Steven W. Carothers is the founder of his company. He is an aquatic and terrestrial biologist with over 30 years of experience in ecological research, environmental planning, Endangered Species Act (ESA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance, and resource management.

Alan M. Glen practices environmental law, with an emphasis on endangered species and other natural resources. He has experience in advising wind energy developers on environmental compliance strategies involving endangered species, wetlands and cultural resources.

KEYNOTE PRESENTER

Jerry Patterson has dedicated his life to public service. He was a state senator for District 11 (Harris, Galveston and Brazoria counties), where his major legislative successes included passage of the historic concealed handgun law, a constitutional amendment allowing home equity lending, and the state coastal management plan.

FACULTY MEMBERS

Edward B. Arnett is a Conservation Scientist and Coordinator for the Bats and Wind Energy Cooperative with hisorganization. He has studied bats for the past 13 years, focusing primarily on habitat ecology and resource selection of forest bats, and has led research on bats and wind energy since 2004.

James B. Blackburn Jr. has practiced environmental law in Houston for over 30 years. He teaches in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at Rice University. He has been awarded the Eckhardt Lifetime Achievement Award, the Jesse L. Walls Award, and the Herman Rudenbert Coastal Protection Award, among others.

John F. Clark is a recognized national authority on the law of historic preservation, Indian tribal consultation and the environmental regulation of communications, wind and energy facilities.

M. Benjamin Cowan is an environmental law attorney whose practice covers regulatory and compliance issues, civil and criminal enforcement defense, and real estate and corporate transactional matters.

Randy Etheridge is a senior developer for the largest developer, owner and operator of wind farms in the world, with 164 wind farms in nine countries representing over 4,500 megawatts of wind power installed or under construction.

Rebecca Hays practices principally in federal environmental law, with a particular emphasis on the ESA. She has worked on numerous habitat conservation plans under the ESA and has assisted wind developers in ensuring ESA compliance and minimizing potential exposure under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

George Humphrey is a transactional attorney whose practice focuses on U.S. and international project development and finance, corporate finance, joint ventures, and stock and asset acquisitions and divestitures. He has successfully advised on the development and finance of wind projects totaling over 1,150 megawatts.

James O. Jones has over 30 years of experience in environmental management. He was a founding member of the Regulatory Program of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston District. His specialty is the management of controversial and difficult environmental projects.

T. Adam Kelly is the Chief Scientist and a senior radar ornithologist for his company. He was the lead scientist for a nationwide, radar-based bird tracking system that uses the national weather radar network (www.usahas.com) and for small mobile radar systems for bird and bat detection, tracking and survey.

Paul Kerlinger is a nationally-known avian expert who has done groundbreaking research on bird migration and behavior. He first used radar to track bird migration more than 25 years ago and he was one of the first to study environmental economics. He served as Director of the New Jersey Audubon's Cape May Bird Observatory for seven years.

Grace D. O'Malley is a transactional attorney in the Project Finance Group of her firm. She has worked on the construction and term financing for wind power plants, and on related project documents and takeouts.

Steven P. Quarles is co-chair of the Environment and Natural Resources Group of his firm. His practice includes counseling, litigation and legislative representation for a wide range of forest products, mining, agricultural and land development associations and companies and land trusts.

Andrew L. Spielman is Chairman of Colorado's Regional Air Quality Council and practices in the areas of public lands and natural resources permitting. Prior to working in private practice, he served as a Presidential Management Fellow at the White House and in several senior positions at the U.S. EPA.

Ingmar Sterzing has over 13 years of experience in the power industry having held positions in power plant and transmission line development, contract and project management, quality, and engineering.

Melinda E. Taylor has a diverse environmental and land use practice, with extensive experience with implementation of the ESA on private land, Clean Water Act regulatory issues, and implementation of NEPA. She is the Director of the Environmental Law Clinic at the University of Texas School of Law.

Dawn Whitehead works with staff to conserve endangered species such as ocelots, jaguarundis, whooping cranes, piping plovers and sea turtles, and to oversee review of development projects including wind farms. Since 1999, she has supervised ESA consultation, compliance, and permitting for development of wind power projects in Texas.