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January 14, 2022

Clarifier Summer/Fall 2025 Volume 47, Issue 3

Written for and by members of the Illinois Water…

by Ryan

Jane Schipma

IWEA President

Jane Schipma serves as a Treatment Plant Operator III at the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago’s Hanover Park Water Reclamation Plant, where she supervises facility operations. She began her career with MWRD in 2007 as a Laboratory Assistant and earned a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Trinity Western University. Jane is pursuing a master’s degree in civil and environmental engineering at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and serves as Chair of the IWEA Research & Innovation Committee. She also participates on the Nutrient Removal and Recovery and Plant Operations Committees and completed WEF’s Water Leadership Institute in 2021.

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Ann Davidson

IWEA Executive Manager

Ann Davidson is a marketing and communications professional with more than 20 years of experience supporting organizations and associations. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Loyola University Chicago and a master’s degree in Communications from Northwestern University. Ann is an active member of the International Association of Business Communicators and the Public Relations Society of America and is passionate about lifelong learning and professional development.

Matt McGregor

IWEA Corporate Secretary

Matt McGregor serves as Plant Manager of the Egan Water Reclamation Plant for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, where he has worked for more than 19 years in treatment operations, maintenance, and energy management. He holds degrees from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Illinois Institute of Technology and is a licensed Professional Engineer, Certified Energy Manager, and Illinois Class 1 wastewater operator. Matt has served as Corporate Secretary on the IWEA Executive Board since 2022 and was inducted into the Illinois Select Society of Sanitary Sludge Shovelers in 2025.

Ryan Christopher

IWEA Treasurer

Ryan Christopher has more than 18 years of experience in water and wastewater planning, design, and construction. He serves as an Associate Vice President and Design Center Manager for the T.Y. Lin Water Sector, leading projects involving water and wastewater treatment infrastructure across the country. Throughout his career, Ryan has served in both project management and engineering leadership roles.

Kam Law

IWEA Delegate at Large 2026

Kam Law is an Associate at Greeley and Hansen with more than 24 years of experience in wastewater treatment and utility infrastructure. A registered Professional Engineer in Illinois and Wisconsin, she serves on several IWEA and WEF committees, including the Operator Training, Nutrient Removal and Recovery, and Research & Innovation Committees. Kam holds degrees from the University of Kansas, Northwestern University, and the University of Nevada, Reno, where she earned a doctorate in Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Nathan Davis

IWEA Delegate 2029

Nathan (Nate) Davis is a Water Resources Project Manager and Engineer with Crawford, Murphy & Tilly in Springfield, Illinois. An active IWEA member since 2008, Nate previously chaired the Government Affairs Committee, where he helped grow the organization’s Government Affairs Conference, and currently serves on the Collection Facilities Committee. He completed WEF’s Water Leadership Institute and regularly contributes to IWEA through committee leadership, conference planning, and industry advocacy.

Jerry Ruth

IWEA Delegate 2028

Jerry Ruth is a Senior Project Manager with Trotter and Associates and has worked in the water sector since earning a civil engineering degree from Purdue University in 2008. His experience includes planning, design, and construction of wastewater collection systems, lift stations, biological treatment improvements, digesters, and biosolids facilities. Jerry serves as Chair of the MAC Committee and has been a longtime member and volunteer within IWEA.

Lou Storino

IWEA Delegate 2026

Lou Storino is the Managing Civil Engineer for the Collection Facilities/TARP Section of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. During his more than 26 years with MWRD, he has worked on projects involving sewer rehabilitation, tunnel and reservoir design, sidestream deammonification, combined heat and power systems, energy neutrality planning, and stormwater management. Lou is a licensed Professional Engineer, a Board Certified Environmental Engineer, and an active volunteer in both IWEA and his community.

Lynn Kohlhaas

IWEA Past President

Lynn Kohlhaas is a licensed Professional Engineer with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, where she serves as Operations Manager of the O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant. During her more than 20 years with the District, she has held leadership roles in operations, watershed management, and major facility modernization efforts. Lynn previously chaired the IWEA Plant Operations Committee and is a recipient of both the WEF Arthur Sidney Bedell Award and the IWEA Kenneth C. Merideth Award. She is also a proud member of the Illinois Select Society of Sanitary Sludge Shovelers.

Keith Richard

IWEA Second Vice President

Keith manages the Dr. W.D. Hatfield Laboratory at the Sanitary District of Decatur and has worked with the District since 2015. He serves as Chair of the IWEA Laboratory Committee and is committed to advancing laboratory education and best practices within the industry.

Karoline Qasem

IWEA First Vice President

Karoline is a Project Manager and Business Development Lead at Fehr Graham Engineering & Environmental, where she works closely with Illinois communities on wastewater and stormwater projects, with a focus on NPDES permits, regulatory strategy, and utility compliance. Karoline also teaches at the Illinois Institute of Technology, bringing real-world infrastructure, permitting, and funding experience into the classroom.

Dan Small

IWEA President Elect

Dan Small is a board-certified environmental engineer with Strand Associates, Inc., where he leads the firm’s wastewater group in Joliet, Illinois. He earned degrees in civil/environmental and environmental engineering from Bradley University and the University of Colorado and has extensive experience leading wastewater infrastructure and utility projects throughout the region.

Jane Schipma