Steering Committee & Working Groups

Steering Committee

Chairman Jim HenryDeputy to the Governor, State of Tennessee
Randy McNallyLieutenant Governor, State of Tennessee
Beth HarwellSpeaker of the House of Representatives, State of Tennessee 
Dr. John DreyzehnerCommissioner, Department of Health 
Shari L. Meghreblian, Ph.D.Commissioner, Department of Environment and Conservation
Bob RolfeCommissioner, Department of Economic and Community Development
Jai TempletonCommissioner, Department of Agriculture
Kevin TriplettCommissioner, Department of Tourism
Ed CarterExecutive Director, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
Tisha Calabrese-BentonDeputy Commissioner, Department of Environment and Conservation
Dr. Ken MooreMayor, City of Franklin
Jim StricklandMayor, City of Memphis
Dr. Philip OldhamPresident, Tennessee Technological University
Jerri S. BryantChancellor, 10th Judicial District
Jeff AikenPresident, Tennessee Farm Bureau
Valoria ArmstrongPresident, Tennessee American Water Co.
Bill JohnsonPresident and Chief Executive Officer, Tennessee Valley Authority
Col. Michael A. Ellicott, Jr.Commander, USACE Memphis District
Michael  ButlerChief Executive Officer, Tennessee Wildlife Federation
Hanneke CountsVice President, Eastman Chemical
Lt. Col. Cullen A. JonesCommander, USACE Nashville District
Bob FreudenthalExecutive Director, Tennessee Association of Utility Districts
W. Scott GainDirector, US Geological Survey
Mekayle HoughtonExecutive Director, Cumberland River Compact
Kevin IgliSenior Vice President, Tyson Foods
Bo PerkinsonBoard President, Tennessee Municipal League
Ron TaylorWater Environment Federation, Secretary-Treasurer for Kentucky/Tennessee
Daniel MecklenborgIngram Barge Company, Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer

Working Groups

Focusing on storage capacity or supply, uses by sector and by basin.

Jim Cameron, ChairBoard of Water Quality, Oil & Gas
Thanos Papanicolaou, Co-ChairHydraulics and Sedimentation Lab University of Tennessee
Dr. L. Yu LinSurface Water Institute Director Christian Brothers University
Jimmy MoodyCold Creek Farms
Rich CochranTN Dept of Environment & Conservation Staff
Steve BartellCardno (Infrastructure and Environmental Services)
Forbes WalkerUniversity of Tennessee
Alfred Kalyanapu Tennessee Tech University
Claudio MeierUniversity of Memphis, Civil Engineering Dept 
Mark Hilty City of Franklin, Public Works 
Jeff ForeNature Conservancy
Curt JawdyTN Valley Authority
Sam MarshallTN Dept of Agriculture
Dan Mecklenborg  Ingram Barge
Doug MurphyDuck River Agency
Anthony RodinoU.S. Army Corps of Engineers
James W. Cameron Chair, Board of Water Quality, Oil, and Gas

Focusing on the assessment of drinking water and wastewater infrastructure

Bob Freudenthal, ChairTN Association of Utility Districts
Drexel Heidel, Co-Chair West Knox Utility District
Elaine BoydTN Dept of Environment & Conservation Staff
Darren GoreMurfreesboro Water Resources
Mike BernardSmith Seckman Reid (Nashville)
Nick NewmanMemphis Light, Gas & Water
Seth RyeSmith Seckman Reid (Nashville)
Michael AdamsWater Authority of Dickson County
Louis RobbinsGRW (Engineering, architecture, geospatial)(Nashville)
Anthony PelhamCity of McMinnville
Harold CannonCannon and Cannon (civil engineering, transportation, and field surveying) (Knoxville)
Ron TaylorWater Environment Federation
Kevin KruchinskiTN American Water
Terry BobrowskiEast TN Development District

Focusing on ecological and natural resources and endangered species

Mike Butler, ChairTN Wildlife Federation
Sally Palmer, Co-ChairNature Conservancy, Tennessee Chapter
David SalyersTN Dept of Environment & Conservation Staff
Shari MeghreblianTN Dept of Environment & Conservation Staff
Jenny AdkinsNatural Resources Conservation Service
Jonathan BoggsArbor Springs Forestry
Keith ColeWolf River Conservancy
Evan CrewsTN Valley Authority
Jason HenegarTN Wildlife Resources Agency
Mekayle HoughtonCumberland River Compact
David McKinneyTN Wildlife Resource Agency
Chris NischanTrout Unlimited
Ed PennyDucks Unlimited, Southern Region
Jane PolanskyTN Dept of Environment & Conservation Staff
Keith SanfordTennessee Aquarium
Dennis TumlinRhea County Economic Development
Jennifer WatsonTN Stormwater Association
Greer TidwellBridgestone
Brian BivensBivens and Associates, LLC
Lindsay GardnerTN Wildlife Federation
Jeremy Nelson3 Rivers Angler
Dennis TumlinRhea County Economic Development
Tiffany FosterTN Valley Authority 

Focusing on supply, public and private uses of the Memphis Sands and other aquifers

Brian Waldron, ChairCenter for Applied Earth Science and Engineering
Tom Needham, Co-ChairShelby County Public Works
David SalyersTN Dept of Environment & Conservation Staff
Andy BinfordTN Dept of Environment & Conservation Staff  
Ron ZurawskiTN Dept of Environment & Conservation Staff
John ButlerAgricenter (Research, Education, Conservation)
Jim BellasNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Nick NewmanMemphis Light, Gas & Water
Dave BerrettaU.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Memphis District)
Rimas AugustinasRiviana Foods, Inc.
Robert KnecktCity of Memphis
John McClurkanTN Dept of Agriculture
Skip TaylorFayette County 
Eddie O'NeilJackson Energy Authority
Kevin HensleyTN Farm Bureau Federation
Ward Archer Protect Our Aquifer
Amanda BowenTN Valley Authority
Cory HolidayThe Nature Conservancy 

Focusing on the laws and agencies responsible for stewardship of water resources in Tennessee

Sohnia Hong, ChairOffice of the TN Attorney General
Greg Young, Co-ChairBurr & Forman
Kendra AbkowitzTN Dept of Environment & Conservation Staff
Grant RuhlTN Dept of Environment & Conservation Staff
Lynnisse Roehrich-PatrickTN Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations
Amber Rudolphi U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
John ChlarsonMunicipal Technical Advisory Service
Anne PassinoSouthern Environmental Law Center 
Alan LeisersonUnderground Storage Tanks and Solid Waste Disposal Control Board (ret. TN Dept of Environment & Conservation Staff)
Don ScholesTN Association of Utility Districts
Maria GillenTN Valley Authority
Robert SteeleBaker Donelson
Theresa DentonTN Dept of Agriculture
John Greer (ad hoc)Comptroller’s Office
John DawsonBass, Berry & Sims

Providing centralized data collection and support to all working groups

Brenda Brickhouse, Chair TN Valley Authority
Charles Sims, Co-ChairUT Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy
Britton DotsonTN Dept of Environment & Conservation Staff
Tania DattaTennessee Tech University
Lynnisse Roehrich-PatrickTN Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations
Tiffany FosterTN Valley Authority
Leetha AbazidTN Valley Authority
Jennifer BarrieTN Advisory Committee on Intergovernmental Relations
LaKiesha CoseyTN Valley Authority
Kurt StaffordTN American Water
Jilleah WelchUT Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy