2025 Upper Mississippi River Conference Presenters

DAY ONE

KEYNOTE SESSION - "MISSISSIPPI RIVER, A SCHOOL OF DEMOCRACY"
David Murray, Senior Writer, The Waterways Journal / Bound Media

BREAKOUT SESSIONS
Nina Struss, River Health and Resiliency Organizer, Prairie Rivers Network
Steve Hilberg, Midwest Climate Scientist, CoCoRaHS
Johanshir Golchin, Director General, Energy and Environment Research Group (EERG)

FIELD TOUR - NAHANT MARSH - "RESTORING RESILIENCE"
Brian Ritter, Director, Nahant Marsh
Rachel Perrine, Rock Island Plan Formulation Section Chief, USACE

PLATED DINNER - "AN EVENING WITH ALDO LEOPOLD"
Steve Brower, President, Leopold Landscape Alliance
Fr. Robert Grant, Professor of Environmental Ethics, St. Ambrose University
Dr. Jonathan Pauli, Professor, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison

DAY TWO

KEYNOTE - "MAKING THE RIVER MAGNETIC: PUBLIC SPACE DESIGN AT THE RIVER'S EDGE
Tom Klein, Center for Urban & Community Design, University of Miami
Scott Streeb, Principal and Director, Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Denver Office

NEXT GEN SUMMIT ENVIRONMENTAL CAREER PANEL
Valery Aguilar and Tom Klein, WEDG (Waterfront Edge Design) Associates
Maiya May, Climate Reporter and TV Host, PBS
Andrew Layer, Program Manager, Living Lands and Waters
Steve Hilberg, Midwest Climate Scientist, CoCoRaHS
Dr. Sarah Lashley, Associate Professor and Co-Chair of Environment, Geography, and Geoscience, Augustana

PORTS PANEL - MODERATED BY BOB SINKLER
Illinois Waterways Ports Commission
Mid-America Port Commission
Ports of Eastern Iowa Authority
Port of Winona, MN

NETWORKING LUNCHEON
Maiya May, Climate Reporter and TV Host of PBS' "WEATHERED: Earth's Extremes

BREAKOUT SESSIONS
Holly Shutt, Working Lands Biologist, Ducks Unlimited
Scott Cagle, Iowa Assistant State Conservationist, Natural Resources Conservation Services

CLOSING PLENARY SESSION - "LESSONS FROM THE MESKWAKI NATION"
Joan Flecksing, Director, Meskwaki Nation Department of Natural Resources, Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa

HOST - RIVER ACTION
Kathy Wine, Executive Director and Founder, River Action

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