Speakers

Terry Alber

Terry Alber has spent over two decades involved in water quality, including operations, inspections, data and sample collection and analysis, and regulatory analysis, interpretation, compliance, and enforcement. He started his fifteen years with the City of Boise as an Environmental Technician and rose through Senior Environmental Specialist to the Pretreatment Program Coordinator position. In the last three and a half years, he has tackled the challenge of book-ending the wastewater treatment process as DEQ’s Biosolids and Pretreatment Coordinator, providing compliance assistance and guidance to Idaho’s POTWs. In Idaho, if you have a Biosolids or Pretreatment question, Terry will have an answer (even if he has to make one up).

Dr. Sally Brown

University of Washington

Sally Brown is a Professor at the University of Washington. Sally Brown received her MS and PhD under Dr. Rufus Chaney in 1996 at the University of Maryland. Her dissertation was on the Long-term effects of biosolids application on agricultural soils. Her work with biosolids started there and hasn’t stopped since. She is a Fellow in the Soil Science Society of America and was a two term member of the National Academy of Science Committee on Soil Science. She writes a monthly column for BioCycle Magazine and Northwest Biosolids – https://nwbiosolids.org/whats-happening/resource-library

Madeline Pierce Desjardins

Madeline Desjardins is a Ph.D. student studying soil science at Washington State University in Dr. Deirdre Griffin LaHue’s Soil Health Lab at the Northwestern Washing Research and Extension Center (NWREC). Her research at the NWREC focuses on the impacts of long-term biosolids applications and cover crop grazing on soil health and sustainable crop productivity in dryland grain systems.

Kyle Dorsey

Kyle Dorsey is the Executive Director at the Coalition for Clean Water, a nonprofit representing local governments focusing on wastewater, biosolids, and stormwater issues. Kyle came to the Coalition after more than thirty years with the Washington State Department of Ecology and has also worked in the private sector as the environmental services manager for a small business. Kyle has experience in legislative analysis, rulemaking, and permitting. While at Ecology he served as the state biosolids program coordinator as well as a regional program coordinator, is the original author of the state biosolids program rules, and oversaw development of the state biosolids program permit system. Kyle was an active participant in national program development and traces his biosolids roots back to before the federal rules in 40 CFR Part 503. He is a 1981 graduate of Washington State University. Kyle is an umpire and volleyball referee and likes to fish, work with wood, and spend time with his children and grandchildren.

Jason Duffin

Jason has been working at the Compost Facility in Missoula since 2005 for a Private Company. In 2017 the City of Missoula was able to purchase the Facility now known as Garden City Compost which is a Division of the Resource Recovery Center. Since that happened, he has been lucky enough to see the full potential of their facility and also learn a lot more about the science of Composting and working with various growing mediums. A large portion of that is his boss Gene Connell and himself being a part of this organization, Northwest Biosolids.

Jim Dunbar, P.E

Jim Dunbar is the General Manager for California operations at Lystek International. Jim is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame (BSCE) and St. Xavier University (MBA) and a Professional Engineer with more than 25 years’ experience in the management of solid waste and treatment of liquid wastes in the United States and Europe. Jim’s involvement with biosolids has led him to develop a northern California regional organics management facility which opened in 2016. This facility also has a successful land application program that utilizes a Class A liquid fertilizer program. Jim has been on the Northwest Biosolids Board of Directors since 2017, and the Board President since 2021.

Cat Gowan

Bio Coming Soon!

Deirdre Griffin-Lahue, PhD

Since January 2019, Deirdre Griffin LaHue is an assistant professor of soil quality and sustainable soil management at WSU’s Northwest Washington Research & Extension Center (NWREC) in Mount Vernon. Her research focuses on the impacts of agricultural practices on soil health, microbial communities, and the functions they provide. She takes a systems approach to understanding dynamics of soil organic matter, microbes, and nutrients in agriculture to help improve the resilience of cropping systems. Deirdre received her M.S. and Ph.D. in Soils & Biogeochemistry from UC Davis, where she studied the effects of soil amendments and irrigation management on soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics, soil health, and system productivity and profitability. Originally from Maryland, Deirdre earned her B.S. at the University of Maryland in Environmental Science and Policy.

Karla Guevarra

Currently Karla is the Operations Program Manager for Pierce County’s Chambers Creek WWTP.

Karla was previously a wastewater process engineer at King County’s Brightwater WWTP and San Francisco’s Oceanside Plant. Karla has twenty years of experience in water and wastewater Operations.

Chuck Henry

Currently, working on numerous USAID projects as an environmental advisor. Former faculty at the University of Washington, I have been involved in research and development, planning, design and implementation, and education of innovative environmental solutions to the numerous challenges facing marginalized communities through the world. I have authored/co-authored over 75 articles, edited 10 books/proceedings, and written and published 2 books. I have extensive expertise in sanitation, water systems, renewable energy, and composting, solid waste management, and the use of organic amendments as fertilizers. I have designed and implemented sustainable projects in India, Ecuador, Mexico, Cambodia, Costa Rica, and Afghanistan, including development and commercialization of a urine diverting dry (composting) toilet.

J.R. Inman

J.R. worked with Northwest Cascade Inc / FloHawks Plumbing & Septic for over 42+ years as GM / VP for 30 Years.

Also Worked with Liquid Environmental Solution for 2+ Years as Regional VP and GM over all Septic and DrainCleaning in the company.

Last 2+ years is co-owner and VP of M&J Consulting, doing Business Consulting, Sales Training along with other Industry Training Services.

JR has performed work and managed the service plumbing, septic pumping & portable toilet industry for 40 years. JR is licensed in a dozen counties in Washington State as a Pumper, Operation and Maintenance Specialist and Septic Installer. JR has served on boards including National On-Site Wastewater Recycling Association & Northwest Bio-Solids Management Association, Electrical Review committee, and WAC Review / re-write for State of Washington. JR is also Past President of Washington On-Site Sewage Association and is a certified instructor for On-Site Industry.

Dave Keeney

Dave is the Biosolids Composting project manager for King County. He has spent the past 9 years beneficially using biosolids, first at Metro Vancouver and for the past 2 years at King County. Prior to that he spent 10 years in research and consulting for the removal of underground contamination from fuel spills.

Greg Kester

Greg serves as both the technical and programmatic contact for CASA members and conduit for emerging issues on the state and federal levels on all biosolids, renewable energy, and related issues. He works closely with local, state and federal authorities as well as the private sector on biosolids management, climate change mitigation, and energy optimization. Prior to joining CASA in June 2007, he served as the state biosolids coordinator for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, where he represented all states in the nation, by their election, to the USEPA on all biosolids issues.

He has a BS in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Wisconsin and is a Registered Professional Engineer.

Maile Lono-Batura

Maile Lono-Batura is the Director of Sustainable Biosolids Programs at the Water Environment Federation. Maile joined WEF in 2021 after serving as Executive Director of Northwest Biosolids for 22 years. She serves as a central coordinator and network leader for WEF’s biosolids programs, finding synergies across organizations to elevate impactful movements. Maile earned her Bachelor’s in Community & Environmental Planning with an Environmental Studies Minor from the Univ. of WA. She received her Master’s in Nonprofit Leadership from Seattle Univ. and is a Board-Certified Env. Scientist with the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists Board (AAEES). She was recently recognized as a AAEES 40 Under 40 Rising Stars Class of 2022.

Ian Pepper

Regents Professor at the University of Arizona

Dr Pepper is a Regents Professor at the University of Arizona, where he is the Director of the Water and Energy Sustainable Technology Center. He is currently conducting a variety of research studies including wastewater- based epidemiology monitoring of SARS- CoV-2 and issues related to the land application of biosolids.

Baraka Poulin

Engineered Compost System’s Director of Business Development

Mr. Poulin serves as Engineered Compost System’s Director of Business Development. He joined ECS in 2019 and develops ideas and opportunities into successful compost projects. Prior to joining ECS, Mr. Poulin developed industrial scale biomass energy projects with both pyrolysis and gasification technology. He also brings an extensive background developing energy efficiency projects with public sector clients through energy service performance contracting.

Rebecca Singer

Rebecca Singer manages the Operations and Maintenance Section for King County’s Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD). WTD is an industry leader in clean water management and beneficial use products and services such as recycled water, biogas, Loop® biosolids, and sewer heat recovery. Rebecca oversees five treatment plants and 101 facilities that support more than 420 square miles of sewer pipes in King and parts of Snohomish and Pierce counties. Her plant management team provides leadership to over 350 employees in 5 locations. Rebecca has extensive experience in wastewater processing, strategic planning, and regulatory compliance, including policy development, educating colleagues and the public on technical topics, and building cross-functional teams.

Rebecca played key roles in multiple state and federally funded projects that used biosolids and recycled water. Before her position with King County, she worked for the Washington State Department of Ecology, providing technical assistance to nearly 300 biosolids-permitted facilities. Rebecca holds a Master of Science in Environmental and Forest Resources from the University of Washington.

Jasmine Qureshi