Anwer Ahmed, National Technical Leader for Stormwater Services, Arcadis' Resilience Water Practice

Anwer is a national technical leader for stormwater services in Arcadis’ Resilience Water practice. He has over 36 years experience in stormwater master planning, watershed protection/restoration, MS4 compliance, green infrastructure, asset management, and funding. He has authored several technical papers including “Maximizing Stormwater Program Effectiveness Through Risk-Based Stormwater Asset Management” (AWWA) and is a co-author of the “Urban Stormwater Controls Operation and Maintenance” Manual of Practice (ASCE/WEF). He served on the Board of Directors for the Center for Watershed Protection and the WEF ENVISION Task Force to develop stormwater guidance for Envision™ Rating System. 

Seth Brown, Executive Director of the National Municipal Stormwater Alliance

Seth Brown has over 25 years of experience in the water sector and is the principal and founder of Storm and Stream Solutions, LLC, a consulting firm providing a range of services from policy and alternative project delivery analysis in the stormwater sector to facilitation and training services focused on stormwater topics. He was the director of Stormwater Programs at the Water Environment Federation from 2010-2015 and is currently the executive director of the National Municipal Stormwater Alliance, which is a 501.c.3 representing stormwater-focused organization in 25 states across 9 of the 10 U.S. EPA regions with a network that is comprised of over 4,400 MS4s. 

Brown has a Ph.D. in civil engineering from George Mason University with a research focus on socio-economic modeling of incentive-based investments of green stormwater infrastructure on private properties. He leads courses in green infrastructure and innovative water partnerships at Virginia Tech and the University of Maryland at Eastern Shore and is a licensed professional engineer in the state of Maryland. 

Sarah Ganley, Bohannan Huston's Stormwater Quality and Regional NPDES Expert

Sarah Ganley, PE, ENV SP, is Bohannan Huston’s Stormwater Quality and Regional NPDES expert, with over 25 years of experience in Water Resources and Environmental Engineering. Sarah is a Senior Vice President in the Surface Water Group at Bohannan Huston, Inc. She provides comprehensive NPDES Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) program and Construction General Permit (CGP) stormwater compliance support to clients throughout New Mexico. Sarah is a surface water quality expert bringing technical experience in hydrology and hydraulics as well as expertise in Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) and Low Impact Development (LID) planning, policy support, Best Management Practice (BMP) implementation, surface water quality analysis, and stormwater quality compliance.

Brian Merritt,  Global Advisory - Strategic Advisory / Regulatory Support Black & Veatch

Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Brian Merritt brings over 23 years of expertise in stormwater management to his role as Principal Consultant with Black & Veatch’s Infrastructure Advisory business. A recognized leader in stormwater utility development, Brian aids communities nationwide to design funding and financing strategies that enable sustainable service levels and regulatory compliance. His work spans operational planning, capital investment, and stakeholder engagement, helping municipal leaders translate complex technical and financial concepts into clear, actionable solutions. Brian holds both a B.S. and M.S. in Civil Engineering from Lehigh University.

Melissa J. Simpson, PE, PMP
Senior Vice President, Stormwater Strategic Growth Lead — WSP USA

Melissa Simpson is a professional civil engineer and senior vice president at WSP USA, where she leads strategic growth for the firm’s stormwater practice. She brings deep experience in NPDES policy and compliance, green infrastructure, and resilient design—translating complex regulatory requirements into practical, buildable solutions. Melissa’s portfolio spans local, state, and federal programs, including coordination with state environmental agencies and federal partners to deliver hydraulic flood control, site drainage, and climate adaptation projects. Melissa champions collaboration between designers, regulators, and contractors to keep projects compliant and on schedule. Her passion is helping communities reduce flood risk while improving water quality and long‑term resilience.

Harry Stark, Director of Engineering and Public Services, City of Aurora

Harry Stark, MPA, CPMSM, is the director of Engineering and Public Services for the City of Aurora, Ohio. Stark has more than 34 years of experience in administrative activities and multiple areas of expertise. With a background in public administration and project development and management, he is well-versed in working with a variety of groups, including planning commissions, steering committees, councils, local political groups, citizen groups and organizations, non-profit organizations, and other groups.   Stark also serves as the past-president of the Ohio Stormwater Association, executive director of the Annual Ohio Stormwater Conference, editorial board member for Stormwater Solutions magazine, state of Ohio representative for Envirocert International, and in several other volunteer activities. He assisted in the development of Tinker’s Creek Watershed Partners in 2005. He has previously served as the president of Tinker’s Creek Watershed Partners, chair for the Northeast Ohio Watershed Council, vice chair of Envirocert’s CPMSM Board of Directors, district director for the Ohio Environmental Health Association, and member of Streetsboro Recreation and Preservation Committee and Master Plan Committee. Mr. Stark has a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of South Florida, a master's degree in public administration from the University of Akron and is a 2012 graduate of Leadership Medina.

Rick Besancon, Project Manager and Civil Engineer, Burns & McDonnell

Rick Besancon is a senior project manager and civil engineer for Burns & McDonnell. In Rick’s 30-year career, he has a variety of experience from sewer separation to channel restoration utilizing environmentally friendly techniques.  Rick has worked at refineries, nuclear facilities, industrial operations, and facilities, as well as performing City and State roadway design.  This broad-based experience provides Rick with a unique perspective on many phases of study, design, and construction. Rick’s expertise relates to hydrology and hydraulics, channel stabilization, restoration, and evaluation.  Rick’s experience ranges from concrete lined channels to root wad mitigation, providing the ability to evaluate a full range of channel stabilization and restoration options.  Rick prides himself on looking for a pragmatic, rational and constructible solution to meeting his client’s needs.