SPEAKERS

Dr. Sally Brown
University of Washington

Andrew Carpenter
Board Member of the Compost Research and Education Foundation (CREF)

Madeline Pierce Desjardins

Jason Duffin

Dr. Lauchlan Fraser
Professor and NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Ecosystem Reclamation Department of Natural Resource Science Thompson Rivers University

Mike Gates
Clean Water Services Biosolids and Dewatering Program
Mike is the Operations Analyst for the dewatering and biosolids program at Clean Water Services. He specializes in dewatering and biosolids program optimization. Mike has been with Clean Water Services for 16 years with his main focus on the optimization of dewatering centrifuges with the last 5 years focused on optimizing the biosolids program. Mike currently oversees the land application of approximately 11000 dry tons of biosolids beneficially used in the Willamette Valley and several counties in Eastern Oregon.

Martye Griffin
Director of Ecosystem Services
Martye received his graduate degree in biology from the Marine Biological Laboratory in Massachusetts, examining the impacts of excess nutrients on coastal ecosystems. He has over 20 years of experience working in the public and private sectors looking holistically at the interaction between human land use and water quality. With increasing societal and regulatory pressure to produce cleaner water than ever, it costs more to clean water after it is polluted than preventing the pollution in the first place.
In his role, Martye focuses on solving problems adaptively to move at the speed of trust. Working in communities focusing on pollution prevention is just the way we must do business.
Martye joined the District in 2017.

Pat Heins
Permit Writer for individual and statewide Water Pollution Control Facility permits

Emily Kijowski
Statewide Biosolids Coordinator for Washington State Department of Ecology

Maile Lono-Batura
Director of Sustainable Biosolids Programs at the Water Environment Federation

Dominic Loustalot
Compost Facility Operator, City of Coeur d'Alene Wastewater Dept.

Elizabeth (Beth) Lyon
Strategic Marketing-Communication Project Manager Resource Recovery Section King County Wastewater Treatment Division
Elizabeth has worked for some dynamic brands like Precor, Seattle University, and United Health, and in the public sector for the University of Washington and Seattle City Light. Before joining King County, Elizabeth worked as a marketing-communication strategist, promoting educational programs, and developing a new business model and programming strategies for Seattle’s Lighting Design Lab. Elizabeth has a Bachelor of Science in Communication from the University of Idaho and holds a graduate certificate in interactive (digital) marketing from the University of Washington. Her favorite motto is, “The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.” A good reminder and call to arms that everyone plays a role in helping protect the world’s most valuable asset.

Ben Martin
Assistant Wastewater Director, The City of Coeur d’Alene Idaho

Dr. Bryn Nelson
Freelance science writer, editor, and author
brynnelson.com

Konrad Mathesius
Agronomy Advisor with the University of California Cooperative Extension

Kristen McIvor
Director of Harvest Pierce County
Kristen is the director of Harvest Pierce County, the urban agriculture program of the Pierce Conservation District – supporting 90 active community gardens, orchards, farms and the humans that make it all happen. She has been working to develop sustainable food systems in Tacoma, WA since 2006 and received her PhD in Forest Resources from the University of Washington in 2011.

Ian Pepper
Regents Professor at the University of Arizona

Baraka Poulin
Engineered Compost System’s Director of Business Development

Natalie Sierra
National Practice Lead for Solids and Energy, Brown and Caldwell

William Toffey
Principal of Effluential Synergies LLC

Ken Windram
Administrator, Hayden Area Regional Sewer Board