Dennis is a Colorado native and since graduating from Dartmouth College (1985), has gained over 25 years of experience in the consulting business. He is a registered Engineer (Colorado) and Geologist (Arizona and Wyoming). His expertise includes ground water supply evaluations; well testing and design; pumping system design; stream depletion analyses; computer modeling of ground water systems; land subsidence modeling; Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR); and well rehabilitation. He serves clients in Colorado, Arizona, Utah, and Idaho. He has worked for Bechtel (3 years); Layne Western (3 years) and Leonard Rice Engineers (19 years), where he is currently a principal and leader of the ground water group. He has served as the AWRA (Co. section) newsletter editor, Treasurer, and Vice President during the last 5 years. He is also active with the Colorado Ground Water Association. Outside work, Dennis coaches youth sports and has coached over 50 seasons of soccer, baseball, basketball and ski-jumping. He has four children in college.
Karen has over twenty years experience performing a wide variety of projects in the areas of hydrogeologic and environmental investigations, water rights, water resources protection and development, hazardous waste management, environmental regulatory compliance, and project management of CERCLA and RCRA projects. Karen earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Geology from Colorado State University and her Master’s Degree in Geology from the University of Montana, after which she spent ten years in the environmental consulting field at Nationwide Environmental Services and Applied Hydrology Associates. Prior to joining Spronk Water Engineers, she worked for the City of Thornton as a Water Resources Administrator, with responsibility for water rights acquisition and protection, water supply planning and development, and representing the City at the Colorado Water Quality Forum.
Kristina is a Hydrologist with Bishop-Brogden Associates, Inc. Her work include water rights evaluations, water use accounting, historical use studies, hydrologic analysis, and field investigations. Kristina received a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science with an emphasis on water resources from Oklahoma State University and completed a Master of Arts degree in Physical Geography at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Her graduate work was focused on hydrology and fluvial geomorphology and her thesis examines the relationship between high flows and invasive macroinvertebrates in Boulder Creek, Colorado. Kristina has been on the AWRA Colorado Board since 2008. Kristina also serves as the secretary of the Rocky Mountain Section of Water for People.
Dave is a Water Resources Planner at Denver Water, where he has worked since 1996. David is responsible for the daily operation of Denver’s raw water collection system, particularly the South Platte River system. He also negotiates and develops new non-potable water agreements for Denver’s Planning Department, and helps plans new water supply projects. David has a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Biology from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and has over 20 years experience in Colorado water resources.
Emily is the Water Resources Division Manager at the City of Thornton. She manages Thornton’s water rights operations, water rights accounting, water supply planning, water supply development, water rights protection, and water conservation efforts. In addition, she oversees the operations and maintenance of Thornton’s raw water supply facilities and Thornton’s Northern Project properties. Emily earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Geology from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and her Master’s degree in Geography from the University of Denver. In her Master’s thesis, Emily studied the increased sedimentation on alluvial fans in the Buffalo Creek and Spring Creek watersheds following the 1997 Buffalo Creek forest fire. Emily has over ten years of experience in Water Resources planning and management, and has worked on a variety of projects, including negotiations with other water providers for joint facilities and the evaluation and acquisition of water supplies and facilities for Thornton. In addition, she had the privilege of participating in the Colorado Foundation for Water Education’s first Water Leader’s Program in 2005.
Laurna is the climate scientist for the Planning Division at Denver Water. Her primary responsibility is to coordinate climate investigations and implement the findings into the planning process. Laurna’s work incorporates many areas of water resource planning, including climate and drought planning, operational and water rights analysis, and long range integrated resource planning. Before her career at Denver Water, Laurna was a Professor of Physics at Sweet Briar College, and then went on to work as a climate science researcher with Aurora Water. Laurna has a Master’s degree in physics and a Bachelor’s in physics and mathematics. She is a Colorado native and enjoys all the outdoor activities it has to offer.
Sean is the Executive Director for the St. Vrain & Left Hand Water Conservancy District. He has over 16 years experience in shaping local and regional water policy. Sean earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Science from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and spent two years as a Natural Resources Agent with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service before moving to Colorado. Prior to joining the District, Sean spent 13 years with the City of Greeley, including the last six as their Water Resources Manager. Sean currently serves as a member of the South Platte Roundtable, and participates in the planning of the statewide Water 2012 program. Most recently Sean was nominated to the Colorado Water Congress Board of Directors, with elections expected to be held summer of 2011. Sean has lived in his adopted home of Colorado for 14 years with his wife and two small children. When Sean isn’t spending time with family, working, or volunteering for various causes, you can find him on a river trying to master the art of making a trout rise.
Mike is a Water Resources Specialist with the Colorado River Water Conservation District. He works on a variety of resource issues including water rights, river and reservoir operations, water quality, and project development. Mike received a Bachelor of Science in Forest Hydrology from the University of Georgia. Mike is a member of both the National and Colorado Chapters of AWRA. He has 14 years experience in water resources in Colorado. Mike is an outdoor enthusiast and enjoys our State’s most precious resources by sliding on our snowpack in the winter and floating our rivers in the summer. Mike and his wife Kim and two girls live in Breckenridge, CO.
Val Flory is a Senior Project Engineer with a strong background in water resource planning and management. Her earlier work was in water quality testing and crop sampling. She has been involved in developing water sources for the South Platte Recovery Program, including groundwater modeling from recharge ponds, and evaluating purpose and need for the NEPA process for large water projects. She has experience in raw water and water conservation master planning and her current emphasis is in augmentation planning and substitute supply plan applications. Val has a Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Engineering and a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering with an emphasis on Water Resource Planning and Management, both from Colorado State University. She is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Colorado.
Dawn is currently employed as an engineering assistant with the Water Resources Division of Aurora Water where she fills her time with field investigations, water rights consumptive use analyses, water rights accounting, and water right protection. She earned her B.S. in Land Use from Metro State University and spent her early career at the USGS as a Hydrologic Technician in the field of snow pack studies as well as JPMorgan Chase as a retirement plan specialist. Though a long-time Colorado resident, she also enjoyed time living in South America and several states across the southern U.S. with her family. She is an experienced caver and loves spending time with her husband and two sons.
Katie Melander is a water resources engineer with Northern Water. She has been employed by Northern Water for five years. Katie graduated from Colorado State University with a Bachelors of Science Degree in Civil Engineering with a concentration in soil and water. Katie works in the water resources department where she is involved with water rights investigations, operational modeling of the C-BT and Windy Gap Projects, climate change activities, and overseeing Northern Water’s engineering intern program. Although born in San Diego, Katie has spent most of her life in Colorado. Between skiing, hiking, running, and other outdoor activities, she enjoys the many sunny days Colorado has to offer. Katie lives in North Denver with her husband, Erik.
Steve is a water resources engineer working for Headwaters Corporation. He has worked on a variety of water resources related projects, focusing on fluvial geomorphology, groundwater, integrated water resources planning, water conservation, and environmental permitting aspects of the projects. One of his current projects is the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program, where he’s working on groundwater recharge, hydraulic modeling, and river restoration projects. He is also working on water rights engineering related issues in Colorado. He has a B.S. in environmental geology from University of Michigan, and an M.S. in civil engineering from the University of Colorado. He and his wife are busy with two young sons, and get outside to enjoy Colorado and the west as often as possible.