FRANKLIN SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- GIS Manager
- Member of the Geomatics Team at Franklin Soil
Aaron Hebert is the GIS specialist and a member of the geomatics team at Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District, where his responsibilities include coordination with GIS staff in managing data related to current programs and projects.
Aaron graduated from Western State College of Colorado, with a BA in history with a geography minor. He has also completed a GIS-certificate program at Columbus State Community College. Prior to joining Franklin Soil and Water, Aaron interned with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, editing land parcel data in eastern Ohio.
Job Titles:
- Administrative & Outreach Assistant
Abby is the Administrative and Outreach Assistant at Franklin Soil & Water Conservation District. She supports the work of the District's administrative and outreach staff through office assistance, event support, and management of the Community Backyards rebate program. Abby is a recent graduate from The Ohio State University with a BS in Environment and Natural Resources and minors in GIS and City and Regional Planning.
Job Titles:
- Environmental Education Specialist
Amy joined Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District in April 2019. She teaches school/scout/camp programs, facilitates teacher workshops, assists with the development of educational resources and develops the SWIFT e-newsletters. Amy is a member of the Ohio Envirothon Committee and is a board member for the Leave No Child Inside Central Ohio Collaborative.
Amy graduated from The Ohio State University with a BS in Wildlife Management and from the University of South Carolina with a MAT Elementary Education. She has worked as both a classroom teacher and nonformal educator, with environmental education and stewardship at the forefront of her teaching. Amy is a state certified teacher and is passionate about facilitating engaging learning experiences that encourage students to make meaningful connections between classroom content and the community/environment in which they live.
Job Titles:
- Stormwater Field Technician
Annabel is a Stormwater Field Technician for Franklin Soil & Water Conservation District. Annabel's primary job responsibilities include sediment and erosion control inspections on construction sites, reviewing development plans, and helping out the Conservation Implementation team where needed. Annabel completed a Bachelor's degree in Geosciences at Denison University, focusing on Geomorphology and Fluvial Sedimentology. Prior to joining Franklin Soil & Water, Annabel worked as a project engineer for a commercial construction general contractor. Annabel is a Certified Erosion, Sediment and Storm Water Inspector (CESSWI) and is a member of the Water Management Association of Ohio.
Job Titles:
- Urban Conservation Program Coordinator
Brooke joined the District in the summer of 2013, first as an intern where she assisted Kurt Keljo (one of our Watershed Coordinator's) with construction of our pilot stream insert projects and the collection of water samples for analysis. After interning, she accepted a summer field position where she assisted the GIS and field teams in collection of various data points, including dry-weather screening and HSTS inspections. By the end of her first year she had accepted a position as one of our Urban Conservation Specialists and has been working with county, township and municipal partners ever since to help manage and maintain the technical aspects of the NPDES stormwater permit requirements.
In 2023, Brooke accepted the role of Urban Conservation Program Coordinator, where she will work to increase her knowledge and build on to our urban program components. Some of her day-to-day responsibilities include assisting communities in the implementation of their Stormwater Management Program Plans, reviewing development plans, performing inspections, responding to drainage concerns, training of municipal and county staff, and providing guidance and oversight to our Stormwater Field Technicians. Brooke also coordinates our Urban Review newsletter, Central Ohio Stormwater Roundtables, Ohio Stormwater Awareness Week, and leads our tree sale team.
Brooke grew up off a country road in NE Licking County and lived in Colorado for a while before returning to Central Ohio. She lives in SW Franklin County with her husband, Erik, and their 3 cats, where they enjoy tending to their urban oasis, traveling, and cheering for the Reds and Browns (which often tests her optimistic and laid-back nature..lol). Brooke graduated from Hocking College with an AAS in GeoEnvironmental Science, where she focused on subsurface processes and the procedures for monitoring and remediating soil and water resources impacted by hazardous substances and petroleum products.
Brooke is a Certified Erosion, Sediment and Storm Water Inspector (CESSWI #4403), a Certified Professional in the Inspection & Maintenance of Stormwater Control Measures (OIM22032), a member of the Water Management Association of Ohio (WMAO), a member of the Ohio Green Industry Association (OGIA) where she is a Master-level Ohio Certified Nursery Technician, and won her fantasy baseball league 2-yrs in a row (2021-22) :-).
Job Titles:
- Specialist at Franklin Soil
- Urban Conservation Specialist
David Reutter is an Urban Conservation Specialist at Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District, where he works with with county, township and municipal partners to manage and maintain the technical aspects of the NPDES storm water permit requirements and issues within their community and with their residents. David is involved with the review of construction plans, ordinance reviews, and comprehensive plan and master plan development for the inclusion of sustainable development practices that will protect the existing ecosystem services our natural resources provide.
David is a Certified Erosion, Sediment and Storm Water Inspector (CESSWI) and is a member of the International Erosion Control Association, the Water Management Association of Ohio and the Water Environment Federation.
Job Titles:
- Stormwater Program Coordinator
Erika Rowland joined our team in 2016 and kept our district organized and running smoothly as our Administrative Specialist, all while finishing her degree in Natural Resources. Recently, Erika accepted the role of Stormwater Program Coordinator, where her primary responsibilities will now include assisting with the urban conservation program development and implementation, and planning and reporting activities with the urban conservation team. She will be leading the expansion of the Water Quality Partnership program, planning and reporting activities for MS4 communities, and assisting managment with working agreements and mid and end-of-year reporting. Erika has a Bachelor of Science in Environment and Natural Resources from The Ohio State University and a GIS certificate from Columbus State Community College.
Job Titles:
- Resource Specialist at Franklin Soil
Henry Stahl is the Watershed Resource Specialist at Franklin Soil and Water Conservation. He works with partners, organizations, communities throughout the county to connect resources and identify opportunities for conservation and improvement of natural resources. Henry assists in grant writing and implementation of conservation projects, as well as organizing the District's volunteer program.
Henry graduated from The Ohio State University with a BS in Earth System Science with Research Distinction. Before joining Franklin Soil and Water, Henry worked as an environmental consultant for several years as a staff scientist.
Job Titles:
- GIS Natural Resources Coordinator
- Member of the Geomatics Team at Franklin Soil
Jeff Pierce is the GIS Natural Resources Coordinator and a member of the geomatics team at Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District. Jeff graduated from Wilmington College (OH) with a BA in English and Communications and also holds a MS in Educational Leadership and a Master of Environmental Sciences in Applied Ecology and Resource Analysis from Miami University.
Jeff is a past member of the NRCS statewide GIS committee, a former Chair of the Ohio Geographically Referenced Information Program's statewide hydrology committee, and a former voting member of the Heart of Ohio RC&D Council. He has been with Franklin Soil and Water since 1995 and founded the first soil and water conservation district GIS program in Ohio.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Director at Franklin Soil
Jennifer Fish has been the Director at Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District for 25 years, she has led the development of the organization into one of the largest districts in Ohio. She directs and supports a staff of 20 natural resource professionals with the mission of promoting responsible land use decisions for the conservation of soil and water resources. This is accomplished through conservation easement acquisition, storm water program planning, storm water pollution prevention, development plan reviews, construction site management, green infrastructure and stream restoration demonstration projects, stream resource and natural resource mapping, and education and outreach to county residents. Jennifer has a Master of Science in Natural Resources and Environmental Policy from The Ohio State University and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Baldwin-Wallace College. She is also certified as a Certified Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Specialist through EnviroCert International, Inc., serves on the Sustaining Scioto Advisory Board and chairs the Urban Program Networking Committee for Ohio Federation of Conservation Districts.
Job Titles:
- Stormwater Field Technician
Joe Wildi is a Stormwater Field Technician whose main responsibilities include conducting stormwater pollution prevention plan inspections at construction sites and post-construction site inspections. Joe is a Veteran of the Unites States Army having served for nine years including three overseas deployments. Joe received his Associate's degree in Wildlife Conservation from Zane State College. Prior to Franklin Soil & Water, Joe worked for a private company performing wildlife management and with the City of Dublin as a Forestry Technician.
Job Titles:
- Geomatics Field Coordinator
- Member of the Geomatics Team at Franklin Soil
John Bailey is a Geomatics Field Coordinator and a member of the geomatics team at Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District where he works with local municipalities on the Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination portion of the NPDES Phase II permit. John is involved with dry weather screening, pollution investigations, and numerous mapping projects.
John received a BS in Natural Resources Management with a specialization in Fisheries Management from The Ohio State University and an AS in Fish and Wildlife Management from Hocking Technical College. Prior to working with Franklin Soil and Water, John worked in the environmental consulting field, landscape industry, and with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Job Titles:
- GIS & Special Projects Director
Josh Garver is the GIS & Special Projects Director at Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District. Previously he was GIS natural resources specialist and member of the geomatics team, where he provided technology guidance and support to staff, maintains GIS data layers, and was involved in a variety of projects providing GIS expertise and support. Josh also coordinates GIS-based projects with various Franklin County agencies and local municipalities, which focus on improving water quality and meeting requirements of the NPDES permit held by Franklin County and its townships.
Josh has a Master's Certificate in GIS from North Carolina State University, a minor in City and Regional Planning from The Ohio State University and a BS in Landscape Architecture from The Ohio State University. Prior to joining Franklin Soil and Water, Josh worked several years in landscape architecture and planning firms as a project landscape architect, designing and managing a variety of urban, park and GIS-centric projects.
Job Titles:
- Public Outreach Coordinator
Kori manages the District's public relations including news releases, social media and e-mail outreach. She works closely with government, non-profit and general public partners to further the District's mission through communications. Kori is also the primary writer of the District's Update to Partner e-newsletter, and contributes to the design and writing of many articles and program information for our other publications. You will often see and hear her representing the District at local events, trade shows, news segments and radio shows.
Kori received her BS in Evolution & Ecology from The Ohio State University and worked as a Naturalist prior to joining the Franklin Soil and Water team. She is currently Board President of the Columbus Chapter of the National Audubon Society and a volunteer at the Ohio Wildlife Center where she cares for and educates the public on birds of prey.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director
- Assistant Director at Franklin Soil
Kyle Wilson is the Assistant Director at Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District, where he is responsible for oversight of Franklin Soil and Water's Conservation Implementation, Urban Conservation and Conservation Easement programs. Kyle, leads the District's stream and wetland restoration efforts, works to acquire conservation lands, oversees watershed and project planning, and possess nearly two decades of grant writing and fundraising experience. He is also the Chair of the District 3 Natural Resources Assistance Council and serves on a variety of advisory groups and committees. .
Job Titles:
- Environmental Education Specialist at Franklin Soil
Linda Pettit is the Environmental Education Specialist at Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District. She has held this role since 1994, providing presentations about soil and water resources to school classes, after school, scout and summer camp groups, as well as in-service and pre-service trainings for formal and non-formal educators. Linda coordinates TREE, Terrific Resources for Environmental Education, which is a consortium of agencies that provide environmental education in central Ohio. Linda is also the Region 1 Director for the Environmental Education Council of Ohio (EECO) and serves on the board for the School Gardens of Ohio (S-GO) and Project Learning Tree Ohio (PLT).
Linda earned a BA in Nature Interpretation from the University of Findlay and a biology teacher certification and MS in Education from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Linda received the award as Facilitator of the Year from Project WILD Ohio in 2017, the Outstanding Educator of the Year from Project Learning Tree-Ohio in 2018 and Educator of the Year from the Ohio Federation of Soil and Water Conservation District, Area 5. She has worked with students of all ages and truly enjoys educating people from all walks of life about the importance of our soil and water resources.
Job Titles:
- Conservation Implementation Specialist
As the Conservation Implementation Specialist, Madison Wisniewski works with residents, local partners, and other Franklin County entities to implement various conservation practices across the county. As a certified Master Rain Gardener, she focuses on assisting residents and communities with installing rain gardens and other stormwater management tools to better improve water quality. Madison graduated from Ohio University in 2018 with a BS in Environmental Geography. Since then, she completed an AmeriCorps service year and worked for a watershed organization in Northeast Ohio and another Soil & Water Conservation District.
Job Titles:
- Outreach Program Specialist
Mikaela Mohr is responsible for administering the Community Backyards rebate program, writing the Backyard Conversation resident e-newsletter, assisting with annual and community events, and managing District outreach programs.
Mikaela graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a BS in Environmental Studies, Biology Minor. She was previously the Outreach Program Intern at Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District, providing support for the Community Backyards rebate program and assisting with outreach events. Prior to her current role, she worked as an environmental compliance consultant serving Ohio manufacturing clients, where her experience included preparing Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plans, preparing EPA regulatory reports and permits, and performing site inspections to ensure her clients were in compliance.
Job Titles:
- Administrative Specialist
Tricia recently joined Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District as an Administrative Specialist. In this role she provides overall assistance for the District office, staff, customers, and various events. Prior to joining Franklin Soil and Water, Tricia held administrative roles in both non-profit and for-profit organizations. She continues to be excited to offer the behind-the scenes support to assist staff in keeping all our important conservation programs running smoothly.
Job Titles:
- Specialist at Franklin Soil
- Urban Conservation Program Coordinator
- Urban Conservation Specialist
Brooke joined the District in the summer of 2013, first as an intern where she assisted Kurt Keljo (one of our Watershed Coordinator's) with construction of our pilot stream insert projects and the collection of water samples for analysis. After interning, she accepted a summer field position where she assisted the GIS and field teams in collection of various data points, including dry-weather screening and HSTS inspections. By the end of her first year she had accepted a position as one of our Urban Conservation Specialists and has been working with county, township and municipal partners ever since to help manage and maintain the technical aspects of the NPDES stormwater permit requirements.
In 2023, Brooke accepted the role of Urban Conservation Program Coordinator, where she will work to increase her knowledge and build on to our urban program components. Some of her day-to-day responsibilities include assisting communities in the implementation of their Stormwater Management Program Plans, reviewing development plans, performing inspections, responding to drainage concerns, training of municipal and county staff, and providing guidance and oversight to our Stormwater Field Technicians. Brooke also coordinates our Urban Review newsletter, Central Ohio Stormwater Roundtables, Ohio Stormwater Awareness Week, and leads our tree sale team.
Brooke grew up off a country road in NE Licking County and lived in Colorado for a while before returning to Central Ohio. She lives in SW Franklin County with her husband, Erik, and their 3 cats, where they enjoy tending to their urban oasis, traveling, and cheering for the Reds and Browns (which often tests her optimistic and laid-back nature..lol). Brooke graduated from Hocking College with an AAS in GeoEnvironmental Science, where she focused on subsurface processes and the procedures for monitoring and remediating soil and water resources impacted by hazardous substances and petroleum products.
Brooke is a Certified Erosion, Sediment and Storm Water Inspector (CESSWI #4403), a Certified Professional in the Inspection & Maintenance of Stormwater Control Measures (OIM22032), a member of the Water Management Association of Ohio (WMAO), a member of the Ohio Green Industry Association (OGIA) where she is a Master-level Ohio Certified Nursery Technician, and won her fantasy baseball league 2-yrs in a row (2021-22) :-).
Job Titles:
- Geomatics Field Technician
- Member of the Geomatics Team at Franklin Soil
Willow Artherholt is a Geomatics Field Technician and a member of the geomatics team at Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District. Her work focuses on field verification and editing GIS-based data for various county and municipal projects. This includes Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems, Home Sewage Treatment Systems, and other partnered projects.
Willow received a BS in Environmental Science with minors in GIS and Biology from Youngstown State University in 2021. Prior to joining Franklin Soil and Water, Willow worked as a GIS project coordinator.