Austin Angeline, Senior Consultant, Trinity Consultants
Austin Angeline is a Senior Consultant in Trinity Consultants’ Northern Kentucky/Greater Cincinnati office. He provides a wide array of support to both Kentucky and Ohio clients including local, state, and federal air quality permitting and compliance reporting, emissions inventory development, EPCRA TRI and Tier II reporting support, and stormwater permit compliance and SWPPP development. He has experience serving a variety of industries including power generation, specialty chemical manufacturing, refining, polymer manufacturing, and surface coating. He holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Cincinnati.
Jarrod Bell, Director, Division of Enforcement, Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection
Jarrod has over 30 years of experience with the Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection starting as a waste inspector in the fall of 1991. Program experience includes air and waste inspections, compliance, enforcement, and permitting. He was appointed as Director in 2024. Prior to this post he served as the branch manager of the Division for Air Quality’s Field Operations Branch where he led the day-to-day operations of 65 field staff across eight regional offices. He has also worked for the Division of Waste Management in the hazardous waste, UST, and DOE Oversight programs, served as a technical and regulatory advisor to the air Director, made many presentations on a variety of compliance issues, and supervised the DAQ Frankfort Regional Office. Jarrod is originally from Somerset, KY, received his BA from Western Kentucky University, and his JD from the University of Louisville Louis D. Brandeis School of Law.
Jennifer Cave, Esq., Attorney, Stites & Harbison PLLC
Jennifer Cave chairs Stites & Harbison’s Environmental, Energy & Sustainability practice where she works closely with manufacturers, utilities, and property owners to ensure compliance with local, state, and federal environmental laws and regulations. Ms. Cave advises clients on air quality, storm water, wastewater, and solid and hazardous waste permitting and compliance and defends clients in administrative, civil, and criminal enforcement actions. Ms. Cave was appointed by Governor Beshear to serve on the Kentucky Horse Park Commission, chairs Greater Louisville, Inc.’s Energy & Environment Committee, and is an invited member of the Kentucky Chamber’s Center for Policy & Research. Prior to attending law school, Ms. Cave worked as an environmental consultant.
Forest Clevenger, Executive Director, Ohio River Way
Forest is an avid paddler and cyclist dedicated to promoting the holistic wellbeing for individuals, communities, and the environment through outdoor adventure. His experience spans politics, outdoor education at summer camps, and youth mental health advocacy in the digital era. He has a BS in Political Science from the University of Louisville, studied as a visiting student at the University of Oxford, and has an MSc in Behavioral Science & Wellbeing from the London School of Economics.
Heather Davis, Partner, Earth and Water Law, LLC
Heather Davis is a Partner with Earth & Water Law, a national environmental law firm serving our clients' legal needs from our virtual and physical offices across the country -- without the burden and costs associated with traditional law firms. Heather is passionate about identifying and mitigating environmental risks, resolving conflicts, and maintaining compliance so her clients can focus on their core business strategies. Most recently, Heather functioned as inside environmental counsel for a global leader in the distilled alcoholic beverage industry and she remains their outside environmental attorney. She has a particular expertise in air (including aging warehouses, Title V permitting, and PSD avoidance strategies), stormwater, and wastewater issues facing the alcohol beverage industry and is also accomplished in defending and managing toxic tort/chemical exposure, land contamination, Superfund, and products liability cases for major energy companies. Her practice also focuses on the challenges presented by emerging contaminants, such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), evolving climate reporting obligations in California (SBs 253 and 261) and Europe (CSRD and CSDDD), and acquisition due diligence. Heather holds a J.D. with Honors from The University of Texas School of Law and a B.A. from Rice University, and she is licensed to practice law in Kentucky, North Carolina, Texas, and Wisconsin.
Ric Federico, PG, CHMM, CMQ/OE, Associate Principal, EnSafe Inc.
Ric has been an environmental consultant since graduating from Western Kentucky University in 1994 with a B.S. degree in Geography with a karst hydrogeologic emphasis. He has worked at EnSafe since 2001, where he is an Associate Principal and currently serves as the corporate Quality Manager and Business Lead for the EnSafe Bowling Green office. Ric's practice specialties include soil and groundwater investigation & remediation, environmental site assessment and due diligence, brownfields, and vapor intrusion assessment. Ric served on the advisory committee that supported development of the Kentucky Redevelopment and Reuse Program - Liability Relief (415 Program) and has since helped numerous landowners and prospective purchasers secure liability protections under the 415 Program. He is a registered professional geologist (PG) in Kentucky, a Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM), and a Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE).
Over his more than three-decade career, Ric has worked on or managed numerous interesting and challenging environmental projects, including leading the project team that combined geophysical methods (microgravity) and cave mapping to delineate cave passages beneath the National Corvette Museum following the 2014 sinkhole collapse that swallowed eight classic Corvettes and made international news. EnSafe's work on the project earned the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of Tennessee Grand Award for 2015 in the Surveying and Mapping Technology category.
Ric has presented at a variety of local, state, and national conferences, symposia, and webinars, on topics ranging from environmental due diligence and brownfields to building a successful consulting career and navigating environmental regulatory programs. Select conferences or webinars Ric has presented for include the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Environmental Conference and Environmental Permitting Conference, American Bar Association Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources (SEER) webinars, the National Tanks Conference, the Tennessee Environmental Network Show of the South, and the Alliance of Hazardous Materials Professionals (AHMP) national conference.
Ric currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Friends of Mammoth Cave National Park, and, through EnSafe, provides ongoing corporate support and community service to the Lost River Cave in Bowling Green, Kentucky, where he participated in undergraduate karst field studies.
Nicole Galavotti, P.E., VP/Sr. Environmental Engineer, Shield Environmental Associates, Inc.
Nicole Galavotti is Vice President and leader of the Industrial Compliance Group at Shield Environmental, with 30 years of experience in the environmental field across both industrial manufacturing and consulting. She specializes in air, water, and waste evaluations and permitting, and in addressing complex regulatory and compliance challenges for her clients. Before joining Shield Environmental, Ms. Galavotti worked as an environmental engineer with International Paper, managing environmental affairs at three manufacturing facilities. After relocating to Kentucky, she transitioned into environmental consulting, expanding her expertise across a variety of industrial sectors. With more than 25 years of experience working directly with Kentucky regulators and inspectors, Ms. Galavotti leverages her deep understanding of manufacturing processes and regulatory frameworks to help clients effectively navigate and resolve environmental compliance issues.
Steve Gardner, P.E., SME-RM, Senior Consultant, Pitman Green, LLC
Mr. Gardner has an MS Mining Engineering and BS Agricultural Engineering from the University of Kentucky (UK). He has worked on mining projects throughout the US, internationally and early in his career served on a volunteer mine rescue team.
He was 2015 President of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Explorations, (SME) and recognized as an SME Fellow and Registered Member. In 2024-25, he served as President of the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers (AIME).
He has served on the advisory Boards of the Kentucky Geological Survey, UK’s Mining Engineering Foundation and Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Department, Friends of Coal Kentucky and the Kentucky Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors. In 2011, he was named to the University of Kentucky’s College of Engineering’s Hall of Distinction.
Mining History is a passion and hobby, collecting memorabilia, writing, speaking and working on historic mining attractions.
Rebecca Goodman, Secretary, Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet
Rebecca Goodman was appointed as the state’s top environmental officer in December 2019 by Governor Andy Beshear. Secretary Goodman has spent more than four decades in service to the Commonwealth. She most recently advocated on behalf of Kentucky utility ratepayers as the executive director of the Office of Rate Intervention within the Office of the Attorney General. Through her work on both state and federal cases, Secretary Goodman regularly dealt with social and environmental justice issues that frequently involved low income, disadvantaged and residential customer needs. She has served as general counsel for the Kentucky Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, the Kentucky Executive Branch Ethics Commission and the Kentucky Electric Generation and Transmission Siting Board. Secretary Goodman also has served as the executive director of the Office of Legal Services at the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet after beginning her career as a staff attorney for the Kentucky Public Service Commission. Secretary Goodman earned her Juris Doctor from Salmon P. Chase College of Law, and her Bachelor of Science, Business Administration, Magna Cum Laude, from Kentucky State University.
Corinne M. Greenberg, EHS Manager, ECKART America
Corinne Greenberg is the Environmental, Health & Safety Manager at ECKART America, the oldest chemical manufacturing facility in the “Rubbertown” complex in West Louisville. She earned her credential as a Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM) in 1995, and has spent the ensuing years developing a strong, robust, and multidisciplinary approach to managing compliance across various environmental, transportation, and occupational safety & health programs. She has spent over 20 years of her career working directly as the in-house environmental or EHS manager at facilities spanning a variety of sectors, including durable goods manufacturing, steel drum reconditioning, the military industrial complex, and, most notably, chemical manufacturing (at three different Rubbertown facilities over the past 10+ years). For another 10+ years she was an environmental consultant helping industrial clients maintain their EHS compliance. Her areas of technical expertise include emergency planning & preparedness, hazmat transportation, employee training, and industrial hygiene.
Christopher Guith, Senior Vice President – Global Energy Institute, US Chamber of Commerce
Christopher Guith is the senior vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Global Energy Institute. He leads the Institute’s efforts to build support for meaningful energy and environmental action nationally and internationally through policy development, education, and advocacy. The Institute has attracted grassroots advocates across the nation supporting its efforts to capitalize on America’s tremendous energy promise. Guith offers expertise on an array of energy and environmental issues. He educates policymakers, businesses, energy stakeholders, coalitions, and the public about the importance of a diversified energy portfolio and how it can ensure an efficient, reliable, prosperous, and secure energy future. He also leverages his broad energy expertise as a spokesperson with local, state, and national media. Guith travels frequently to speak to stakeholder groups, raising awareness of the impact of policy decisions on America’s energy future and encouraging groups to share their perspectives with policymakers. In addition, he consults with state and local chambers of commerce and business groups, advising them how to quantify the importance of safe, reliable American energy to their businesses, as well as how to amplify that message when communicating with energy decision makers.
Tony Hatton, Commissioner, Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection
Mr. Hatton is Commissioner of the Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection. Mr. Hatton has held a variety of positions in the public and private sector, including key positions overseeing environmental cleanups at Superfund, Department of Defense and Department of Energy sites. He holds a Master of Science in geology from Eastern Kentucky University.
Sarah Jarboe, Partner, English, Lucas, Priest & Owsley, LLP
Sarah P. Jarboe is a partner at English Lucas Priest & Owsley, LLP, where she has focused on environmental law for over a decade. Her practice includes environmental permitting; regulatory interpretation; negotiations; and environmental administrative, civil, and criminal litigation. She represents clients on numerous environmental matters, including Clean Water Act (CWA) sections 402 and 404, the Endangered Species Act, the Underground Injection Control Program under the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (Superfund), the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the Clean Air Act, and the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act. She is an experienced negotiator, having participated in negotiations in permitting, enforcement, civil, and criminal cases with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Justice, and the Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection, among others.
Sarah is a twice-published author, having co-authored chapters of the American Bar Association’s and Second Edition of Wetlands Law and Policy: Understanding Section 404 (2024) and Fifth Edition of Environmental Aspects of Real Estate and Commercial Transactions: Acquisition, Development, and Liability Management (2021).
In addition to her work at ELPO, Sarah is an active member and contributor to national and statewide environmental associations and boards. Sarah currently serves as Board Chair of the Friends of Mammoth Cave National Park. She served on the American Bar Association’s Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources’ (SEER) 2016, 2017, 2020, and 2022 Fall Conference Planning Committees. Sarah was one of 12 participants selected nationwide for SEER’s Leadership Development Program from 2014 to 2015. In addition, she devoted five years to the position of Newsletter Vice Chair for SEER’s Smart Growth and Green Building Committee. Sarah also served as Chair of the Environment, Energy and Resources law section of the Kentucky Bar Association from 2016 to 2017, and previously served as Chair Elect and Vice Chair of that section.
Sarah is a frequent speaker at national and state environmental conferences, presenting on topics such as the definition of Waters of the U.S., environmental liability related to waste issues, federal and state environmental audit policies, green infrastructure and consent decrees for water and wastewater utilities, the value of water to the U.S. economy, cooperative federalism, brownfields, and environmental common law actions and remedies.
Sarah is a Vanderbilt University Law School graduate, who gained invaluable experience as law clerk for Kentucky Chief Justice John Minton prior to joining ELPO. She is recognized by Best Lawyers for environmental law in 2026, and has been named a SuperLawyers Rising Star since 2020 and Best Lawyers Ones to Watch since 2021 for environmental law and environmental litigation.
Michael Kennedy, PE, Director, Division for Air Quality, Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection
Michael Kennedy is the Director for Kentucky’s Division for Air Quality. He has been with the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet since 2009. He started his EEC career with DAQ in source sampling then moved to Permit Review Branch. Michael also had a stretch as Assistant Director for Kentucky’s Office of Energy Policy. Prior to working for EEC, he worked in the private sector as an engineer for a small but diverse manufacturing company located in his hometown of Manchester, Kentucky. He graduated from the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor’s degree in Bio-systems and Agricultural Engineering. He holds a PE in environmental engineering.
Clay Larkin, Partner, Dentons
Clay is a partner in the Lexington office. Recognized in the fields of Environmental and Energy & Natural Resources Law by Chambers and Super Lawyers magazine, Clay has devoted a significant amount of his practice to representation of energy clients in the coal, oil and gas and electricity generation industries. Clay also regularly represents clients in environmental litigation and compliance counseling matters under SMCRA, the Clean Water Act and other environmental statutes, and also has experience in general litigation and transactional matters in the energy and natural resources field.
John Lyons, Deputy Secretary, Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet
Mr. Lyons’ entire 32-year career has been spent with the Energy and Environment Cabinet. A graduate of the Morehead State University Environmental Science program, he began his lifelong passion for everything outdoors with an entry level position with the Kentucky Division of Water in the spring of 1989. Since that time, John has served five different governors, holding various leadership positions that include Air Quality Director, Deputy Executive Director for the Public Service Commission, Deputy Commissioner for the Department for Environmental Protection and most recently being appointed by Governor Andy Beshear to Deputy Secretary of the Cabinet in August 2020. In addition to various policy making and administrative duties, Mr. Lyons’ strong background as a scientist is an invaluable asset in dealing with the hundreds of day-to-day issues that face the Cabinet’s 1300 employees. Over the years, John has been a member of various boards, workgroups and task forces and has made numerous presentations on a variety of energy and environmental issues throughout the state and nation. His prior work at the state and national level has helped shape the regulatory landscape on variety of public, environmental and energy policies. He currently serves as proxy board member for Secretary Rebecca Goodman on the Kentucky River Authority and the Electric Generation and Transmission Siting Board, proxy commissioner for Lt. Governor Jacqueline Coleman on the Ohio River Sanitation Commission and Kentucky representative on the Gulf Hypoxia Task Force.
Sarah Marshall, Director, Division of Water, Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection
Sarah Marshall joined the Division of Water in October 2025 after a 15-year career with the federal government, including roles at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Peace Corps. Her work has taken her across the globe, living in Jamaica, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, and Burkina Faso, where she led the design and delivery of development and humanitarian assistance programs that saved and improved lives on behalf of the American people.
A proud Fleming County native, Sarah holds a bachelor’s degree in Community, Communications and Leadership Development from the University of Kentucky and a master’s in Agricultural Education from Oklahoma State University. Now back home in Kentucky, she is excited to bring her global experience to protect & preserve the Commonwealth’s valuable natural resources.
Brian Osterman, Director, Division of Waste Management, Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection
Brian Osterman is the Director of the Division of Waste Management. Prior to this post, he served as the Director of the Division of Enforcement. Previously, he was the branch manager of the Division of Waste Management Field Operations Branch where he led the day-to-day operations of over 80 field staff across 10 regional offices. He started his career in 2009 with the Division of Waste Management in the Underground Storage Tank Branch. He later served that division as a field inspector and environmental scientist. He received a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from the University of Kentucky. Brian is originally from the Waynesburg, KY, but now resides in Frankfort with his wife Stefanie and their two sons.
Maren Seibold, Managing Consultant, Trinity Consultants
Maren Seibold is a managing consultant in Trinity Consultant’s Kentucky office. She has 20 years of experience in environmental consulting, including multimedia compliance audits, permit applications, emission inventories, compliance plan development and implementation, greenhouse gas (GHG) and refrigerant management, and sustainability strategies.
She has worked in a variety of industries including electric vehicle (EV) battery manufacturing, electric utilities, distilled beverages, chemical, pharmaceutical, secondary aluminum, petroleum refining, fertilizer, oil and natural gas, pulp and paper, wood products, and food processing.
Maren serves as the primary instructor for Trinity's Louisville Air Quality reporting workshop, as well as GHG,MACT, and refrigerant-related courses offered by Trinity. She received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering with an emphasis in Environmental Engineering from The Ohio State University, where she graduated summa cum laude and with Distinction.
Kate Shanks, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs, Kentucky Chamber
Kate Shanks is Senior Vice President of Public Affairs for the Kentucky Chamber. She has been with the Chamber since 2015 and focuses her work on energy, environment, small business, and competitiveness issues. She is a lifelong resident of Kentucky and earned both a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resource Conservation and Management and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Kentucky. Prior to joining the Chamber, Kate spent 12 years working for state agencies focused on energy and environmental policy and regulation and has held multiple positions relating to communications, outreach, policy analysis and design, and legislative affairs.
Joye Beth Spinks, Attorney, English, Lucas, Priest & Owlsley, LLP
Joye Beth Spinks is an environmental law Associate Attorney at English, Lucas, Priest & Owsley, LLP in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Joye Beth helps corporate clients in various industries including water treatment, agriculture, aluminum processing, scrap metal recycling, and food processing. Joye Beth advises clients on permitting, compliance, and enforcement issues under the Clean Water Act; Clean Air Act; Resource Conservation and Recovery Act; and Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act or Superfund; as well as state environmental programs. Joye Beth has helped conduct and communicate findings and recommendations of environmental compliance audits for clients under the Federal Risk Management Program. Joye Beth also regularly practices in civil litigation and advises clients on local zoning and land use matters. Joye Beth taught high school environmental science for four years prior to becoming an attorney.
Bradley Strait, Associate, Dentons
Bradley is an associate in the Environment and Natural Resources practice. His practice consists of aiding clients in a variety of environmental law related issues including permitting and regulatory compliance matters under federal, state and local laws, as well as transactional due diligence.
Lauren Weinrich, Ph.D., Director of Research and Development, American Water
Dr. Lauren Weinrich leads R&D at American Water in Camden, NJ, focusing on water quality, emerging contaminants, and collaborative solutions for the water industry. She actively contributes to American Water Works Association (AWWA) technical advisory groups and serves as Deputy Editor of Water Science. Lauren holds a BS in Biology from Marymount University, an MS from UNC–Chapel Hill, and a PhD in Environmental Science & Engineering from Drexel University.