and tourism sales, delivering $1+ billion annually in incremental economic impact and a 90-to-1 return on investment from public funding. Leonard has been named an “Indiana Living Legend” by the Indiana Historical Society, one of the “25 Most Influential People in the Meetings Industry” by Successful Meetings magazine, and one of the “Top 25 Most Extraordinary Minds in Hospitality & Travel Sales & Marketing” by Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI).

Sarah Hudson

Indiana Finance Authority

Since 2017, Sarah Hudson has served as the Director of the Indiana Finance Authority’s Water Resources and Infrastructure Planning Program. In that position she oversaw the IFA’s Lead Sampling in Schools Program, the Water Loss Audit Program, the Regional Water Planning Initiative, and the Central Indiana Water Study. Past positions include work for the DeKalb County Soil and Water Conservation District, the Indiana Rural Community Assistance Program, the Indiana SRF Loan Programs, and Curry & Associates, an environmental engineering consulting firm. Sarah has a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Indiana University and a master’s degree in Biology from the University of Dayton.

Peggy Mayfield

Indiana State Representative

Peggy Mayfield was elected to the Indiana House of Representatives in 2012, serving District 60, which includes portions of Morgan and Monroe counties. She is vice chair of the House Public Policy Commission and serves on the House Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee and the House Committee on Ways and Means Committee, which is tasked with drafting the state's biennial budget. She is also appointed to serve on the Indiana Commission for Women and the Indiana Commission for Hispanic and Latino Affairs. Mayfield’s legislative efforts span a variety of subjects. She has earned awards for her work on bills in areas of education, economic development, veterans' issues, law enforcement and protection of the unborn. As a certified rifle and shotgun instructor, competitive shooter, hunter, lifetime member of the National Rifle Association and other advocacy organizations, Mayfield is a strong voice in the General Assembly on matters concerning our Second Amendment rights. For over three decades, she and her husband Dean have owned Mayfield Insurance. They are active members of multiple local Chambers of Commerce and industry professional associations. She volunteered with Boy Scouts of America for over 20 years and is a former executive board member of the Hoosier Trails Council. She is a recipient of the BSA District Award of Merit and a member of the Order of the Arrow.

Matt Meersman

St. Joseph River Basin Commission

Matt Meersman developed a strong connection to the water growing up near the St. Joseph River and spending summer weekends at his family's lake cottage in southern Michigan. He now lives along the river in downtown South Bend, IN and works as the Director of the St. Joseph River Basin Commission. He also serves as the President of the Friends of the St. Joe River Association. His passion for protecting the water comes from a love of being on and in it. When he is not working on watershed projects, you will likely find him paddling canoes and kayaks on lakes and rivers in southwest Michigan and northern Indiana.

Palencia Mobley

Detroit Water and Sewerage Department

In January 2016, Palencia Mobley was appointed as the as the Deputy Director and Chief Engineer of the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD). She is currently responsible for the engineering, facilities, capital construction and regulatory affairs of the department. Prior to her appointment as Deputy Director, Mobley led the operations negotiations on behalf of the City for establishment of the new Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA). She is passionate about green infrastructure for stormwater management and use of Detroit’s greatest asset, publicly owned land, to mitigate the impacts of climate change. In 2018, she was responsible for the passage of the City of Detroit’s first post construction stormwater ordinance. Mobley, an authority on water infrastructure and environmental engineering, has twenty years of experience in planning, design, construction administration and management services for water and wastewater utilities across the country. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering and Wayne State University with a Master of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering. In 2006, she became one of the youngest minority women to ever attain licensure as a Professional Engineer in the State of Michigan.

Scott Pelath

Kankakee River Basin Commission

After twenty years of service as an Indiana state representative, Scott D. Pelath took over as Executive Director of the Kankakee River Basin Commission in January 2019. Beginning in July, he then shepherded the panel's transition into the Kankakee River Basin and Yellow River Basin Development Commission, which is tasked with solving nearly a century of water management issues in Northwest Indiana. As a longtime lawmaker and policy leader, he sponsored the Great Lakes Water Use Compact, which now has the force of law in every Great Lakes state and Canadian province. He formerly served on the staff of U.S. Representative Tim Roemer, and is a graduate of the Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs, the Indiana University Army ROTC Program, and the Armor Officer Basic Course at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Scott is a lifelong resident of LaPorte County.

Bruno Pigott

IDEM Commissioner

Bruno Pigott has worked at the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) since 2000 and in 2017 was appointed as commissioner by Governor Holcomb. Mr. Pigott served as chief of staff from August 2015 through December 2016. From April 2005 through August 2015, he worked as the assistant commissioner in the Office of Water Quality. Prior to 2005, Mr. Pigott served in a number of different positions in the Office of Water Quality, including chief of the Permits Branch, the Compliance Branch, and the State Revolving Fund Section. He received his master’s degree from Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs and his bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University.

Rodney Renkenberger

Maumee River Basin Commission

Rod is serving his 26th year as Executive Director of the Maumee River Basin Commission (MRBC). Prior to becoming MRBC Executive Director, Rod served as County Surveyor for Noble County, IN. He received his Registration as an Indiana Licensed Professional Land Surveyor in 1994 and his national certification as a Certified Floodplain Manager (CFM) in 2000. Rod currently serves on the Association State Floodplain Managers, Inc. (ASFPM) Board of Directors as District 2 Chapter Director He was recently appointed to the Certified Floodplain Manager (CMF) Certification Board of Regents as an ASFPM at-large representative. He is a member of Indiana Society of Professional Land Surveyors, past President of Northeast Chapter of Indiana Society of Professional Land Surveyors, ASFPM, Charter Member of Indiana Association for Floodplain and Stormwater Management, Inc. (INAFSM). In 2016, Rod was awarded a Lifetime Membership to INAFSM. He has been awarded 2 Keys to City of Decatur for his dedication, leadership, and management of their Flood Acquisition Program since 1996 and will have purchased 100 structures in this small community and removed them from Special Flood Hazard Area by the end of 2022.

Todd Royer

Indiana University

Todd Royer is a Professor in the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University in Bloomington. His research addresses the effects of human activities on water quality and ecological health of freshwater ecosystems. Since 2000, much of his work has focused on carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycling in streams and rivers of the agricultural midwestern U.S., including the potential for conservation practices to affect water quality and biogeochemical processes in northern Indiana watersheds.

Rachel Scarlett

Ph.D. candidate in Ecological Sciences and Engineering at Purdue University

Don’t miss Rachel Scarlett’s keynote address, Stormwater on the Margins. Rachel is an environmental scientist, advocate, mentor, teacher, a Ph.D. candidate in Ecological Sciences and Engineering at Purdue University, and a 2020 Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellow. As an interdisciplinary scholar, she strives to think beyond disciplinary silos. She considers human communities and Earth’s ecosystems to be intricately entangled and co-dependent on each other. Rachel studies and advocates for environmental justice and will help all of us understand what’s on the line when we’re planning for our water future.

Jack Wittman

INTERA

In 1980 Dr. Wittman began his water career as a surface water treatment plant operator at the City Creek Treatment Plant in Salt Lake City, Utah. Since 1990 Jack has worked with utility regulators, governor's offices, investor-owned utilities, and professional organizations on water supply planning and development. Jack grew up in the Midwest (Northern Illinois) got his BS and MS at Utah State University in Logan and became a transplanted Hoosier 30 years ago when he moved to Bloomington to get his PhD. Currently, INTERA is working on the Central Indiana Water project funded by the IFA.

Past Water Summits

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