2023 Agenda

The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District is a regional entity providing sanitary and stormwater management services to Cleveland and 61 suburban communities in Northeast Ohio. As CEO, Ms. Dreyfuss-Wells oversees the operation of one of the largest clean-water agencies in Ohio, a district that treats 90 billion gallons of water every year thanks to the work of more than 750 employees. She works closely with seven Trustees and nine directors to ensure efficient management of hundreds of miles of sewer and stream networks, a multi-billion-dollar 25-year Project Clean Lake program, and a regional wet-weather strategy for the health of Lake Erie and more than one million residents.

Isabel Kezman is a senior analyst supporting Bluefield’s research and analyses of the U.S. municipal water sector. Her focuses include private participation, alternative water strategies such as wastewater reuse, and key state and federal policies driving market or investment opportunities. Prior to joining Bluefield, Kezman worked as a consultant for Sustainable Waters. She holds a B.S. in Environmental Sciences and B.A. in Global Security and Justice from the University of Virginia.

Erika Powers is a partner in the Chicago office of Barnes & Thornburg LLP. She is a member of the Environmental Department and concentrates her practice in the area of water quality. She advises municipalities, utility districts, trade organizations and other regulated parties across the country on a wide variety of Clean Water Act issues, including wet weather management and wastewater treatment.

Bryan Peckinpaugh has been instrumental in the development and outreach related to Detroit’s new income-based water affordability program – the DWSD Lifeline Plan – where 86% of the enrollees have a $18 monthly bill. He has been with the Detroit Water & Sewerage Department (DWSD) since 2016 responsible for communications, media relations, customer education and community programming, integrated advertising, community outreach, and government affairs. In addition to the Lifeline Plan, Peckinpaugh and his team have been instrumental in outreach efforts related to a robust lead service line replacement program. Peckinpaugh has more than 20 years of public relations and marketing experience in government, nonprofit and sports. He has a degree in business administration specializing in marketing from the University of Michigan.

Dave Fox leads Raftelis’ New England practice based out of Natick, MA. He has over a decade of experience in utility rate and financial consulting. Over the course of his career, Dave has worked with water, wastewater, and stormwater utilities, both public and private, on a variety of issues including: cost-of-service and rate design studies, financial sufficiency and planning assistance, customer affordability analyses and assistance program implementation, impact fee and other miscellaneous fee analyses, utility valuations, and bond feasibility and coverage certificate support analyses. Dave has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Economics. He lives in Massachusetts with his wife and two daughters.

Joe Crea serves as vice president and senior manager in Raftelis’ Cincinnati office. His work focuses on helping municipal utilities manage the myriad financial and managerial efforts required to maintain sustainable and effective service delivery. With more than 10 years of experience in the utility industry, Crea has developed a thorough understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing water and wastewater utilities.

Nicolette N. Bateson, CPA, is the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Treasurer for the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA). She previously served as CFO of the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department, beginning in February 2013. In that role, she led the Financial Services Group through a significant transformation effort engaging cross-functional teams to achieve sustainable change. The result was a professionalized department with an unprecedented demonstration of transparency to all stakeholders. This pivotal effort supported intensive, collaborative discussions that were essential to forming the regional authority.

Gregory Jenkins has worked in the governmental sector for more than 20 years. He is currently an assistant director for Raleigh Water, responsible for customer care and billing, meters, training and development, and communications. Raleigh Water provides water to more than 600,000 people in Raleigh and six other jurisdictions. Jenkins is an NCGFOA Certified Local Government Finance Officer.

Melissa LaBuda primarily serves PFM’s national utility practice, offering advice on financial and strategic planning, credit rating strategy, rate setting, debt issuance, and other financing options. LaBuda began her career as a financial advisor at PFM in 2001 where she worked with utility clients. She has served in executive leadership positions for the past 10 years, most recently as deputy water commissioner and chief financial officer for the Philadelphia Water Department.

Bryan Peckinpaugh has been instrumental in the development and outreach related to Detroit’s new income-based water affordability program – the DWSD Lifeline Plan – where 86% of the enrollees have a $18 monthly bill. He has been with the Detroit Water & Sewerage Department (DWSD) since 2016 responsible for communications, media relations, customer education and community programming, integrated advertising, community outreach, and government affairs. In addition to the Lifeline Plan, Peckinpaugh and his team have been instrumental in outreach efforts related to a robust lead service line replacement program. Peckinpaugh has more than 20 years of public relations and marketing experience in government, nonprofit and sports. He has a degree in business administration specializing in marketing from the University of Michigan.

Alex Margevicius, a native Clevelander, began his tenure with the Cleveland Division of Water as a Civil Engineer in 1985 and was appointed the Assistant Commissioner of Engineering at CWD in 1995.  Mr. Margevicius was responsible for coordinating all engineering and capital improvement projects for the Division.  He is an expert in the design and operation of large, complex water systems, and has significant insights into distribution system infrastructure issues.

Sherry Loos is a senior management consultant at Arcadis with over 20 years of experience advising public water and sewer systems and helping them secure state and federal funding. Loos joined Arcadis after serving two decades as an RCAP coordinator, GIS coordinator and Technical Assistance Provider for the non-profit Great Lakes Community Action Partnership, leading a program that served over 250 small water and wastewater systems annually by offering consulting, technical assistance and training programs. Her broad experience helping public water and sewer utilities includes project development and grant writing, asset management plan development, rate studies, regionalization project facilitation, GIS services, lead service line inventories development, and board training. Loos earned a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from Allegheny College, and a Master of Science in Water Resources from Iowa State University.

Nichole Sajdak serves as an engineering manager at the Great Lakes Water Authority. She is passionate about drinking water quality and treatment and her career includes more than 20 years as a consulting engineer conducting studies, designs and construction management of capital improvement projects. She received her master’s from the School of Public Health at UNC – Chapel Hill.

Greg Baird is principal consultant, Global Advisory – Strategic Advisory/Rates & Regulatory, with Black & Veatch Management Consulting, LLC. He specializes in long-term utility planning, infrastructure asset management and capital funding strategies for municipal utilities in the United States. He has served as a municipal finance officer in California with rate design and implementation experience and as the CFO of Colorado’s third-largest utility. He is widely published and presents on utility infrastructure asset management and integrated water finance issues. He is also a frequent contributor to Water Finance & Management.

Edward Barca is the director of finance of the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA). Appointed in 2018, he is responsible for the creation, implementation, and monitoring of the annual operating budget and the five-year capital improvement plan. He also manages PWSA’s cash and liquidity, debt portfolio and development of financial projections.

Alex Margevicius, a native Clevelander, began his tenure with the Cleveland Division of Water as a Civil Engineer in 1985 and was appointed the Assistant Commissioner of Engineering at CWD in 1995.  Mr. Margevicius was responsible for coordinating all engineering and capital improvement projects for the Division.  He is an expert in the design and operation of large, complex water systems, and has significant insights into distribution system infrastructure issues.

Bob Geiser has more than 27 years of design, management, and supervisory experience with municipal infrastructure and water supply. Geiser has spearheaded all elements of implementation and enforcement of procedures, plans, and ordinances to provide overall support of municipal improvements. He is currently performing leadership responsibilities of the Akron Water Supply Bureau Technical Services Division and provides planning and implementation of short- and long-term Capital Improvement Projects. In addition, he carries out numerous tasks critical to the operation, maintenance, and sustainability of the Akron Water System and has maintained, replaced, and upgraded critical components within the Water System while investigating technological advances to improve the system as a whole. Geiser is a registered professional engineer and Class I Water Supply Operator in the State of Ohio.

Bryan Stubbs is a recognized leader in implementing sustainable economic development strategies and building resilient communities. He has more than 20 years of experience leading technologically and environmentally focused projects in Chicago, Silicon Valley and Ohio. As executive director and president of Cleveland Water Alliance (CWA), he oversees the development of one of the most effective water innovation clusters in North America. CWA recently mobilized million in investments from federal, state and municipal supporters into its world-class Water Accelerator Testbeds and has consequently catalyzed explosive water economy job creation that is outpacing that of the advanced manufacturing, biohealth and additive manufacturing industries. Stubbs earned his BA from the University of Kansas, his MBA from the University of Illinois at Chicago and his Executive MBA from the Presidio School of Sustainable Management.

Danielle Giannantonio has served as the Legislative Affairs Manager for the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD) since 2018 and as a member of the Ohio Lake Erie Commission (OLEC) since 2020. Prior to her current positions, Giannantonio has served as the Legislative Liaison for the Ohio EPA as well as Legislative Aide and Page in the Ohio House of Representatives. Giannantonio graduated from the University of Dayton with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration.

As Wade Trim’s client funding director, Wayne Hofmann assists his clients to position for and pursue emerging funding sources to meet their infrastructure needs. His broad understanding of federal, state, and private funding sources includes both civil infrastructure and commercial construction in his 15-year career. This varied experience has enabled a unique understanding of how governmental programs, philanthropic funding sources, tax credits and loans can be leveraged.

Doug Baldessari is a partner in Baker Tilly’s public sector practice. His practice includes financial studies and projects for municipally-owned water, sewage and stormwater utilities, not-for-profit water, regional water and sewer districts and conservancy districts. These projects often involve bond financing, financial analysis and determining utility revenue requirements, cost-of-service studies, asset management and financial planning associated with capital acquisition.

Zack Perconti is a graduate of the College of William & Mary and the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University. He has worked on infrastructure and labor issues since 2016. He has deep knowledge of U.S. legislative, budgetary, and regulatory processes and is an expert on grassroots communication. This has translated into high effectiveness in achieving clients’ government-relations objectives.

John is the VP of Business Development for SmartCover. He helps wastewater utilities employ innovative practices for collection system management, promoting capital efficiency, system resiliency, and environmental protection. John’s areas of interests include utility asset management, regulatory frameworks, and cloud-based monitoring systems. He has 25 years of commercialization experience in high-tech, including 10+ years with Mueller. John was a founding Industrial Advisory Board member for the Sustainable Water Infrastructure Management Center. John has an M.Eng. from the University of California Berkeley and B.M.E. from Kettering University.

Phil Bowles is a risk consultant with Knight Insurance Group. He specializes in working with contractors and other businesses in the utility industry, offering risk management expertise to help clients improve operational efficiency and their overall bottom line, improving cost of risk, shareholder value and ability to facilitate a transition to the next generation.

Greg Baird is principal consultant, Global Advisory – Strategic Advisory/Rates & Regulatory, with Black & Veatch Management Consulting, LLC. He specializes in long-term utility planning, infrastructure asset management and capital funding strategies for municipal utilities in the United States. He has served as a municipal finance officer in California with rate design and implementation experience and as the CFO of Colorado’s third-largest utility. He is widely published and presents on utility infrastructure asset management and integrated water finance issues. He is also a frequent contributor to Water Finance & Management.