December 2-8, 2022

Governor Philip D. Murphy appointed Shawn M. LaTourette in June 2021 as New Jersey’s Commissioner of Environmental Protection. Commissioner LaTourette is responsible for formulating statewide environmental policy while directing programs that protect public health and ensure the quality of New Jersey’s air, land, water, and natural and historic resources.

Commissioner LaTourette was born and raised in New Jersey. Commissioner LaTourette graduated magna cum laude from Rutgers University and earned his
law degree summa cum laude from Rutgers Law School. The Commissioner has vast experience and a deep commitment to equity and protecting vulnerable
communities while facilitating public infrastructure development and advocating for environmental protection.

Mr. Adeem, a Newark native, began working for the City of Newark in 1991 in the Department of Engineering. In 2013, Adeem was promoted to superintendent of public works, where he oversaw daily maintenance operations of the Department of Water and Sewer Utilities. In 2018, he received his certification as a Public Works Manager and was appointed to his present position. He was a key player in various municipal projects, including the Queen Ditch Restoration Project, which helped address chronic flooding along Frelinghuysen Avenue that has plagued the area for more than 30 years. Director Adeem is credited with helping to rebrand the Department of Water and Sewer Utilities and upgrading the city’s infrastructure as it works to replace every lead service line. He is a dedicated public servant who has, and continues to, give back to his native community.

Utilizing over 25 years of experience with all phases of water and wastewater projects, Nicole Brown has worked with clients to improve the effectiveness and sustainability of their systems. She is currently the Client Development Manager for Suburban Consulting Engineers, focusing on design projects in NJ and PA. Nicole utilizes her communication skills through public speaking and community outreach for clients. She is passionate about increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the water industry and focuses on encouraging the next generation of water professionals.

Kristin Epstein is a Project Technical Leader with CDM Smith and national expert in LCRR/LCRI compliance. She assists water systems across the country with their service line material inventories, LSL replacement program planning, and LCR/LCRR/LCRI compliance. She was the Assistant Director of Trenton Water Works (2018-2022) where she developed and implemented a $50 million LSL replacement program that replaced 9,500 LSLs in 2.5 years, including private and public portions of the service lines. She is a frequent presenter at national and regional drinking water conferences. 

Amy oversees all of New Jersey programs for Clean Water Action and Clean Water Fund. She also serves on the Board of the NJ Work Environment Council and NJ Citizen Action, Steering Committee of the Coalition for Healthy Ports, ElectrifyNJ, EmpowerNJ, Jersey Renews, Sewer Free Streets & Rivers, Lead Free NJ, Chair’s NJ Lead in Drinking Water Task Force, Governor’s Public Appointee to NJDEP Clean Water Council. From 1994-2002, served in various roles as National Coordinator for the Public Health Institute’s (PHI) Jobs and Environment Training Consortium and Member of National Just Transition Alliance Curriculum Writing Team. Before joining Clean Water Action in mid-1992, Ms. Goldsmith directed Clean Water Action/Fund’s New England programs for seven years – leading a variety of public campaigns around water, superfund and Boston Harbor cleanups, and solid waste. From 1989-1992, Amy served as the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Nuclear Referendum Committee, focused on radioactive waste issues. She has a B.S. in Land Use Planning from the University of Minnesota, and served for three years as a research scientist with the University of Minnesota’s Entomology Department. Amy lives in Red Bank with her husband, has 2 grown children, 3 cats, and 1 turtle. She loves to garden and take walks in her favorite nature areas.

Andrew Kricun is a Managing Director with Moonshot Missions, a non-profit focused on providing technical assistance to water utilities in underserved communities. Prior to that, he served as Executive Director and Chief Engineer of the Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority, operators of an 80 million gallon per day wastewater treatment plant in Camden, NJ. He has 35 years of wastewater and biosolids management experience. He graduated with honors from Princeton University with a degree in chemical engineering. He also holds a professional engineer’s license in civil engineering and is a board-certified environmental engineer as well.

Andy serves on the USEPA’s National Environmental Justice Advisory Council and also New Jersey Environmental Justice Advisory Council.  He previously served on the board of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies and as the chair of its Utility of the Future committee and the Environmental Justice committee. He was the recipient of the Praxis Award for Professional Ethics, the President’s Award from the National Association of Clean Water Agencies, the One Water Prize from the US Water Alliance, and Environmental Quality Awards from the United States Environmental Protection Agency. He was also chosen as governmental engineer of the year by the NJ Chapter American Society of Civil Engineers in 2018.

He serves as co-chair for the Jersey Water Works Steering Committee.

Larry Levine advocates for strong enforcement of, improvement of, and funding for national, state, and local policies on urban water quality, water infrastructure, and affordable access to safe and sufficient water and sanitation. His work includes developing and advocating for strategies to ensure that water and sewer service remains affordable for all, even as water infrastructure investment increases to meet clean water needs. Previously, he was a litigation fellow at NRDC and he also worked as a clinical fellow in environmental law at the Georgetown University Law Center. He is a graduate of Tulane University and Yale Law School. He is based in Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia.

Mark McDonough is the principal external contact for New Jersey American Water, overseeing 850 employees who serve approximately 2.8 million people. McDonough’s previous roles with American Water included president of the Military Services Group and Chief Compliance Officer. 

Before joining American Water in June 2005, McDonough was an attorney. Prior to graduating law school, he was a special agent with the U.S. Government, serving in the Office of Inspector General at the Department of Energy, The National Passenger Railroad Corporation (Amtrak), and the General Services Administration. McDonough received his B.S. in criminal justice from the University of Delaware, his M.S. in justice from American University, and his J.D. from George Mason University.

Diane manages program staff responsible for New Jersey Future’s Mainstreaming Green Infrastructure program, stormwater utilities, lead in drinking water policy, and general water policy. Diane plays a leadership role in policy development and advocacy, provides technical assistance, and works to advance program goals. She has over 20 years of experience in water and sustainability issues. In addition to her work as a consultant for organizations and agencies focused on water resources and sustainable development, Diane also served as a program officer at the William Penn Foundation. She holds a B.A. in anthropology and geology from Vanderbilt University, as well as a Master of Regional Planning with a concentration in land use and environmental planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Mr. Chwiedosiuk is the Director of Distribution for Middlesex Water Company, a publicly-traded investor-owned water and wastewater utility company, primarily serving New Jersey and Delaware, where he oversees over 700 miles of transmission and distribution pipelines ranging in diameter from 6-inches through 60-inches. Mr. Chwiedosiuk’s  responsibilities include the planning, coordination and management of the utility’s distribution system maintenance, compliance and capital construction programs. Additionally, his responsibilities include the oversight and management of the utility’s Lead Service Line Replacement and Compliance Program.  Mr. Chwiedosiuk has both a B.S. and M.S in Civil Engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Additionally, he is a New Jersey licensed Professional Engineer and a W-4/C-2 Licensed Operator.

Michael Furrey is the President of Agra Environmental and Laboratory Services, a company specializing in laboratory services and consultation to the water and wastewater industry. He holds a T-4 License, W-3 License, and aquatic pesticide applicator license for NJ and is the former chair for NJAWWA. He holds a B.S. in Chemistry from Cook College, Rutgers University. He is also an adjunct Professor at Rutgers University.

Trish Ingelido is the Director of Division of Water Supply and Geoscience. She has over 20 years of experience in water resources management at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. She previously served as the Assistant Director of the Water System Operations Element in the Division of Water Supply and Geoscience. She earned a B.S. in Environmental Science from Rutgers University, an M.S. in Environmental Policy from New Jersey Institute of Technology and is a Certified Public Manager.

Dan is Senior Director at the Utility and Transportation Contractors Association (UTCA) of NJ, a trade association with members that deliver a wide range of infrastructure solutions for the public and private sectors. Dan’s subject matter expertise has him focusing on a wide range of environmental and utility issues. He serves on the Steering Committee of Jersey Water Works and is Chairman of the national Clean Water Construction Coalition, an organization of construction associations whose purpose is to promote federal legislation that improves water infrastructure. Prior to his role with UTCA, he served as an Assistant Commissioner at the NJDEP, Deputy Director of the NJ Office for Planning Advocacy, and in various roles in county government.

He is a licensed professional planner with a MCRP from Rutgers’ Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning & Public Policy and a B.S. in Environmental Science from the University of Delaware. Dan serves as the Chair of Bordentown City’s Planning / Zoning Board and the Vice-Chair of the Burlington County Agricultural Development Board.

Sandra Kutzing is a professional engineer and Vice President at CDM Smith in New Jersey with 20 years of experience in drinking water. She has a B.S. from the University of Illinois and an M.S. from the University of Washington. Ms. Kutzing is CDM Smith’s Lead and Copper Strategy leader, assisting utilities with meeting the Lead and Copper Rule and developing lead service line replacement programs.

Tenisha Malcolm is the Director of the Urban Mayors Policy Center at John S. Watson Institute for Urban Policy and Research at Kean University. In this role, Malcolm supports the work of the Institute to provide support for New Jersey Urban Mayors Association (NJUMA) member mayors in guiding communities as they seek solutions to various issues facing urban municipalities. She will also provide technical support to the members of the NJUMA focusing on policy analysis and research.

Prior to joining the Watson Institute, Malcolm worked for several national and community-based nonprofits where she directed large-scale innovative programs, fundraising and strategic development. 

Nicole Miller, Principal of MnM Consulting, is a communications professional with nearly two decades of experience creating targeted publicity and marketing campaigns for a range of clients in private industry and the nonprofit sector. MnM Consulting specializes in media development, digital and print publishing, brand strategy, content creation, and clean energy/sustainability education for business and general audiences. MnM Consulting works with several small business, government, and non-profit clients on brand development, project management, event coordination and product deployment. Ms. Miller has a BA in Arts, Media, and Culture from the University of Washington and a Master of Science in Publishing from Pace University in New York. Ms. Miller is a resident of Newark, NJ, a member of the Newark Environmental Commission advising the Mayor and City Council on sustainability issues, Chair of the Newark Green Team, and Co-Chair of NewarkDIG (Doing Infrastructure Green), which is dedicated to resilient and sustainable municipal stormwater management.

She serves as co-chair for the Jersey Water Works Steering Committee.

Rosana Pedra Nobre is the Water Quality Manager at the Hudson River Foundation and the New York-New Jersey Harbor & Estuary Program, where she works with partner organizations and agencies to manage water resources and improve water quality in the Harbor Estuary. She dedicates her time towards incorporating science, data collection, and community engagement into addressing water quality challenges and uses an educational lens to communicate science. Rosana has an Ed.M. in science education and a B.S. in environmental sciences from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey.

David Zimmer serves as the Executive Director of the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank, the State’s construction financing Authority which partners with the NJDEP and the NJDOT to provide low interest rate loans to government units and authorities for environmental and local transportation infrastructure projects respectively.

During his tenure, Mr. Zimmer has focused on introducing several new successful loan programs to broaden the reach and depth of financing program options and worked to overhaul the I-Bank’s credit policy to bring transparency and clarity to borrowers.  He has also improved the efficiency and effectiveness of the I-Bank by overseeing the development of two modern, web-based loan management systems that have greatly reduced paper work and minimized time and administrative costs for project sponsors.

Mr. Zimmer is a Chartered Financial Analyst and holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in finance from the University of Notre Dame and a Bachelor of Civil Engineering degree from the University of Dayton.

For more information on the NJ I-Bank, please visit: www.njib.gov.

Nathaly Agosto Filión serves as the Deputy Climate Resilience Officer for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. In this capacity, Agosto Filión works with the Office of Climate Resilience team to accelerate implementation of statewide resilience policy and programs in partnership with the Interagency Council on Climate Resilience. Prior to joining the DEP in October 2022, Agosto Filión worked as Chief Sustainability Officer for the City of Newark, NJ, Resiliency Manager with Sustainable Jersey, and Program Officer at the Institute for Sustainable Communities. Throughout her career, Nathaly has helped to design and deliver capacity-building initiatives for local and regional government leaders and community-based climate and sustainability practitioners. Agosto Filión earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in Natural Resources from the University of Vermont.

Rich is the Director for Ridgewood Water; one of the 25 largest utilities in the state, servicing over 61,000 customers in four municipalities. Rich is a licensed professional engineer and planner, with over 25 years’ experience. The hallmark of his career has been the last six years with Ridgewood, advancing government policies with sound engineering principles, to provide safe drinking water from a complex groundwater system.

Matt Carpenter, Co-Founder and Partner of Beard and Bowler

Whenever I read a speaker’s bio I’m always looking for the “thing” that convinces me that they are worth listening to.  We all do it, right?!?  So let me just cut to the chase.  Here’s who I am:

– Husband & Father of 4

– I own and oversee the creative team for Beard & Bowler, a video production company that specializes in fundraising videos and NonProfit Storytelling.

– I work, full-time, at a NonProfit in Paterson, NJ (Star of Hope Ministries) as the Director of Communications.

– I am also the Director of Communications, part-time, for the New Canaan Society: Bergen County (yes, I work too much).

– Aaaaannnddd, I am the Content Director and Editor for the Bloguin Media Group – a collection of over 30 sports websites.  Important to know, I hate sports I just know what people like to read.

– Finally, because I have so much free time, I’ve been a ghostwriter (on the side) for well over a decade helping some relatively well-known people organize, write, and then market their books, blogs, podcasts, and more.  There’s a good chance you’ve read something I’ve written in the last 6 months.

The FAQ’s that typically follow this:

– Yes, I actually actively do all of these jobs.

– No, I don’t sleep.  It’s fine… I’ve been tested.

– Family always comes first!  I make time with them my priority.

– I love what I do and that’s why I do so much of it.

– No, I can’t be on your board.

Tanuja Dehne is the President & CEO of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation where, alongside her team, she is leading the Foundation’s transformation into an anti-racist organization dedicated to realizing a just and equitable New Jersey. Tanuja is also a public company director and former C-level executive of NRG Energy, Inc., a Fortune 250 power company, an award-winning corporate attorney, human resources professional, and community volunteer. Tanuja earned her undergraduate degree from Lafayette College, her Master’s degree in Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania, and her Juris Doctor degree with honors from Syracuse University College of Law.

Mami Hara is the CEO of the US Water Alliance, a national nonprofit organization advancing policies and programs that build a sustainable water future for all. 

The US Water Alliance brings together diverse stakeholders to identify and advance common-ground, achievable solutions to our nation’s most pressing water challenges. Water utilities, public officials, business leaders, agricultural interests, environmental organizations, community leaders, unions, and policy organizations comprise the diverse membership of the US Water Alliance. The Alliance educates the nation on the true value of water, accelerates the adoption of One Water policies and programs, and celebrates innovation in water management. The Alliance also manages the Value of Water Campaign, a coalition of leading water sector organizations that are building public and political will for investment in water infrastructure.

Mami brings over three decades of experience in land and water management, advancing sustainable practices through cultivating leaders and partnerships, workforce development, inclusive community participation, science-based decisions and planning, and knowledge sharing. In her public sector and private practice roles, Mami has guided the planning and implementation of award-winning green infrastructure, sustainability, economic development, and waterfront programs across the United States. 

Prior to serving at the Alliance, Mami was the general manager and CEO of Seattle Public Utilities, which provides solid waste, drainage, and wastewater services for Seattle residents and businesses, as well as drinking water for 1.3 million regional customers in 27 municipalities. Mami also served as first deputy commissioner of Philadelphia Water, where she helped shepherd the groundbreaking green infrastructure program, Green Cities, Clean Waters. Additionally, Mami worked as a principal with Wallace Roberts & Todd, LLC, leading seminal projects such as GreenPlan Philadelphia, and developing environmental justice-centered, open space, and infrastructure plans for underserved communities in the northeastern United States. Mami co-founded a peer-to-peer network for cities and utilities advancing green infrastructure programs to promote research, innovation, and implementation of green infrastructure, and she has been an advisor to several environmental, philanthropic, planning, and design advocacy organizations. Mami taught at PennDesign, Temple School of Architecture, and the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at MIT, and she holds degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard University.

Joel Rosa, Chairman of Perth Amboy Redevelopment Agency, is a proud New Jersey native who was appointed by Mayor Helmin J. Caba as Perth Amboy’s lead person on the CSO Long Term Control Plan. In this capacity, Joel oversees economic development within the City’s redevelopment zone and ensures all approved projects provide infrastructure improvements that build storm resiliency. During his term, PARA approved over $1 billion in private investment, generated over $15M in annual tax revenue, created over 3,000 jobs, and produced more than $25M in infrastructure improvements.

Prior to his current role, Joel lead communities of empowered citizens to present solutions to their governing bodies in cities including Newark, Perth Amboy, Plainfield, Trenton, and Philadelphia as the Civic Trust Director for the Citizens Campaign Non-Profit. During his time there, he worked with public officials and school administrators throughout New Jersey to implement public safety policies, civic-based curriculums, and quality of life enhancement programs that address social justice and environmental issues. 

Joel is also a business professional with over 15 years of experience in managing companies in private, public, and voluntary sectors. He is committed to developing underserved communities and volunteers as a member of the Perth Amboy Green Team, Middlesex County Solid Waste Advisory Council, and Jersey Waterworks Steering Committee.

Stephanie Staub is the Director of Infrastructure and Energy Sectors Strategy and Workforce Partnerships for the New Jersey Community College Consortium for Workforce and Economic Development. Focused on the NJ Pathways to Career Opportunities initiative, she leads the sector’s statewide inclusive Collaborative as well as two Centers of Workforce Innovation, for Renewable Energy and for Construction.

Stephanie has worked in the construction industry for nearly thirty years, primarily in a labor/management setting with the International Masonry Institute and Architectural Glass Institute. She was a member of Drexel University’s Construction Management Advisory Council and served as adjunct professor for their Glass as a Construction Material course.

Over the years Stephanie has actively participated in a variety of boards and industry organizations, many of which serving in leadership positions. She was Vice President of the Construction Specification Institute’s Philadelphia Chapter and in that role worked closely with the American Society of Professional Estimators. She served on the Board of Directors of the ACE Mentoring Program (Architecture/Construction/Engineering) in both New Jersey and Greater Philadelphia. Stephanie is in the final months of a 12-year stint on the Ewing Board of Education, having served as President and Vice President for nearly half of her years of service.