Speaker Guidelines

1. Full name, position/title, and organization (affiliation)
2. Telephone number to contact in the event of problems/questions with the presentation.

Open House Poster Guidelines

1. Posters should be no larger in dimension than 36" by 48" (please indicate intended poster size when sending electronic posters)
2. Posters must be submitted in high-resolution PDF format
3. Electronic posters must be received by SCG no later than Friday, May 13, 2011, to allow time for printing, mounting, and shipping to the workshop.

Speaker Biosketches

Barbara J. Bennett

Barbara Bennett was nominated by President Barack Obama on September 3, 2009, to serve as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). She was confirmed by the Senate on November 6, 2009. Ms. Bennett’s responsibilities include oversight of EPA’s annual planning and budget formulation, budget execution and financial management, performance and financial reporting, as well as strategic planning for the Agency. Ms. Bennett is a global business executive with more than 25 years of experience. Prior to joining EPA, Ms. Bennett served as Senior Executive Vice President and CFO of Discovery Communications, Inc. From 1990 to 2007, she was a key member of the team that built the parent company of the Discovery Channel into one of the world’s most extensive media enterprises, with more than 100 channels telecast in 170 countries, in more than 30 languages to more than 1 billion subscribers. As CFO, she was responsible for the worldwide financial functions and strategies of the company, including accounting, treasury, budgeting, reporting, audit, tax activities, and evaluation of new growth opportunities, and leading a multicultural, multilingual team located in the five major international hub offices in addition to corporate headquarters. From 2007 to 2009, Ms. Bennett was an independent consultant working with companies and nonprofit organizations with interests in media, hospitality, tourism, and professional sports. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University and completed executive programs at Harvard Business School and Yale University.

Michael Bush

Michael Bush has 25 years of experience in Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) and Product Stewardship program development. He currently leads the EHS Global Compliance Assurance and Water Reduction, Energy Efficiency and Waste Reduction programs for GE Water in Cincinnati, OH. He also has served as GE's Product Stewardship Leader, as well as EHS Integration Leader, Site Leader, and Manager in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and North Carolina. Previously, he worked for West Virginia Air Quality Commission. A native of West Virginia, Mr. Bush received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from West Virginia University.

Dawn Kristof Champney

Dawn Kristof Champney is President of the Water and Wastewater Equipment Manufacturers Association (WWEMA), a Washington, DC-based national, nonprofit trade organization that has represented the interests of manufacturers serving the water supply and wastewater treatment industry since 1908.

Ms. Kristof Champney began her affiliation with WWEMA in 1976, serving as Assistant to the President. She left the Association in 1979 to pursue her interests in government affairs, working as a Legislative Aide to the Washington, DC office of the American Can Company. WWEMA recruited her back in 1981 to serve as its Director of Government Relations, and promoted her to the office of President in 1984.

Ms. Kristof Champney received her B.S. degree in Management from George Mason University (Fairfax, Virginia) and completed course work in the University's MBA program. She currently serves as a member of the Environmental Technologies Trade Advisory Committee (ETTAC), which advises 19 Federal departments and agencies on policies and programs to expand U.S. exports of environmental goods and services. She also serves as a member of the Trade and Environment Policy Advisory Committee (TEPAC), providing guidance on environmental policy to the U.S. Office of the Trade Representative with respect to U.S. negotiating objectives and bargaining before entering into trade agreements.

Cynthia C. Dougherty

Cynthia Dougherty is the Director of the Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water at the EPA in Washington, DC. In that capacity, she serves as EPA’s national program manager for implementation of the federal Safe Drinking Water Act.

Prior to her current position, she served as the Director of the Permits Division in the Office of Wastewater Management. Ms. Dougherty also served in EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Office of Planning and Management. She is a graduate of Duke University and is the recipient of three Presidential Meritorious Executive Awards for her federal service.

Jeff Eger

Jeff Eger has been the Executive Director of the Water Environment Federation (WEF) since January 2011, following a 16-year career as the Executive Director of Sanitation District 1 (SD1), the second largest public sewer utility in Kentucky.

During his tenure with SD1, Mr. Eger supervised the regionalization of 30 municipal sanitary sewer systems, developed and implemented a regional stormwater utility in 2009, and initiated the construction of two new regional wastewater treatment plants. He also negotiated a unique watershed-based Consent Decree with state and federal officials that outlined a strategic 20-year plan for addressing sewer overflows in northern Kentucky.

Mr. Eger’s leadership at WEF already has refocused the organization on its primary mission of delivering timely and relevant knowledge on water science, technology, and management as well as supporting utilities with sound public policy initiatives. He continues to demonstrate his commitment to water quality through his participation in organizations such as The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission, for which he has served as Chairman.

As a native of northern Kentucky, Mr. Eger is an Outstanding Alumnus of Northern Kentucky University, where he received his Bachelor’s degree in Communications.

David Henderson

David Henderson is the founder and Managing Director of XPV Capital Corporation, one of the largest firms in the world dedicated solely to investing in high-growth water companies. At XPV, Mr. Henderson focuses on identifying and investing in companies capitalizing on the significant opportunities created by the “new water economy”—a concept he developed. He is a respected speaker and expert contributor in the area of water technology and investing. Some of the organizations that Mr. Henderson has worked with include:  Milken Institute, Global Water Intelligence, Canada Water, Center of Advanced Materials for the Purification of Water with Systems  (WaterCAMPWS), Government of Ontario, Empire Club of Canada, Globe, Singapore International Water Week, University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Red Herring, EPA, The China Business Review, The China Green Technology Initiative, Cleantech Group, Brookings Institution, and LUX Research.

Mr. Henderson’s experience includes negotiating partnerships with leading water multinationals, helping portfolio companies complete strategic acquisitions, and advising governments and regulators on water technology adoption strategies. Having conducted business in the United States, China, South Korea, India, and the European Union, he understands the complexities of building a successful global water enterprise.

Mr. Henderson is an advisor to the Government of Ontario, Watertech Week, and Imagine H2O; a member of the Water Environment Federation’s Global Water Strategies Council; and a recipient of the 2009 Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 Award. He is past Chairman and a current Director of Advancing Canadian Entrepreneurship, from which he received the Global Champion and Distinguished Service Award. Mr. Henderson also is a founding member of the National Angel Capital Organization. 

Prior to starting XPV Capital, Mr. Henderson was one of the first employees of the private merchant bank Kinghaven Capital Corporation (now VRG Capital). At Kinghaven, he was responsible for leading portfolio company strategic partnerships, merger and acquisition (M&A) transactions, and direct investments in a broad range of industries. 

Mr. Henderson was educated at Ryerson University’s School of Business, where he specialized in the Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development program and received the Ryerson Centre for Entrepreneurship Education and Research Award.

Nina Joshi

Nina Joshi was named President/Chief Executive Officer of UES, Inc., in May 2008. In her role as Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Joshi continues to maintain UES’ current core competencies in material science while expanding into the fields of biotechnology and nanotechnology. Dr. Joshi is placing a special emphasis on the development and commercialization of UES’ high-tech products. Under her tenure, UES’ revenue has doubled.

Dr. Joshi is a genetic toxicologist. She has conducted research in the monitoring of toxins in both the environment and as biomarkers of human health. Her most recent scientific research focused on the development of biomarkers for preneoplastic esophageal cancers. Dr. Joshi received her Ph.D. degree from the University of Pittsburgh and an M.P.H. degree from Tulane University.

Currently, Dr. Joshi serves as a member of The Institute for Development and Commercialization of Advanced Sensor Technology (IDCAST) Board of Directors, the Wright State Research Institute (WSRI) External Advisory Board, the Wright State University (WSU) Foundation Board, and the WSU Board of Trustees.

MaryLynn Lodor

MaryLynn Lodor is the Environment Program Manager for the Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) of Greater Cincinnati. She manages direct and enabled sustainable infrastructure programs, projects, and staff to identify and develop source control solutions to address both water quality and quantity challenges within the combined and separate sewer system. Prior to joining MSD in June 2010, Ms. Lodor worked as a consultant in the water, wastewater, and watershed management field, with 12 years experience at the Butler County Department of Environmental Services, 5 of those years serving as Environmental Division Head overseeing industrial services, regulatory compliance, laboratory, public relations, and program management. Ms. Lodor holds an M.S. degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Environmental Management and Policy and a B.S. degree in Business Administration.

James Parrott

James (Tony) Parrott has been in the public utility business for 26 years. After completing his degree in business and communications at Georgetown University, Mr. Parrott joined the frontline ranks at the Butler County Department of Environmental Services, a water and wastewater utility serving a population of 120,000 in Southwest Ohio. During his first 10 years, Mr. Parrott moved through the department, working in almost every area before serving as Executive Director from 1995 through 2004.

In 2005, Mr. Parrott moved to the Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati—where he is now the Executive Director—bringing wastewater services to 800,000 residents of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. He has successfully negotiated a Federal Consent Decree with the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. EPA, which was approved by the Federal Court in August 2010. Challenged with a multi-billion dollar capital program and managing a $200 million annual operating budget, he keeps a visionary outlook and charges his staff with raising the bar every day. Mr. Parrott also sits on the National Board of Directors for the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) representing Region 5 and the National Board of Directors for the Water Environment Research Foundation.

David E. Rager

David Rager is the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Greater Cincinnati Water Works, a utility serving approximately 1.2 million people across an 800 square mile area in Cincinnati, Ohio. In Cincinnati, he worked to create a high-performance organization using strategic business planning processes that included employee work teams, regular customer surveys, and focus groups for insight into service delivery. The result has been an organization with a strong customer focus and highly motivated workforce. To contain costs and increase productivity, Greater Cincinnati Water Works has expanded into new services and service areas, utilized activity-based resource management, and automated performance management systems. The aggressive use of technology also has helped the utility reduce operating costs, expand services to the customer, and enter into new revenue producing utility services.

Mr. Rager has more than 36 years of experience at the local government level. In addition to serving as the CEO of the Greater Cincinnati Water Works, he has served as city manager, deputy city manager, and planning commissioner for Cincinnati. Prior to assuming responsibility for utility services for Cincinnati, Mr. Rager spent 10 years overseeing police, fire, emergency medical, and emergency communication services for the city.
 
Mr. Rager currently is serving on the Board of Directors for the American Water Works Association (AWWA), and in June 2010, assumed chairmanship of the AWWA’s Water Utility Council. The Council works with state and federal agencies on national water policy issues. He also has served for 4 years on AWWA’s International Council. In 2010, he completed a 3-year term as Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Water Research Foundation. In addition, he previously has served as President of the Board of Directors for the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies.

Mr. Rager continues to work in the water utility industry and has spoken at a number of forums and conferences during his career. In 2010 at an International Climate Change Forum focusing on water industry adaptation, he gave a presentation and moderated a panel discussion. He also has given presentations on workforce planning at the International Water Association conference in Vienna, Austria; water security technology and practices at the Water Security Symposium in Tel Aviv, Israel; and water system security at the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies’ International Workshop in Montreal, Canada. He has spoken at various utility industry conferences about strategic planning, public affairs planning, creating a customer service focus, and creating change leaders.

Chris Rayburn

Chris Rayburn is the Director of Subscriber and Research Services for Water Research Foundation (WRF) in Denver, Colorado, with overall responsibility for planning and overseeing the Foundation's research program, member services, and communications. He has been with WRF for 12 years and has served as project manager and senior account manager prior to his current position. Previously, Mr. Rayburn spent 14 years as a consultant with various U.S. engineering firms, most recently as manager of IT Corporation's Denver regional office (1994-1997).

Mr. Rayburn is a registered professional hydrogeologist with 20 years of experience in the areas of water supply, resource management and groundwater protection. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Geology from the University of Colorado.

Glenn Reinhardt

Glenn Reinhardt serves as the Executive Director of the Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF), located in Alexandria, Virginia. As WERF’s first employee, Glenn was instrumental in the founding of the organization in 1989. WERF currently sponsors more than 150 ongoing research projects and has as its members wastewater utilities representing nearly 75 percent of the sewered U.S. population, and major corporations such as duPont, Dow Chemical, Proctor & Gamble, Merck, Johnson & Johnson, among many others. WERF’s research covers all aspects of wastewater, stormwater, and water quality and addresses current challenges while supporting initiatives addressing water challenges in the decades to come. Mr. Reinhardt brings more than 20 years of association management to his position. WERF invests 90 percent of its expenditures into research; only 10 percent is spent on general administrative and resource development expenses, making WERF among the most efficient and effective non-profit organizations in the country. At the same time, WERF’s research results have documented savings to utilities and industry of several billion dollars.

Mr. Reinhardt is a graduate of the University of Florida, and resides with his family in Annapolis, Maryland.

Caroline Sherony has experience in academia, government, and industry. She currently applies her varied background as a Program Manager at the WateReuse Research Foundation, managing various projects on water recycling, including some Foundation projects that deal with the energy/water nexus, policy, and social sciences. Ms. Sherony’s Masters degree is in Crop and Soil Sciences from Washington State University. Her work experience in research at both Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory has solidified her understanding of water quality and environmental issues. In addition, Ms. Sherony has worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and served in the U.S. Peace Corps in Honduras.

Thomas Speth

Thomas Speth is a professional engineer who has conducted drinking water treatment research at EPA for 24 years. He has a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from the University of Cincinnati, a Masters degree in Civil/Environmental Engineering from Michigan Technological University, and a Bachelors degree in Chemical Engineering from Michigan Technological University. Dr. Speth is a member of AWWA, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), American Chemical Society, and International Humic Substances Society (IHSS). He has served as Division Trustee for AWWA’s Water Quality & Technology Division, and as Associate Editor for ASCE’s Journal of Environmental Engineering. He is currently serving on the Editorial Board for the AWWA Journal. Dr. Speth’s permanent position at EPA is Branch Chief of the Treatment Technology Evaluation Branch. He is currently serving as the Acting Division Director of the Water Supply and Water Resources Division.

Alan H. Vicory, Jr.

Alan Vicory serves as Executive Director and Chief Engineer for the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO). Appointed to the position in May 1987 after previous responsibilities with the Commission staff as Environmental Engineer and Manager of Technical Services, Mr. Vicory directs the programs of the Commission, which include establishment of regulatory requirements for discharges, water quality and biological monitoring systems, detection and response to spills, applied research, coordination of states and federal programs, and public education and involvement.

ORSANCO, known worldwide for its accomplishments in water pollution control on a watershed basis, was established in 1948 by state compact. Members of the Commission represent Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Mr. Vicory received a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering from the Virginia Military Institute in 1974. He is a Registered Professional Engineer and Board Certified in Environmental Engineering (water and wastewater) by the American Academy of Environmental Engineers. Currently, he is Vice-Chairman of the Board of WERF, a former Chairman of the International Water Association’s (IWA) Watershed and River Basin Management Specialist Group, and is a member of the Association’s Strategic Council. He also is a Past President of the American Academy of Environmental Engineers (AAEE) and the Association of State and Interstate Water Pollution Control Administrators (ASIWPCA).

Mr. Vicory has provided contributions to published texts, published and presented numerous professional papers, provided keynote remarks at several technical and professional conferences nationally and internationally, and served on many expert panels.