2018 NAEP & APU Webinar Series -- Part 3: Environmental Projects and the Endangered Species Act

Thursday, October 25, 2018

3:00 - 4:00 p.m. [ET]

About the Webinar

Have you ever wondered how a federal act relates to actual environmental projects that you might encounter in your own environmental career? Please join us to learn more from our panel of speakers representing private and public organizations. The webinar will be presented by practitioners and experts in the field. It offers a discussion about how the Endangered Species Act relates to real-world environmental projects and presents career possibilities for environmental policy and management professionals. Save the date today!

Webinar learning objectives:

· Engage students and early career professionals
· Present relevant topics for discussion in environmental policy and management

Who can benefit from the webinar?

· APU and AMU students, staff, and faculty
· NAEP members

Speakers

Ron Deverman

Associate Vice President, HNTB

Ron Deverman is the Associate Vice President for HNTB, a national engineering, architecture, and planning firm. The company manages environmental impact assessment projects for transportation infrastructure improvements such as transit, passenger and freight rail, roadways, and bridges. Ron has over 30 years of experience in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). He has special expertise in community impact assessment, cumulative effects analysis, and federal environmental regulations, such as the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, National Historic Preservation Act, and Threatened and Endangered Species Act.

His education includes a BS in civil/environmental engineering from the University of Illinois in Urbana, an MA in literature and creative writing from the University of Illinois in Springfield, and post-graduate studies in NEPA and related environmental studies. Ron is a former president of the National Association of Environmental Professionals (NAEP). He has also chaired their national NEPA Symposium, NEPA Working Group, Transportation Working Group (co-founder), and 27th annual conference in Dearborn, Michigan. He is also a former president of IAEP, the Illinois chapter of NAEP. Ron is a contributor to the NAEP's national journal, Environmental Practice, published by Cambridge University Press.

Ron is also a published poet and has spoken nationally on many subjects, including key competencies for environmental professionals, environmental stewardship, and preserving the quality of place. He has recently spoken at national environmental and transportation conferences on the health impacts and benefits of our transportation choices and on “Reclaiming Our Environmental Imagination” where he incorporated the writings and poems of numerous authors and poets, including his own work.

John Esson

Founder/Director of Environmental Career Center

John Esson is the founder and director of the Environmental Career Center/EnvironmentalCareer.com. In addition, he is the publisher of the Green Careers Journal quarterly magazine; the co-founder of the nonprofit Green Jobs Alliance; and the chairman of the NAEP Career Development Committee. He is also the president of ECW Environmental Group, an environmental sustainability consulting and staffing firm.

John is a LEED Accredited Professional and environmental planner with over 30 years of professional environmental experience with federal, state, and local agencies, research labs, and consulting companies.

John has a bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Minnesota in 1979. Other credentials include graduate studies in Natural Resources and Environmental Management at several institutions including University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point, University of Alabama - Huntsville, and Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment. He is a Green M.B.A. candidate at the San Francisco Institute of Architecture.

John and his wife Julie founded Thumbelina Farms, an animal-assisted therapy nonprofit organization where he serves as the CMO (chief manure officer). They have three adult sons, a 12-year-old daughter, and a 4-year-old son. They reside in Hampton, Virginia.

Daniel Reed

Environmental Affairs Specialist, BAE Systems, Inc.

Daniel Reed is an Environmental Affairs Specialist for BAE Systems, Inc., in Tennessee and works at a U.S. Army facility that manufactures explosives. Previous to his experience with BAE, he was an ensentist for the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. He has several years of experience working in a state governmental setting, as well as a federal government cooperative setting.

Dr. Reed received a Master of Public Administration from Texas State University and a PhD in Natural Resources from the University of Tennessee. His doctoral dissertation expanded on life-cycle environmental impact assessments by connecting the valuable information these types of analyses offer policy makers. Along with this research, Dr. Reed has published three life-cycle inventories and assessments of various cellulosic biofuels.

Prior to his work in the government sector, Dr. Reed worked as a conservation planner and scientist for the University of Tennessee's Cumberland Habitat Conservation Plan for two years. He coordinated conservation efforts between universities, local governments, and The Nature Conservancy.

Shannon Stewart

Shannon has over 18 years of professional experience in land use planning and environmental impact assessment. She has worked in both the public and private sectors but her career has been primarily focused in public service. Shannon currently serves as a Senior Advisor to the Director of the Bureau of Land Management in Washington DC.

She has also served as a senior level analyst for the Department of Energy and a national program manager for the Department of the Interior specializing in strategic policy development. Prior to taking her current appointment, Shannon spent time as a Principal Technical Associate at Environmental Science Associates (ESA) in Los Angeles, California where she led ESA’s Southern California Energy Group.

Shannon attended college at the University of Miami, followed by Florida State University where she obtained a Master’s of Science in Urban and Regional Planning. She also holds a certificate in NEPA from Duke University’s Environmental Leadership Program.CEO Barkbook

Speakers

Rona Spellecacy

Rona Spellecacy is a Certified Environmental Professional, senior environmental planner, and project manager with HDR in Seattle, Washington. Rona has 13 years of experience managing the NEPA process and documentation for a wide variety of projects. She has served as the Environmental Manager for the SR 520 Bridge Replacement and HOV Program consultant team, and managed the development of two environmental impact statements for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation projects in the Yakima Basin.

In 2016, Rona led a multidisciplinary team of more than 30 consultants, serving as Project Manager for the Shell Anacortes Rail Unloading Facility SEPA EIS for Skagit County and the Washington Department of Ecology. Rona manages a team of environmental planners and scientists, and serves as managing principal of HDR's Seattle office.

Rona received her M.A. in political science and environmental studies from Western Washington University, and holds a B.A. in both biology and anthropology from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. She is a member of the American Planning Association (APA) and holds certification from the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP).

Since joining NAEP in 2003, Rona has participated in many aspects of NAEP and the Northwest Chapter. Rona served on the Chapter’s Board of Directors and as Chapter Representative from 2006 to 2008. She has participated in seven NAEP conferences, presenting papers at three conferences and serving as Technical Co-Chair for the 2016 Annual Conference in Chicago. Rona has also published two papers in Environmental Practice (June 2009 and September 2014).

David Mattern

David Mattern has over 30 years of experience and is a senior manager of NEPA EIS and similar projects. His responsibilities include managing environmental impact statement preparation, conducting siting studies, and policy evaluations for public facilities.

David managed Washington State’s first reader-friendly EIS, using innovative graphic design and clear writing to produce an easy-to-understand and engaging document. His EIS has won four awards for its pioneering approach.

His project experience includes siting studies and environmental documentation for highways, airports, landfills, and light rail systems. David was a member of working groups sponsored by FHWA, AASHTO, and ACEC, developing guidance on legal sufficiency and alternative formats for environmental documents. He taught the Duke University Environmental Leadership Program course on preparing and documenting environmental impact analyses.

David has been an NAEP member since 2005 and has presented at each annual meeting. He regularly attends meetings and events held by the Seattle branch of the Northwest Association of Environmental Professionals. David has made presentations at several of their events. David has also authored articles published in “Environmental Law Reporter” and “Environmental Practice.”

David believes NAEP should support and be a resource for environmental professionals by providing a meeting ground and platform for the integration of multiple subjects. NAEP should foster better understanding and excellence in all environmental practices.

Anna Kohl

Anna Kohl is a Certified Environmental Professional In Training and a NAEP member, as well as a member of the Board of Directors and the National Liaison for the Alaska Association of Environmental Professionals. She serves on the NEPA track of the Alaska Forum on the Environment Planning Committee and holds a Certificate in NEPA from the Nicholas School of the Environment Environmental Leadership Program at Duke University.

She obtained her B.A. in geology from Mount Holyoke College. She is an Associate Vice President at HDR Alaska, Inc., where she has worked on NEPA and environmental science projects since 2004.

Anna leads HDR Alaska’s Resources business group, and she has 10 years of experience managing private- and public-sector environmental and NEPA projects. Anna manages project delivery and resourcing for a group of 55 scientists, including wetland biologists, environmental planners, cultural resource specialists, wildlife biologists, GIS analysts, compliance specialists, waste engineers, and fisheries biologists.

Anna has efficiently coordinated and reviewed technical reports and draft documents related to wetlands, hydrology, fish passage, wildlife movement, traffic projections, noise analyses, recreational and visual resources, contaminated sites, cultural resources, water quality, cumulative impact analyses, and project alternative evaluations. She is actively engaged in all technical discipline aspects pertinent to NEPA projects, as well as with agency and stakeholder coordination and communication.

Betty Dehoney

As one of the principal senior environmental planners for HDR, Betty is responsible for the delivery of complex environmental documents (including NEPA, CEQA, SEPA, ESA, CWA, 106, and other state and local regulatory programs) for major infrastructure programs. She is responsible for the technical accuracy of environmental documents, strategic guidance to agencies to support the navigation of the projects through the regulatory process, and mentoring staff for their professional growth.

Betty’s projects have included large-scale water delivery, water resources, habitat conservation programs, wetland restorations programs, transportation, and energy development. With a master’s and bachelor’s in biology, much of Betty’s project experience has focused on creating sustainable solutions for challenges with natural resources.

Although Betty has spent her professional career as a consultant working for environmental companies, she has also contributed to the education of our future leaders. She taught at the University of San Diego for over 10 years and at University of California San Diego for their Extension program to train professionals in the field.

Laura Thorne

Laura Thorne started her own consulting business for environmental companies after 10 years in a local environmental government. She has 25 years of experience implementing continuous improvement and helping organizations to realize potential opportunities and implement positive change solutions.

She has been praised for her ability to break complex issues into manageable bites. Laura uses a three-step strategy-to-solutions framework to work with “on-the-verge” companies, environmental organizations, and nonprofits. Laura helps companies to reach next-level performance using strategy evaluation, project management, and creative problem solving.

Laura is a high-quality, award-winning management consultant. She has served in leadership and other roles on boards and committees, such as the President of the Tampa Bay Association of Environmental Professionals, vice president of a Toastmasters club, and an advisor on the Hillsborough Education Foundation Scholarship Committee. In 2016, Laura spearheaded a Women in STEM workshop and group specifically focused on environmental careers.

She has a bachelor of science in biology from the University of South Florida. Laura is also certified as a Professional Project Manager (PMP) with Project Management International and as a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt. Laura was an Advanced Florida Sterling Examiner until she moved to Syracuse, NY.

Speakers

Emily Zvolanek

Emily Zvolanek is a Senior GIS Analyst in the Environmental Science Division at Argonne National Laboratory with more than 8 years of experience in Geographic Information Systems (GIS). She has worked on a number of NEPA environmental impact statements as well as several suitability analyses for siting renewable energy technologies in regions all over the country. Her specialties include cartography, Python programming for GIS, and the application of geospatial methods to environmental, cultural, visual, and socioeconomic analyses. Ms. Zvolanek received her B.A. in environmental science from Monmouth College and her M.S. in GIS from the University of Washington.

Yuki Hamada, Ph.D

Yuki Hamada is a Biophysical Remote Sensing Scientist at Argonne National Laboratory, who has utilized remote sensing science and technologies over 10 years to characterize environmental conditions for land and water and monitor their changes over space and time. Dr. Hamada’s research involves observing and modeling half-hourly carbon exchange in ecosystems, using hyperspectral remote sensing, and developing remote-sensing methodologies for monitoring impacts on land and natural resources associated with energy development by integrating field observations, videography, UAS-derived images, and satellite images with statistical modeling and machine learning. Dr. Hamada received her B.A. in geography from San Diego State University, an M.A. in geography from San Diego State University, and a Ph.D. in geography from University of California, Santa Barbara, and San Diego State University..

Leroy Walston

Leroy (Lee) Walston is an ecologist at Argonne National Laboratory with over 10 years of experience in natural resource modeling and assessment. He has been involved in a variety of integrated assessments to evaluate proposed renewable energy programs on ecological resources. Recently, he’s been involved in landscape-scale ecological assessment approaches to mitigation of utility-scale solar developments. Mr. Walston received his B.S. degree in zoology from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale and an M.S. in biology from Eastern Illinois University.

R. Harrison

CEO Barkbook

Speakers

Lucas Bare

Lucas Bare has 10 years of professional experience in environmental planning, natural resources management, and conservation biology. He has project management experience across multiple regulatory frameworks, including the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.

Lucas specializes in habitat conservation planning and impact analysis at the landscape or regional scale to develop habitat conservation plans (HCPs), eagle conservation plans (ECPs), and environmental impact statements (EISs) for clients across multiple sectors, including energy development (petroleum and renewable), transmission, and resource management. His technical expertise is in conservation biology and impact analysis for natural resources.

Kristen Kostelnik

Kristen Kostelnik is an assistant professor of environmental science who has been with APU for almost eight years. She primarily teaches population ecology, soil science, and environmental management.

Kristen graduated in 1992 from Appalachian State University in Boone, NC, with a degree in political science and communications. After many years in private industry, she went back to school at North Carolina State University and got her master’s degree in botany with an emphasis on plant ecology of rare, threatened, and endangered species and their associated plant communities and habitats.

This degree allowed Kristen to combine her interest in policy and management with conservation ecology. She has worked extensively on the listed species, Amaranthus pumilus (seabeach amaranth). She has also done some student learning based research at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, and currently calls DeWitt, Michigan home.

Ward Marotti

Ward Marotti has been involved in successful ecological restoration project planning, design, implementation, oversight, and monitoring for over 28 years. He has worked in the Southeast, the West, the Gulf Coast and South America, and has authored scores of NEPA and SEPA documents in support of public infrastructure project approval and funding by multiple local, state, and federal agencies. He is the former president of the North Carolina Association of Environmental Professionals. Ward currently serves as the NC chapter representative on the National Association of Environmental Professionals’ board of directors.

Ward holds a B.S. in environmental science from the University of Northern Colorado. He has also pursued continuing education in stream restoration design from North Carolina State University and wetland restoration design from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey -- New Brunswick.

Kris Thoemke

Dr. Kris Thoemke is a Senior Scientist with Coastal Engineering Consultants Inc. in Naples, Florida, and a part-time faculty member for American Public University (APU). He has extensive knowledge of and experience with the coastal ecosystems and regulatory processes in Florida. His area of expertise is the assessment of estuarine and nearshore habitats with an emphasis on monitoring changes to seagrass communities in response to dredging projects.

Kris also conducts independent external peer reviews as an environmental expert for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers civil works and water resources projects. For APU, he teaches graduate and undergraduate classes in environmental policy and management, including classes in the NEPA Certificate Program. Kris received his bachelor’s degree in zoology from the University of Maryland College Park and his Ph.D. in estuarine ecology from the University of South Florida. He is a member of several professional organizations and also serves as the Chairman of the Certification Review Board for the Academy of Board Certified Environmental Professionals.

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About the NAEP and APU Partnership

National Association of Environmental Professionals (NAEP) and American Public University (APU) have shared efforts through an educational alliance with the goal to help prepare environmental professionals to advance in their field through career-relevant education. With this goal in mind, NAEP and American Public University leaders are collaborating on a fourth year of webcast series focused on career preparation and professional development for environmental professionals.

U.S. industry employs more than 1.6 million professionals in green careers today* which means professionals must stand out in order to compete for career advancement opportunities. It is critical for every environmental professional to stay abreast of best practices regarding career preparation and development of essential skills to help position you for advancement opportunities in the industry.

*EBI Report 2020B, The U.S. Environmental Industry Overview, An Executive Review, December 2010, Environmental Business International, Inc.

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