2024 Water Finance Conference Agenda

 

Day 1 – August 6, 2024

 

8:00   Registration Open  
9:00   Georgia in Focus: Financial Planning & Affordability  
9:00 9:30 Introductions & Opening Keynote Judy Adler, Director of Water Resources, Georgia Environmental Finance Authority
9:30 10:00 Performance Management-Based Financial Planning

Charlie Roberts, Deputy Director – Facility Operations, Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources

Sean Meyer, Division Director – Plant Engineering, Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources
10:00 10:30 Getting Affordability Conversations Started in Your Community

Arkedia Raines, Senior Water Resources Planner, Athens-Clarke County Unified Government

Hollis Terry, Public Utilities Director, Athens-Clarke County Unified Government
10:30 10:45 Break  
10:45 12:00 Panel: Water Pricing and Affordability

Moderator: Andrew Farr, Managing Editor, Water Finance & Management

  • Greg Baird, MPA, Principal Consultant, Black & Veatch Management Consulting, LLC
  • Dave Peterson, Chief Financial Officer, Henry County Water Authority
  • Arkedia Raines, Senior Water Resources Planner, Athens-Clarke County Unified Government
  • Chris Wood, Ph.D., President, JWA Public Communications
12:00 1:30 Networking Luncheon at The Water Tower  
1:30   Have You Considered Regionalization, Consolidation, Privatization?  
1:30 2:00 Regionalization/Consolidation in the Carolinas Carol Elliott, General Manager, MetroConnects, Greenville, S.C.
2:00 2:30 The Business of Utility Management & Considerations for Consolidation/Regionalization Nicolette Bateson, CPA, Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer, Great Lakes Water Authority
2:30 3:30 Panel: Regionalization, Consolidation, Privatization

Moderator: Greg Baird, MPA, Principal Consultant, Black & Veatch Management Consulting, LLC

  • Paul Schuler, P.E., Senior Strategic Advisor/Senior Vice President, Carollo Engineers
  • Carol Elliott, General Manager, MetroConnects, Greenville, S.C.
  • Nicolette Bateson, CPA, Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer, Great Lakes Water Authority
  • Melissa Levin, Executive Vice President, Raftelis
3:30 3:45 Break  
3:45 4:15 Water and Wastewater in the Era of Artificial Intelligence

Dr. Christopher Impellitteri, Director of Research and Development, The Water Tower

Roberto Machorro Swain, Water Resources Engineer, Wade Trim
4:15 5:00 Tour of the Water Tower Facility and Campus Join your fellow Water Finance Conference attendees and tour The Water Tower Global Innovation Hub. The campus features multiple laboratories, a field training center and water technology demonstration areas
5:00 6:00 Evening Reception at The Water Tower  

 

Day 2 – August 7, 2024

 

7:00   Registration Open & Breakfast  
8:00   Acquiring Federal Funding & Overcoming Obstacles  
8:00 8:30 The Hangover: Is the Infrastructure Party Over…or Just Beginning? Wayne Hofmann, Client Funding Director, Wade Trim
8:30 9:00 Update from EPA’s Water Infrastructure and Resiliency Finance Center Jean Ray, Water Infrastructure and Resiliency Finance Center (WIRFC), U.S. EPA
9:00 9:30 Identifying Compliance Requirements and Preparing for a Single Audit Jodi Dobson, CPA, Principal, Baker Tilly
9:30 9:45 Break  
9:45 10:15 State Revolving Funds: An Interactive Discussion Michael Deane, Chief, Clean Water State Revolving Fund, U.S. EPA
10:15 11:30 Panel: Overcoming Hurdles in Applying for/Obtaining Federal Funding

Moderator: Emily Snyder, Senior Manager, Capital Planning and Infrastructure Funding, Stantec

  • Keith McLaughlin, Executive Director, Colorado Water Resources and Power Development Authority
  • Sarah Stone, Deputy Director of Business Services, City of Englewood, CO
  • Mia Billetdeaux, Underwriting Team Lead, WIFIA Program, U.S. EPA
  • Danielle Giannantonio, Legislative Affairs Manager, Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District
11:30 12:30 Networking Luncheon at The Water Tower  
12:30   Technology and Innovation  
12:30 1:00 Sewer & Water Board of New Orleans Leverages Smart Technology

Corwin Washington, Infrastructure Project Manager, Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans

John Marciszewski, Vice President, Business Development, SmartCover
1:00 1:30 Is the Utility Procurement Model Ready for Disruption?

Jason Hewitt, Managing Partner, Sustainability Partners

Bruce Bharat, Vice President and Country Manager, Kamstrup North America
1:30 3:00 Panel: Data-Driven Financial Planning & Decision Making

Moderator: Marc Pitcher, Director of Sales & Marketing, Synario

  • Will Rice, Owner, WFF Inc./Co-Founder, IFCivil
  • Corwin Washington, Infrastructure Project Manager, Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans
  • Tacoma Zach, Co-founder & CEO, MentorAPM
  • Jason Hewitt, Managing Partner, Sustainability Partners