EBC Rhode Island Webinar Congressional Briefing with U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse
Tuesday, April 6, 2021
In partnership with: American Council of Engineering Companies of Rhode Island Rhode Island Society of Environmental Professionals
This program is supported in part by:
GOLD SPONSORS
Silver Sponsors
Bronze Sponsors
AGENDA
8:30 a.m. Pre-program Networking Opportunity
9:00 a.m. Welcome and Program Introduction • Rick Mandile, Chair, EBC Rhode Island Chapter Principal, Sage Environmental
9:15 a.m. Keynote Presentation
U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse Rhode Island
9:30 a.m. Moderated Discussion
Moderator: Robin L. Main, Partner, Hinckley Allen
Discussion Panel Members: • Igor Runge, Ph.D., P.H., Senior Consultant GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. • Elisabeth Treseder, New England Market Lead Equinor Wind US • Samuel Whitin, CERP, Coastal Resilience Director EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Inc., PBC
10:15 a.m. Adjourn
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse 170 Westminster Street, Suite 1100, Providence, RI 02903 RI Office: (401) 453-5294 | Contact: [email protected]
A graduate of Yale University and the University of Virginia School of Law, Sheldon served as a policy advisor and counsel to the Governor of Rhode Island and as the state’s Director of Business Regulation before being nominated by President Bill Clinton to be Rhode Island's United States Attorney in 1994. He was elected State Attorney General in 1998, a position in which he served from 1999-2003.
On November 7, 2006, Rhode Islanders elected Sheldon to the United States Senate, where he is a member of the Budget Committee; the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee; and the Judiciary Committee. He chairs the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism and the EPW Subcommittee on Oversight. On January 9, 2018 it was announced that Sheldon will join the Senate Finance Committee. PROGRAM MODERATOR
Robin L. Main, Partner Hinckley Allen 100 Westminster Street, Suite 1500, Providence, RI 02903 (401) 274-2000 | [email protected]
Robin is Co-Chair of the firm’s Environmental and Energy Practice Groups with over 30 years of experience in advising clients on regulatory and permitting matters. Robin represents clients in proceedings before administrative agencies in addition to state and federal courts. Robin has handled some of the most complex and significant environmental and energy matters in the region including permitting for the first offshore wind farm in the United States, Deepwater Wind. She now represents several proposed wind farms in the Rhode Island/Massachusetts wind energy area and some large solar developers in New England. Robin also has an extensive background in environmental regulatory matters, including representing utilities and developers. Robin’s experience in transactional and litigation matters, as well as her training as a mediator, provides her clients with unique guidance to solve their issues efficiently and creatively.
Robin serves on Hinckley Allen’s Executive Committee. She also is a fellow in the American College of Environmental Lawyers.
PANELISTS
Igor Runge, Ph.D., P.H., Senior Consultant GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. 188 Valley Street, Suite 300, Providence, RI 02909 (401) 427-2710 | [email protected]
Igor has been with GZA for 18 years and is responsible for many environmental engineering and water resources projects; specializing in regulatory permitting, storm water management, and water quality. He holds BS and MS degrees in Meteorology (SUNY Oneonta, University of Oklahoma) and a Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Rhode Island. Prior to GZA, he was in academe, most recently as the Dean of the School of Engineering, Computing, and Construction Management at Roger Williams University. Igor served as a Board member of the RI Flood Mitigation Association (RIFMA), is currently on the EBC-RI Leadership Team and ACEC Environmental Subcommittee, is a certified Professional Hydrologist, and a recipient of the Young Investigator Award from the National Academy of Sciences for his research in nonpoint source pollution of surface waters.
Elisabeth Treseder, New England Market Lead Equinor Wind US 1 Lincoln Street, Boston, MA 02111 (857) 300-7767 | [email protected]
Elisabeth Treseder is the New England Market Lead for Equinor’s US Wind business. Ms. Treseder works to advance the offshore wind industry in New England, managing market, policy and stakeholder outreach in the region. In her role, Ms. Treseder manages stakeholder engagement for the Beacon Wind project, recently selected by New York in the largest renewable energy solicitation in US history. Ms. Treseder has been at the forefront of shaping the policies to support the offshore wind industry in the US since 2017. Prior to joining Equinor, Ms. Treseder was a lead advisor at Ørsted where she successfully managed a bid for New Jersey’s largest offshore wind project. Previously, Ms. Treseder led infrastructure policy at the American Petroleum Institute in Washington DC and worked in energy mergers and acquisitions at the US Department of Justice. She holds a Master’s Degree in International Energy and Business from the Fletcher School at Tufts University and a Bachelor’s Degree from Duke University. Outside of work, Ms. Treseder is an active member of the New England Women in Energy and Environment (NEWIEE), which cultivates the next generation of female energy leaders, and the Fletcher Women’s Network. Ms. Treseder lives in Portsmouth, New Hampshire with her husband Christopher and son Jack.
Samuel Whitin, CERP, Coastal Resilience Director EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Inc., PBC 301 Metro Center Boulevard, #102, Warwick, RI 02886 (401) 736-3440 | M (401) 465-2549 | [email protected]
Mr. Whitin is a Vice President with EA Engineering, Science, and Technology (EA) and a Certified Ecological Restoration Practitioner (CERP) with over 25 years of multi-disciplinary experience relating to ecosystem restoration projects in the coastal environment. He has served as EA’s New England Operations Manager and is now their Director of Coastal Resilience working to develop projects and relationships promoting coastal habitat adaptation in response to climate change and sea level rise throughout the United States. As part of his work, he works with various federal and non-profit entities such as Army Corp of Engineering’s Engineering Research Development Center, NOAA, USFWS, U.S. Air Force, Audubon, Save the Bay – Narragansett Bay, and works on several projects funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Coastal Resilience Fund. Sam lives in Newport and was recently appointed to the City of Newport’s Energy and Environment Commission.