ReFRESH: Resilience in Freshwater
Event Speakers
Moderator
Travis Loop
Founder & Host, waterloop
Travis Loop began his career as a newspaper reporter and returned to his passion for journalism to launch and operate the platform. He brings more than 20 years of experience including as communications director at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Water Environment Federation and Chesapeake Bay Program, as well as speechwriter for the Governor of Hawaii.
Andy Bochman
Resilience Strategic Lead, West Yost
Andy Bochman provides strategic guidance on topics at the intersection of infrastructure security and resilience to the water sector as well as senior U.S. and international government and industry leaders. A frequent speaker, writer, and trainer, in 2021 he published Countering Cyber Sabotage: Introducing Consequence-based Cyber-Informed Engineering (CDC Press). An Atlantic Council non-resident senior fellow, Andy published “A Heat Dome Hits Virginia,” which portrays the national and global impacts of a prolonged extreme heat event shuttering data centers in northern Virginia (Security Management, 2022). In 2027 his second book will be published by CRC Press, to be titled PREPARE: Welcome to the Age of Infrastructure Resilience. It addresses cyber, GenAI & Agentic AI, climate and kinetic risks to US and global water and energy systems and other critical infrastructures. His previous organizations include the US Air Force, IBM, the Chertoff Group and DOE’s Idaho National Laboratory.
Jennifer Bolger Breceda
Executive Director, Milwaukee Riverkeeper
Jennifer Bolger Breceda has been active in environmental, charitable and service organizations since before her undergraduate days and has always strived to be an advocate for the environment, which is why she went to law school and pursued a focus on environmental law. After graduating from law school, Jennifer worked for 15 years as an environmental lawyer and litigator, most recently as a shareholder at von Briesen & Roper s.c. She has served on numerous legal and professional associations and nonprofit organizations throughout her career. Prior to becoming the executive director, she served on the board of directors for Milwaukee Riverkeeper.
Brendan Cousino
Principal and Senior Civil and Environmental Engineer, LimnoTech
Brendan Cousino, PE, has 22 years of professional experience in the public sector and consulting. His primary expertise is in water resources management, restoration and revitalization in urban environments to improve water quality, aquatic ecology and flood protection. Brendan works with communities to evaluate water quality impacts from regulated stormwater, CSO, and treatment plant discharges and provides regulatory compliance and permitting support. His work also includes design for urban waterway restoration, creating sustainable public spaces that help reduce flood risks, provide natural recreation opportunities and improve aquatic habitat.
Karen Dettmer
Director of Water Resources, Ramboll Water Americas
Karen Dettmer brings 25 years’ experience in water and environmental engineering, including 16 years in local and federal government. She leads the Water Resources Division in the Americas, manages key client accounts and advises on business development, focusing on sustainable and equitable water policy. Prior to Ramboll, Karen served as presidential-appointed managing director for infrastructure implementation at the U.S. EPA’s Office of Water, where she supported implementation of $50B in water infrastructure investment and advised on regulatory priorities. She spent 15 years of her career with the City of Milwaukee, including in executive leadership roles as commissioner of Public Works and superintendent of Milwaukee Water Works. She serves on the board of the University of Maryland’s Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, is director emeritus at Discovery World Science and Technology Museum, and is a licensed professional engineer in DC, MD, VA and WI.
Philip Ehrhorn
Co-founder & Chief Technology Officer, The Great Bubble Barrier
Philip Ehrhorn is responsible for engineering and technical development at The Great Bubble Barrier, ensuring the Bubble Barrier system operates in the most optimized and efficient way. With degrees in naval architecture, ocean engineering and aquatic ecosystem analysis, Philip brings a strong technical and environmental expertise to tackling ocean conservation challenges and advancing sustainable solutions.
Lauren Enright
Program Manager for Water Services, SCS Global Services
Lauren Enright's team works with corporate clients committed to meeting water stewardship goals. Additional responsibilities include development of a site-specific water standard for SCS as well as general and technical consulting services. Prior to SCS Global Services, she worked in risk management and business continuity specializing in climate, hazards and water risk management. Lauren has worked with industrial water technologies, water risk assessments for water utilities and adaptation measures for water supply. Additionally, she has worked for the wastewater industry by collecting and organizing sewage inspection data in conjunction with America's aging infrastructure. She has worked alongside intelligence agencies, law enforcement, scientists, farmers, CEOs, and academic institutions such as Columbia Climate School, Stanford University, and the Center for Climate and Security. She is a certified Water Stewardship Specialist through the Alliance of Water Stewardship and is certified in ISO 14001.
John Ikeda
Chief Mission Officer, Water Environment Federation
John Ikeda is chief mission officer at the Water Environment Federation (WEF), a leading voice for the water sector representing more than 31,000 water professionals worldwide. He oversees WEF’s portfolio of technical programs and publications. He also helps lead programming and content development for the WaterAI Nexus Center of Excellence, bringing a practical lens on how AI can strengthen water systems and the workforce. Previously, he served as practice leader for water at Castalia, advising on national water-sector strategies and infrastructure finance, and worked in the World Bank’s water practice focused on mobilizing private investment in water infrastructure.
Julianna Javor
Manager, Microsoft AI Co-Innovation Lab
As manager of the Microsoft AI Co-Innovation Lab, Julianna Javor leads collaborations among Microsoft, TitletownTech, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Wisconsin companies to advance applied AI. She partners with companies and startups to identify high-impact business challenges and lead the lab delivery of applied AI prototypes. Before joining Microsoft, Julianna led enterprise and business architecture teams, formulating digital strategies and guiding their execution through cloud transformation and AI innovation and adoption. Julianna is also a frequent presenter at technology conferences focused on digital transformation, where she shares her insights and practical experiences with industry leaders and innovators.
Dr. Shin Joh Kang
President & Founder, Water & Energy Advisors LLC
Dr. Shin Joh Kang is a consulting engineer with more than four decades of experience in the water and wastewater sector across North America and Asia. Beginning his career in 1978, he held leading technical and research roles with major engineering firms, including Tetra Tech, and advises government agencies, utilities and industrial clients on environmental policy and regulations, technology demonstration and implementation, water quality assessment and modeling, and energy optimization. An award-winning consultant and widely published author, he was principal author of the U.S. EPA's Municipal Nutrient Removal Technologies Reference Document (2008). He has served since December 2021 as chairperson of the Tomorrow Water Project Advisory Board.
Gigi Karmous-Edwards
President & CEO, Karmous Edwards Consulting
Over the course of more than 25 years, Gigi Karmous-Edwards has worked across various domains of digital technologies, spanning the data communications industry, academia and, for the last 13 years, the water sector. She was the technical lead and Co-PI of a GenAI for the Global Water Sector project. Gigi is the founder and former chair of the SWAN Digital Twin H2O Work Group, leads AI market insights at BlueTech Research as a member of the Technology Advisor Group (TAG), and served on the advisory boards of Veralto and Qatium.
David LaFrance
CEO, American Water Works Association
David LaFrance is chief executive officer of the American Water Works Association (AWWA), a global organization of 50,000 members dedicated to creating a better world through better water. Headquartered in Denver, he oversees a staff of approximately 150 across AWWA’s Denver and Washington, D.C., offices, guiding the association’s extensive scientific, educational and public policy efforts in support of water professionals throughout North America and around the world. Prior to joining AWWA, David served as chief financial officer for Denver Water.
Maile Lono-Batura
Director of Renewable Resources, California Association of Sanitation Agencies
Maile Lono-Batura works closely with CASA’s air/climate/energy director to synchronize advocacy efforts that bolster the role of bioresources in creating a circular resource society. Previously, she held the role of director of sustainable biosolids programs at the Water Environment Federation (WEF) as a central coordinator and network leader for WEF’s biosolids programs and helped to introduce WEF’s Circular Water Economy strategy and programming. The launch of her career was as the executive director of Northwest Biosolids, which she held for 22 years, spearheading biosolids research, partnering on advocacy initiatives and facilitating numerous outreach programs.
Emma Miller
Senior Directory, Sustainability & Social Impact, Xylem
Emma Miller works with Xylem's 22,000 colleagues globally to embed sustainability into the company's strategy and operations and oversees partnerships and programs that advance water stewardship and WASH access. Emma studied Global Health at Georgetown University and spent time in Tanzania working for the National Institute of Medical Research, focusing on research related to WASH access in hospitals. She joined Xylem in 2019, following roles with nonprofits in the United States and Botswana where she worked on issues including climate change, environmental justice, mental health and HIV/AIDS.
Zeki Oral
Region Chief Technology Officer, Wilo Americas
Zeki Oral has more than 30 years of experience in the pump industry. Before joining Wilo in 2022, he held key positions at various multinational pump companies, including global roles in product management and business development. Earlier in his career, he served as an officer in the Turkish Navy. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Hydraulic Institute and is also a board member of a privately owned AI-based company. He is actively involved in various pump industry associations.
Erik Petrovskis
Director of Environmental Compliance & Sustainability, Meijer
Erik Petrovskis is responsible for environmental due diligence, remediation, compliance, and sustainability at Meijer. Within sustainability, his efforts are focused on carbon reduction, food waste reduction, circular economy and Great Lakes stewardship. Erik serves as an adjunct associate professor at the University of Michigan School for Environment & Sustainability and is also a member of the Erb Michigan Business Sustainability Roundtable.
Kevin Shafer
Executive Director, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District
Kevin Shafer is the executive director of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, a regional government agency that provides water reclamation and flood management services for about 1.1 million people in 28 communities in the Greater Milwaukee Area, and is responsible for its overall administration, leadership, and direction. Shafer previously worked in private industry and for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He holds degrees in civil engineering and is a past president of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies.
Lora Shrake
Chief Operating Officer, Council of the Great Lakes Region
Lora Shrake is COO with the Council of the Great Lakes Region, a binational nonprofit focused on sustainable development across the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence economic region. Lora oversees CGLR’s operations and sustainability initiatives, including the Great Lakes Water Innovation and Stewardship Exchange (WISE), which advances corporate water stewardship and cross-sector collaboration. With more than 20 years of experience in environmental sustainability, stakeholder engagement and organizational leadership, her career began in water resources research and management before expanding to broader sustainability strategy and systems change. She holds an MSc in Environmental Science and has led sustainability initiatives in North America and the Middle East, helping organizations develop practical solutions to environmental and resource management challenges.
Pauli Undesser
CEO, Water Quality Association and Water Quality Research Foundation
Pauli Undesser is the chief executive officer of the Water Quality Association (WQA) and the Water Quality Research Foundation (WQRF), where she oversees the strategic direction and operations of both organizations. With two decades of experience in the water treatment industry, Undesser has helped advance water quality standards, forge collaboration across water-related industries, build global alliances, and shape regulatory frameworks that protect consumers and strengthen the industry.