WRA’s 2023 Technical Event - Take Action: Using Science & Collaboration to Manage Flooding and Climate Change Risks - brings together leading water providers and managers, regulators, scientists and service providers who support the water sector to share experiences, data, and research results related to climate adaptation, flood risk management, emergency response, and mitigation. Offered in partnership with the Nurture Nature Center, this event provides an interdisciplinary platform to present and discuss the most recent trends, innovations, funding and solutions in the fields of climate adaptation, flood risk management, and emergency response. Happy Hour immediately following on the Balcony at Two Rivers Brewing, Easton PA. |
Co-Chairs: Liesel Gross, Chief Executive Officer, Lehigh County Authority & Chris Curran, Vice President and Project Director, AECOM
Keynote: Glenn “Hurricane” Schwartz, AKRF
Glenn Schwartz recently joined AKRF as a senior consultant for climate resilience and adaptation after a lengthy career culminating as Chief Meteorologist for WCAU-TV in Philadelphia. Certified with the American Meteorological Society, he is a renowned expert in meteorology, weather forecasting, and climate consulting, and a frequent speaker and author on the correlation between extreme weather and climate change. Glenn is a Disaster Preparedness Meteorologist for the National Weather Service and co-author of an award-winning book on Philadelphia weather, which speaks to the future climate of the Philadelphia area.
Panels include: Risk Modeling & Management; Communicating Risk & Motivating Action: Lessons Learned from Research & Outreach; Emergency Preparedness & Disaster Response Recovery; Risk Management Success Stories; Funding and Launching Your Action Plan
Detailed agenda below
Keynote: Glenn “Hurricane” Schwartz: Climate Change, Extreme Events and Flooding
Speakers Include:
Happy Hour immediatey following on the Two Rivers Brewing Balcony
Speakers and Moderators:
Kelly Anderson, Watershed Protection Programs Manager, Philadelphia Water Department
Doug Bellomo, Vice President, Lead for Flood Risk Management and Resilience Practice, AECOM
Chris Benosky, Global Climate Adaptation and Resilience Lead, AECOM
Rachel Hogan Carr, Executive Director Nurture Nature Center
Bill Cesanak, Vice President Infrastructure and Urban Planning, CDM Smith
Bob Cobelli, Senior NFIP Specialist, FEMA
FEMA Region 3 Bobby Cobelli (left) presents plaque to local officials at the Borough of Yardley
Jason Fenn, Floodplain Management & Insurance Mitigation, FEMA
David Hearn, Founder, Crisis Relief and Recovery
Kiasha Huling, Environmental Organizer, Clean Air Council
Kristen Bowman Kavanagh, Deputy Executive Director, DRBC
Nicole Lick, Senior Life Scientist, US EPA
Nicole Lick, second from left, with her team at FEMA
Megann Mielke, Acting Section Supervisor, Hazard Mitigation Assistance Branch, FEMA
Amy Shallcross, Manager of Water Resources Operations, DRBC
Mathy Stanislaus, Exective Director, Drexel Environmental Collaboratory
Detailed Agenda Below
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Take Action: Using Science and Collaboration to Manage Flood and Climate Change Risk
Event Co-Chairs: Liesel Gross, Lehigh County Authority & Chris Curran, AECOM
8:30 am Coffee and Catch Up
9:00 am Welcome and Event Mission
9:15 am Keynote: Glenn “Hurricane” Schwartz: Climate Change in the Delaware Valley; Extreme Events and Flooding
10:00 – 11:00 am: Risk Modeling and Management: risk modeling and tools for flood risk management
Moderator: Kristen Bowman Kavanagh, DRBC
11:15 am – 11:45 pm: Focus on Flooding and Climate – Science on a Sphere Program
11:45 – 12:30 pm LUNCH: guided tours of the galleries; you are also welcome to enjoy the galleries on your own
12:30 – 1:15 pm: Rachel Hogan Carr, Executive Director Nurture Nature Center - Communicating Risk, Motivating Action: Lessons learned from Research and Outreach
Moderator: Kiasha Huling, Environmental Otrganizer, Clean Air Council
Three Part Panel: Moderator: Liesel Gross, Lehigh County Authority
1:15 – 2:15 pm: Emergency Preparedness & Disaster Response and Recovery
2:15 - 2:30 pm Coffee Break
2:30 – 3:30 pm: Adaptive Flood Risk Management Success Stories
3:30 – 4:00 pm: Funding and Launching Your Action Plan: Nicole Lick EPA, Megann Mielke, Hazard Mitigation Assistance Branch, FEMA
4:00 – 4:30 pm: Full Panel Q&A
4:30 pm: Thank You and Final Remarks: Co-Chairs
4:45 – 6:30 pm Happy Hour @ Two Rivers Brewing