Summer Practicum Course Descriptions and Presenter Bios

ECRR Summer Practicum Course Catalog

Class size is limited to 30 people in each course with exception to GIS Mapping and Quickbooks which is limited to 15 people

*Save Our Streams Water Monitoring

Description: Tim Craddock and Jennifer Dupree from the Department of Environmental Protection will train participants in a 3 day hands-on water monitoring certification course. The course will begin with a lecture format to provide background on chemical, physical, and biological contaminants, as well as instructing participants on identification of macro invertebrates. Following the presentation, participants will head outside to practice using equipment, monitoring water quality, and conducting stream assessments. After instruction and practice, certification tests will be given. The last day, participants will return to a classroom setting to write formal stream assessments. This course will teach participants the proper procedures to follow from beginning to end to assess streams and monitor water quality in their communities.

Tim Craddock is an Environmental Resource Specialist III with the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, and is the Coordinator of the WV Save Our Streams Program. Tim has a B.S. with a marine science focus from WV State University and Old Dominion University, and masters in environmental science from Marshall University. Tim has worked in the environmental field both as a volunteer and under the employ of federal and state agencies for more than 20 years. Craddock served as project team leader with FEMA following hurricane Marilyn in the Virgin Islands, and after several floods throughout the Midwest and West Virginia. He has developed training levels for volunteer monitors, publishing a variety of program resources on the web, including a volunteer assessment database that holds more than 900 volunteer stream surveys.

Jennifer Dupree is an Environmental Resource Specialist II with the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, and is the Southern Basin Coordinator for the Nonpoint Source Program. Jennifer has B.S. in Natural Resource Conservation (minor in Wildlife) from the University of Florida and two years of master’s degree class work in Interdisciplinary Ecology. Jennifer, a Florida native, has worked all over the country on various ecological studies from the Everglades, to the Emerald Gulf Coast, from the bluegrass prairie of Nebraska, to the Sequoia ecosystem. Here in West Virginia she has worked on bird surveys, rare plant surveys and now with the DEP for several years. As the Basin Coordinator, she is working with many citizen groups in the southern portion of West Virginia with grant guidance, writing watershed plans and implementation and monitoring of federally funded projects aimed to improve water quality related to nonpoint source pollution.

*Wetlands Training:

Description: Small wetlands provide critical habitat to many species of amphibians, invertebrates, birds, and mammals. Unfortunately, many of these ecosystems have been lost to draining and filling throughout North America. These landscape modifications are now affecting recovery efforts for endangered species, impairing water quality, increasing flooding, and reducing groundwater supplies. Fortunately, through techniques developed and tested by the Center for Wetlands and Stream Restoration, it’s now possible to construct wetlands that look and function similar to natural wetlands, with desired hydro-periods, aquatic vegetation, and animal life. You’ll learn how wetland projects can be planned in forested and open areas, on vast expanses of public land, and even on school grounds to clean runoff, benefit plants, animals, and people.

This hands-on workshop is designed for individuals interested in learning how to use low cost, highly effective techniques for restoring wetlands. You’ll learn how to select suitable locations for building wetlands, assess site conditions for determining the location, size, and type of wetland to be constructed, choose reliable construction techniques, work with heavy equipment operators, and establish native plants. We plan on building two wetlands, from start to finish, on the grounds at Concord University.

Tom Biebighauser has restored over 1,200 wetlands in 14-States and 2-Canadian Provinces. He teaches practical, hands-on wetland restoration workshops across North America where participants learn about wetland restoration and drainage by becoming involved in the design and construction of naturally appearing and functioning wetlands in only one day. Tom has developed highly successful and inexpensive techniques for restoring and repairing wetlands on mined lands, steep slopes, mountain ridges, large valleys, timber sale areas, urban areas, and at schools. He’s written 3-books about restoring wetlands: A Guide to Creating Vernal Ponds in 2003, Wetland Drainage, Restoration, and Repair in 2007, and Wetland Restoration and Construction Technical Guide (in press). For more information about the wetlands he’s established please visit: www.wetlandsandstreamrestoration.org; http://picasaweb.google.com/tombiebighauser

John Byrd retired in 2000 after 31 years of teaching biology, is presently serving as a science consultant for Anderson County Schools in Clinton, Tennessee. One of the more enjoyable requirements of his job is to blend professional development with the Anderson County Schoolyard Wetlands and Natural Areas project. He also coordinates the Clinch River Environmental Studies Organization (CRESO), an education/research program that involves middle and high school students in long-term monitoring of biological diversity in east Tennessee. This is an ongoing partnership between the Department of Energy, Anderson County Schools, and Oak Ridge City Schools.

*Beginner QuickBooks:

Description: Although most small business owners are worried about revenue, running a business or nonprofit involves a lot of other tasks. Depending on the type of organization, you need to invoice customers, record payments from customers, pay your own bills to outside vendors, manage inventory, and analyze your financial data to see where you need to focus your next efforts. QuickBooks is a tool you can use to automate the tasks you’re already performing.

Topics Include:

 Create a new QuickBooks company.

 Modify the preset chart of accounts to suit your needs.

 Add information to company lists, or edit information in company lists.

 Open and use registers for any QuickBooks balance sheet accounts.

 Reconcile a QuickBooks checking account.

 Track credit card transactions.

 Invoice customers.

 Create sales orders.

 Generate customer statements.

 Receive payments from customers and make bank deposits.

 Write QuickBooks checks and assign amounts to specific expense accounts.

 Work with asset and liability accounts in QuickBooks.

 Enter bills into QuickBooks accounts payable.

 Pay bills

This is a very interactive course, and the needs and interests of the students within each group vary, so specific course content can vary in response.

Mick Gillam is a Business Development Specialist with the University of Missouri Extension Service, headquartered in Rolla, Phelps County, Missouri. In this role, Mick serves as a small business counselor in the Missouri Small Business and Technology Center network. He has been employed by the UM Extension Service for 12 years in total. Mick holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics and Engineering Managemnet from the Missouri University of Science and Technology, and a Master of Business Administration degree from Missouri State University. Mick is a Certified QuickBooks Pro Advisor, and has been since 2005.

*Intermediate QuickBooks:

Description: This class is for those who have a working knowledge of QuickBooks or those who have completed the Basic Accounting with QuickBooks Class. By the time you complete the course, you’ll have a good idea of all that QuickBooks offers, you’ll be familiar with the most common tasks, and you’ll know where to find information about more advanced features.

This is a very interactive course, and the needs and interests of the students within each group vary, so specific course content can vary in response. The following are the topics most frequently covered:

 Create and customize QuickBooks reports and graphs. Save reports and forms as Portable Document Format (PDF) files.

 Export QuickBooks reports to Microsoft® Excel.

 Set up inventory and build finished goods.

 Convert units of measure.

 Track and pay sales tax.

 Understand QuickBooks payroll features.

 Create estimates and do progress invoicing.

 Track time and mileage.

 Pay nonemployees for time worked.

 Customize QuickBooks sales forms.

 Write letters in Microsoft® Word using QuickBooks data.

*GIS:

Description: GIS is a valuable tool for watershed organizations. Employees and volunteers interested in mapping can benefit from this 2-day course that will cover everything from the basics of choosing a system through advanced use methods. This course will be appropriate for groups deciding whether to invest in a system as well as those who already use GIS regularly and want to learn to do more with it.

Amy Blankenship is a research associate and trainer for the Rahall Transportation Institute located in Huntington, WV. She has a BA from Marshall University in Engish, Master degrees in Environmental Science and Geography. She is president of the International Honor Society in Geography known as Gamma Theta Epsilon.

Parliamentary Procedure

Description: Do your board meetings tend to drag? This course will teach you to facilitate meetings efficiently allowing your board to get just as much done in half the time. Learn the proper way to move through an agenda and keep discussions on topic.

*Intro to Watershed Planning:

Description: Participants will learn how to develop a watershed plan based following the principles outlined in the EPA’s “Handbook for Developing Watershed Plans to Restore and Protect Our Waters. This overview section will provide the information and strategies necessary for participants to begin prioritizing and creating a plan.

Paul Hayden is the Executive Director of the Middle Nolichucky Watershed Alliance in Greene County, Tennessee, and since July 2008 has been under contract to the Soil Conservation District as a consultant to manage EPA 319 grant creek restoration programs. He has 15 concurrent years in Quality Assurance and Environmental Management, and 40+ years in military communications electronics and fiber optics. Paul was the Greene County Soil Conservationist from 2003 - 2008. He currently holds certifications as a Conservation Planner (USDA-TN), Nutrient Management Planner (USDA-TN), Technical Services Provider (USDA-TN), Watershed Planner (USDA-TN), Stream Restoration Planner (USDA-TN), EPA Storm Water Management Planner, ISO 9002 Quality Management Auditor, and ISO 14002 Environmental Management Auditor. He holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Maryland and a MBA from Liberty University.

*Land Use Planning and How it Affects Your Watershed-Based Plan:

Description: This brief session will help participants consider how watershed planning fits into and relates to other community and land use planning practices that may be relevant to watershed groups. This may include the comprehensive planning process for cities and towns, economic development planning, capital improvement plans for major utilities, planning and zoning review commission activities, and even social services planning conducted by governmental or other nonprofit groups.

Alice Jones: (ECRR Vice Chair/ Associate Professor of Geography at Eastern Kentucky University and Director of the Eastern Kentucky Environmental Research Institute) coordinates EKU’s interdisciplinary and multi-institutional research and outreach programs to understand eastern Kentucky ecosystems. Her 17 years of teaching, research, and applied community service has centered on the relationship between land use and water quality, and particularly the relationship of water quality and community health. Her most recent work has focused on both large- and small-scale watershed studies of water quality in the coal country of Appalachian Kentucky. Jones holds a PhD in City and Regional Planning from Ohio State University, and a master of applied geography (MAG) from Southwest Texas State U.

*Watershed Planning for 319 Grants – A Hand-On Practicum:

Description: EPA 319 grant programs provide a highly valuable resource for watershed groups, but the process can be daunting and difficult to work through. Participants in this workshop will have the chance to learn how the process works, what are the required pieces and begin working on a Watershed Plan for their watershed to use with the 319 application, with the assistance of the presenters.

*Grant Writing:

Description: Funding is a constant consideration for any non-profit organization, and writing grants often takes a significant portion of time and energy. This full-day workshop will cover how to find relevant grants to apply for, how to describe your organization’s activities to appeal to funding committees, and how to follow through after submitting applications. The workshop will include information on federal and state grants as well as foundations. Participants will return to their organizations with information and phrasing to be re-used in multiple grant applications, as well as general strategies to apply to any grant application.

Alice Ruhnke is the owner of the Grant Advantage, a progressive, innovative consulting business devoted to the promotion of non-profit organizations, faith based organizations, and educational institutions through fund development. Over the past 6 years she has successfully secured over 2.6 million dollars for non-profit organizations.

Alvan Gale is recently retired from his position as the coordinator of the non-point source program for the WV Depatment of Environmental Protection. In this capacity he worked closely with watershed associations, academic institutions, and other agencies. For over ten years Alvan was on the Stream Partners Program Review Committee with the responsibility of reviewing and scoring all SPP grants.

*Watersheds and Community Members:

Description: This session will discuss the social, cultural and historic connections of communities to local watershed resources. The session will identify ways that the community depends upon watershed resources in daily life. We will present ways to organize and maintain effective citizen involvement efforts leading toward successful watershed management.

Mike Steinmaus has been with ECRR since its inception and, for 11 years, has managed a highly-recognized watershed in Ohio as Watershed Coordinator of Monday Creek Resoration Project. Under Mike’s leadership, more than $8 million has been leveraged for projects to reduce the impacts of acid mine drainage. Mike also serves as the Director of Watershed Resources for Rural Action. Prior to his watershed work, Mike worked as an environmental planner and was President of an environmental consulting firm.

*Collaboration and Partnership Building:

Description: Watersheds encompass entire communities, and watershed organizations need to work with and garner support from key individuals, businesses, and organizations within those communities. This course will teach participants how to build support for new ideas and programs, whether the “support” comes in the form of money, in-kind contributions, volunteers, or simply increased community goodwill. Attendees will come away with improved communication skills and greater confidence when leading a project with many partners.

ACCWT: The Appalachian Coal Country Watershed Team provides VISTAs and support services to watershed organizations throughout Appalachia. Headed up by T. Alan Comp, winner of the 2009 River Hero award, ACCWT has years of experience garnering support at all levels of government and in all sizes of communities.

Non-Profit Law:

Description: Running a non-profit requires knowledge of various regulations. In addition to larger issues like when to be part of a lawsuit, non-profits must comply with numerous regulations. This class will help participants understand what activities to avoid as a 501(c)3, what policies to have in place in case of an audit, and how to protect themselves from liability issues.

Dr. John David Smith is Vice President of Concord University and an expert in non-profit law.

*Intro to Environmental Economics: Decision Making on a Limited Budget:

Description: Watershed restoration requires money, but many groups do not have enough money to undertake all the projects they'd like to. This talk will provide an overview of how economics can support watershed decisions or prioritize projects when budgets are limited. Using concepts from the recent book, Environmental Economics for Watershed Restoration(Thurston, Heberling, and Schrecongost, Editors), attendees will learn how to choose projects wisely, getting the biggest environmental bang for the buck. After examining why certain goods and services are not traded in markets, the participants will learn about different economic techniques to measure values of non-market goods and services. An interactive case study will help to tie the concepts together.

Matt Heberling (Intro to Environmental Economics) is an economist in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (USEPA’s) National Risk Management Research Laboratory in Cincinnati, Ohio. He holds a Ph.D. in agricultural economics from the Pennsylvania State University, where he specialized in environmental and natural resource economics. Matt joined the USEPA in 2001 to work in a program of research integrating ecological risk assessment and economic analyses. He is now studying the effects of ancillary benefits on market mechanisms and conducting research on sustainability metrics. His research experience also includes using economic valuation methods to examine individuals’ preferences for recreational fishing and to prioritize stream restoration.

Watershed Resources Registry:

Description: The EPA recently developed the Watershed Resources Registry to assist watershed organizations in working together and sharing information. This session, led by EPA employees, will talk about this new resource and train attendees to become leaders in using it.

Dvon Duncan is the executive director of the Eastern Coal Regional Roundtable. She has a Masters in Program Management and sits on the boards of the Upper Guyandotte Watershed Association and the Rural Appalachian Improvement League.

*Incorporating Brownfields Into Watershed Strategies:

Description: Brownfields include abandoned mine lands, former factory sites, and other properties with potential environmentally impairments, which can threaten the environment and adversely affect a community and surrounding area. These lands can be an eyesore and an environmental threat, but they can also be a resource for redevelopment into something more positive. Watershed organizations can play an important role in leading the charge toward improving their communities by creating parks, wetlands, education centers, or other positive uses that promote community revitalization. This class will leave attendees inspired with new ideas and resources for brownfield properties in their communities.

George Carico has been Environmental Manager for 12 years at Marshall University Center for Environmental, Geotechnical and Applied Sciences (CEGAS) and Program Coordinator since 2005 of the West Virginia Brownfield Assistance Center at Marshall University. Carico holds a B.S. Geology 1985, Marshall University, and is a registered Professional Geologist, Kentucky 1992. He has over 20 years experience in environmental consulting, including environmental site assessments, remediation design / implementation / operation, abandoned mine-land geotechnical and environmental studies, building and highway geotechnical construction, and environmental management consultation for private businesses and various government entities.

*Media Relations:

Description: Watershed organizations deal with media in a variety of ways, from writing press releases about their events to being interviewed when their watershed gets in the news. This session will teach attendees how to tailor their messages, develop on-going good relations with the news media, communicate clearly with reporters, write news releases, and get those releases used in the local press. The training will also familiarize participants with terminology used in the news media so participants will be able to speak the language of reporters.

Sam Adams is an author and an 18-year veteran of newspapers, where he worked as a reporter, photographer and assistant city editor. He is currently self-employed as a consultant, and has spent the past several years working with nonprofits in the region on media training, grant writing and other areas. He also serves on the board of directors of Headwaters Inc., a watershed group in Whitesburg, Ky., and serves as media liaison for his local search and rescue team.

*Stormwater Management: Individual and Large Scale Approaches:

Description: This session will teach participants various methods of managing and reducing stormwater problems. Stormwater runoff is now the number one contributor to impairment of streams in the US. This runoff can contain debris, chemicals, sediment, and other pollutants that threaten water quality. Participants in this session will learn best management practices on both the small scale (around the home) and the larger scale (subdivision or city wide). The requirements of EPA Phase II Stormwater management will be discussed and put in terms usable in everyday applications.

Water Quality Issues in Coal country: how watershed groups can improve their communities through existing CWA tools:

Description: The Clean Water Act is an incredible piece of legislation that can do tremendous things for watershed organizations trying to improve water quality. This course will outline key elements of the law relevant to organization in the coalfields. Attendees will learn about various tools that can help them make use of the CWA in their communities.

Bill Painter is a long time EPA employee with expertise on the clean water act. He has worked with many groups in Appalachia to improve water quality.

*10 Principles of Quality Growth:

Description: The Southeast is experiencing unprecedented growth resulting in significant impacts on community resources. “Strategies for Quality Growth” was developed collaboratively by US EPA, TVA, the Southeast Watershed Forum to address the effects of how and where we grow on a wider array of community resources, such as water and air quality, energy consumption, land use, community character, community health, and community economics. It discusses 10 principles of Quality Growth, strategies to implement them, and resulting benefits. It introduces a Quality Growth Worksheet, built on best practices from the American Planning Association, the Smart Growth Leadership Institute and the Center for Watershed Protection, which allows communities to evaluate their plans and ordinances against the principles and build on their work with the Center for Watershed Protection’s Codes and Ordinance Worksheet. Specific examples from the Southeast, including implementation tools and benefits, will be utilized.

Liz Upchurch is a Project Manager for the Growth Readiness Program at the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). She is a water resource professional with over 15 years experience in water quality improvement projects. In her role as project manager, she provides training and technical assistance on site design, green infrastructure, quality growth and water and energy efficiency to planners and public works officials. Her previous work at TVA has included watershed assessment and restoration planning, grant writing and coalition building. Prior to joining TVA, Liz worked for several years with the AmeriCorps National Service program as the Program Director of Tennessee’s only environmental service corps. She is a graduate of the University of Tennessee.

Jane Fowler is the Quality Growth Training Coordinator with the Southeast Watershed Forum (SEWF). She is an experienced community development professional with over 30 years experience, primarily with the Tennessee Valley Authority, in the development and implementation of a wide range of initiatives in such areas as community strategic planning, business development, and sustainable development. She played a lead role in the development and implementation of Growth Readiness training and workshops in Tennessee, Virginia, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, and several locations on the Gulf coast. She received her BA in Sociology from Mount Holyoke College and her Masters of Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Pittsburgh.

Power of Communications:

Description: Effective communication is a skill that all non-profit groups need, without which they are less likely to be successful in creating positive change or meeting their fundraising goals. This course will give participants methods of communicating their goals and needs to attract greater support. Participants will have the chance to practice positive communication for various scenarios, including fundraising, dealing with the press, and asking businesses or other community members to alter negative behaviors.

We have not yet received a bio from the instructor for this course.

*Recreation and Tourism Marketing:

Description: Appalachia has a great deal of natural beauty, with plenty of outdoor recreation and tourism opportunities. With the lack of good jobs outside extractive industries creating problems in the region, taking better advantage of our natural resources to encourage visitors can be a partial solution. Participants in this course will learn how to attract visitors and team up with tourism groups to help outsiders appreciate the unique offerings of Appalachia, from whitewater and rock-climbing to historical and educational sites.

Justin Guall is a marketing specialist for the West Virginia Division of Tourism. His role there focuses on heritage tourism development, media relations and special projects including Civil War Trails program and Travel Green-West Virginia. Justin also serves as the Division’s liaison to other state agencies and tourism interest groups. He has a bachelor’s degree in environmental science with a specialty in communications from the University of Charleston. Justin is a volunteer with the Davis Creek Watershed Association and is a board member of the Southeast Tourism Society.

*Influencing Active Mining Operations to Minimize Environmental Impacts and Maximize Reclamation Success:

Description: Coal mining unites Appalachian communities, and its impacts unite the watershed groups serving those communities. Coal operators can minimize their environmental impacts and maximize their reclamation success by implementing best management practices, before, during and after mining. Watershed groups can work to encourage coal companies to mine and reclaim their operations as prudently as possible. Participants in this session will learn what companies can and should do, as well as methods of working with the companies to implement best-practices policies.

Scott Eggerud is a Forester with the Dept of the Interior, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement Appalachian Regional Office, where he promotes reforestation of Mined lands using the Forestry Reclamation Approach. He has 24 years of experience in forestry and mine reclamation. Eggerud has a BS in Forest Management and Integrated Natural Resource Management from the University of Wisconsin at Steven’s Point.

*Reforesting Previously Mined Land in Appalachia:

Description: The Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative has the following goals:

Plant more high-value hardwood trees on reclaimed coal mined lands in Appalachia;
Increase the survival rates and growth rates of planted trees;
Expedite the establishment of forest habitat through natural succession

Meeting those goals requires hard work and cooperation between often-divergent interest groups. Environmental groups and coal companies put aside their differences to plant trees on acres of abandoned mine lands throughout the Eastern coalfields. This project has been and continues to be a successful way to tackle a serious problem in Appalachia. Participants in this session will learn about the history, methods, and successes of ARRI to apply the lessons to other projects. They will be inspired to work on organizing a tree-planting event in their own communities. In addition to getting high-quality hardwood trees onto mined lands, tree plantings provide an opportunity to educate new volunteers and garner media attention.

Patrick Angel (Reforesting Previously Mined Land in Appalachia) has been employed by the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM), United States Department of Interior, in London, Kentucky since the implementation of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act in 1978. Angel is currently serving as Forester and Soil Scientist for OSM where he is promoting reforestation partnerships on surface mines through the Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative. He is a graduate of Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, Texas with a BS and MS in Forestry (1972 and 1973). He is also a graduate of the University of Kentucky with a Ph.D. in Soil Science (2008).

Geology of Coal:

Description: Coal influences so many of the issues faced by Appalachian watershed organizations. Learn the basics of coal geology – how it forms, why it occurs in the mountains of Appalachia, how it is extracted, and how mining impacts regional environmental conditions. This is expected to be a couple hours of lecture combined with some short exercises designed to provide participants with the foundational scientific knowledge that will inform what they read and learn about coal-related issues.

Dr. Dave Matchen is currently an Assistant Professor of Geology at Concord University. He holds a B.S. in geology from Juniata College (1988) and an M.S. (1992) and PhD (2004) in geology from West Virginia University. For 13 years he worked for the West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey, working on characterizing Appalachian oil fields and mapping the middle Paleozoic rocks of Pendleton County. In 2004, he moved to Concord University where he teaches Sedimentary Geology, Environmental Geology, Historical geology and courses in geological Field Methods. His research interests include the geologic history of the Appalachians, and the stratigraphy of the oil and coal fields of the Appalachians.

Watershed Best Practices:

Description: This session will include an assessment of successful watershed remediation/protection practices. Using real and hypothetical examples to address a variety of water quality issues that occur within the Eastern Coalfields, participants will have the chance to develop their own ideas of ‘best practices’ based on their collective experiences. Participants will learn about contemporary remediation techniques, conservation policies, and useful organization practices.

Jennifer Garlesky is a graduate from West Virginia University where she received a Bachelor’s of Science in News-Editorial Journalism. She has worked as a journalist for daily and weekly newspapers in California, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. She has also worked as an environmental and technical writer for the West Virginia Water Research Institute. She is currently serving as an OSM/VISTA with the Morris Creek Watershed Association. She currently resides in Montgomery with her dog Gypsy Rose.

Mike King serves on the ECRR Board of Directors and is Executive Director of the Morris Creek Watershed Association. More complete bio coming soon.

SMCRA:

Description: SMCRA provides many of the regulations that prevent more damage from the coal industry, as well as the loopholes that allow companies to exploit the environment. Watershed organizations should understand the basics of the law in order to be informed protectors of the water. Participants in this session will get an overview of SMCRA tailored to the interests of watershed organizations in easily understandable terminology.

Andy McAllister: With over 20 years of professional experience in the fields of Benthic Ecology (ecology of bottom-dwelling critters), Water Pollution Control, and Abandoned Mine Drainage abatement, Andy has worked throughout the Eastern half of the U.S. and abroad. Andy has worked in the private sector as well in academia and government examining how bottom-dwelling invertebrates in marine, estuarine, and freshwater ecosystems react to and recover from many forms of pollution. He is a former Water Resource/Watershed Specialist for the Dauphin Conservation District in central Pennsylvania who, in 2006, joined WPCAMR as the Watershed Coordinator. Andy became the WPCAMR Regional Coordinator in February 2009.

*Sustainable Organizations:

Description: A case history of the Coal Creek Watershed Foundation: community successes based upon listening to what people in the watershed said they wanted and needed. Build trust in your community by working WITH the major landowners.

Barry Thacker (Sustainable Organizations) P.E., is president of Geo/Environmental Associates, Inc., a consulting engineering firm in Knoxville, Tennessee. He is also founder of the Coal Creek Watershed Foundation, Inc., a non-profit watershed restoration group. Mr. Thacker holds bachelor of science and master of engineering degrees in civil engineering from the University of Louisville. In 2000, he was named Tennessee Water Conservationist of the Year by the Tennessee Wildlife Federation. In 2002, he received the Model Special Projects Award from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Aquatic Resource Preservation Award from the Tennessee Dept. of Environment and Conservation. In 2003, he received the Hoover Medal from an international consortium of engineering societies for his civic and humanitarian achievements, and last year, the American Society of Civil Engineers presented him with its 2009 Professional Practice Ethics and Leadership Award.

*Funding Panel:

Description: This panel, with representatives from various regional foundations and government agencies that give grants, will provide insight into what grantors look for. What should you avoid in an application? What key points should always be included? This general session will include Q&A following specific thoughts and advice from the panel.