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Jerry Kenny, Ph.D., PE
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Bridget Barron, Ph.D.Dr. Barron is CEO and President of Headwaters Corporation and the Director of Operations, Administration and Human Dimensions. Bridget is a licensed clinical psychologist who has a remarkable combination of clinical skills, business administration skills, and expert knowledge of motivating and influencing others. She plans, directs and oversees Headwaters Corporation day to day business operations in human relations, finance and accounting, information technology, and office management. She has experience in leading large teams from diverse backgrounds and effectively managing relationships with partners and the public. She creates media and promotional materials for Headwaters Corporation and serves as the subject matter expert for public affairs and media relations.
Education: MBA/M.S. in Health Administration, University of Colorado Denver, 1996; Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, Washington State University, 1989; M.S. in Clinical Psychology, Washington State University, 1985; B.A. in Psychology, University of Denver, 1981 Certifications: Licensed Clinical Psychologist, 1991, (CO); Licensed Clinical Psychologist, 2008, (NE) |
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Justin Brei, PEJustin is a Senior Biosystems Engineer for Headwaters Corporation. He is a licensed Professional Civil Engineer in Nebraska with experience in design, permitting, bidding, and construction administration for wetland restoration and creation and riverine endangered species habitat creation and maintenance. Justin has working knowledge of several spatial and civil design software packages such as ArcGIS, AutoCAD Civil 3D, and Global Mapper. He also has experience managing large spatial datasets including specifications and acquisitions for aerial imagery and LiDAR elevation data.
Education: B.S. Biological Systems Engineering, University of Nebraska – Lincoln, 2005 Certifications: Professional Engineer – Civil, 2012 (NE) |
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Kristen CognacKristen is a hydrogeologist at Headwaters Corporation. She has experience with hydrogeological investigations and groundwater modeling related to recharge, groundwater-surface water interaction, and sub-surface transport. She is currently working to identify and quantify the hydrologic processes that sustain wet meadows along the Platte River using long-term monitoring data coupled with elevation surveys and analytical and numerical modeling. She is simultaneously completing her Ph.D. in groundwater modeling at Colorado State University.
Education: Ph.D. Candidate, Colorado State University (present), M.S. Hydrogeology, Colorado State University, 2019; B.S. Environmental Science and Geology, Northeastern University, 2012 |
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Jason Farnsworth, BCESJason Farnsworth is a Headwaters Corporation principal and serves as the Executive Director of the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program. He is a biologist with experience on a variety of resource planning, management and restoration projects including design and implementation of large-scale adaptive management experiments. Jason has special expertise in the integration of ecological and physical process modeling, monitoring and research to assess the effectiveness of natural resources management activities. Much of his recent work has focused on restoration and management of braided rivers in semi-arid environments, including the complex relationships between hydrology, sediment, and riparian vegetation that control channel morphology in these systems.
Education: B.S. Comprehensive Biology with Highest Distinction, Chadron State College, 2000 Certifications: Board Certified Environmental Scientist (AAEES), 2016 |
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Patrick FarrellPatrick is a Statistical Ecologist at Headwaters Corporation who develops and conducts a variety of statistical analyses for water resource and biological projects. He also provides statistical consulting for experimental design and implementation and has experience coding within statistical software programs, evaluating wildlife habitat selection, and analyzing wildlife population dynamics. Recent projects have included identification and prediction of channel form and function of a braided river system and ecological resource selection for federally listed avian species. Patrick also has experience with Structured Decision Making (SDM), Bayesian modeling, and GPS/GIS spatial modeling.
Education: Graduate Certificate in Data Analysis, Colorado State University, 2017; M.S. Wildlife Sciences, Auburn University, 2015; B.S. Biology: Natural Resources, Central Michigan University, 2012 |
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Julia GrabowskiJulia is a fluvial geomorphologist at Headwaters Corporation. She has experience with field geomorphology and hydrology, GIS and remote sensing, and river restoration design. Her master’s research was focused on quantifying human impact to sediment budgets of Colorado sand-bedded streams. She is currently working with aerial imagery and elevation data to monitor habitat quality on the Platte, contributing to Platte sediment augmentation planning and implementation, and synthesizing other PRRIP research for publication.
Education: M.S. Geosciences, Fluvial Geomorphology Lab, Colorado State University, 2020; B.A. Earth and Environmental Sciences, Vanderbilt University, 2017 |
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Malinda Henry, Ph.D.Malinda serves as the Science Lead for Headwaters Corporation. She has a multi-disciplinary background in biology, zoology, botany, reproductive ecology, physiology, endocrinology and genetics that gives her the tools to design and lead scientific research to evaluate a diverse array of target species responses to environmental change. Malinda is also a collaborating scientist with an international NGO that provides information essential for making wildlife and habitat management decisions to federal, state and municipal regulatory agencies, infrastructure development companies, landowners, funding organizations, academic and zoological communities and to the public.
Education: B.S. Biology with Honors, Doane College, Crete, NE 1992; M.S. Zoology, Miami University, Oxford, OH, 1998; Ph.D. Behavior, Ecology, Evolution and Systematics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 2011; Post-doctoral Fellowship, Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 2012-2013; Post-doctoral Fellowship, Graduate Program in Ecology and Natural Resources, North Fluminense State University (Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro), Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil. |
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Mallory JaymesMallory is a wildlife biologist at Headwaters Corporation. She has experience implementing a range of land stewardship activities as well as wildlife monitoring, tracking and research. Mallory's expertise includes planning and oversight of prescribed burns, telemetry tracking of big horn sheep, burrowing owl and swift fox surveys, and range health and condition monitoring.
Education: M.S. Organizational Management, Chadron State College, 2015; B.S. Rangeland Management, Chadron State College, 2013 |
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Kaley Keldsen
Kaley is a wildlife biologist at Headwaters Corporation. She has experience implementing biological studies and specializes in photographic data collection research. She is very proficient at threatened and endangered species productivity and abundance monitoring, predator identification and control, and database management.
Education: M.S. Wildlife Biology, University of Nebraska, Kearney (pending); B.S. Park and Recreation Management - Natural Resources Emphasis, University of Nebraska-Kearney, 2016 |
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Julie LiakosJulie is the Administrative Assistant at Headwaters Corporation. She has experience in office management and clerical support. Her primary responsibilities include: coordinating meeting logistics; document and file handling; payroll processing; client payment processing; marketing material production and various other tasks. Her primary focus is to organize and operate the office to provide seamless service to both staff and clients.
Education: B.S. Business Administration, University of Nebraska-Kearney, 1990 |
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Kari MohlmanKari is a wildlife biologist at Headwaters Corporation. She has experience implementing biological studies and specializes endangered species data collection research. She is very proficient at threatened and endangered species productivity and abundance monitoring, ground water and wet meadow monitoring data collection, and on-line database management.
Education: B.S. Wildlife Biology, University of Nebraska, Kearney, 2017 |
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George Oamek, Ph.D
Dr. Oamek is an Economist for Headwaters Corporation. His areas of expertise include Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics, Public Finance, and Mathematical Statistics. His most recent efforts include the development of an irrigation water leasing program to enhance Platte River flows, long-term municipal water demands, and the incorporation of risk and uncertainty in water supply planning. George is also a staff member of the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program’s Executive Director’s Office. In this capacity, his responsibilities include devaluating potential water acquisitions, developing water leases, and planning assistance for meeting the Program’s long-term water goals.
Education: Ph.D. Agricultural Economics, Iowa State University, 1988; M.S. Agricultural Economics, Colorado State University, 1980; B.S. Agricultural Economics, Colorado State University, 1979 |
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Bruce SackettBruce is the Director of Acquisitions for Headwaters Corporation. His specialty is negotiations with an emphasis in land or water rights with willing sellers both private and public. His over 40 years of assignments have included acquisitions across Nebraska, working with state, federal and private landowners. He specializes in finding solutions to sellers needs by using various tools for property right transfers. These resolutions bring an ability to transfer rights for our client’s needs.
Education: B.S. in Agricultural Economics, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1983; Associate Degree in Land Use Economics, University of Nebraska at Omaha, 1977 Certifications: Licensed Nebraska Real Estate Broker, 1978 - present; Certified General Real Estate Appraiser in Nebraska, 1981 - 2019. |
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Chadwin Smith, Ph.D.Chad is a Headwaters Corporation principal and serves as Deputy Executive Director of the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program. He has experience in river management, science, and policy, particularly with large, complex resource management programs. He has worked primarily as a consultant on large-scale endangered species recovery and ecosystem restoration programs throughout the United States, with the focus of his career on implementation and evaluation of aquatic-based adaptive management programs involving the Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. His technical expertise includes adaptive management, program governance, decision analysis, data analysis and synthesis, and use and management of independent science panels and peer review processes. Chad specializes in engaging multiple stakeholders in implementation of adaptive management at a large scale and evaluating governance structures in large restoration programs to improve the effectiveness of adaptive management.
Education: Ph.D. in Natural Resource Sciences (Adaptive Management), University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2020; M.P.A. in Environmental Policy/Natural Resources Management, Indiana University- Bloomington, 1996; B.S. in Fisheries & Wildlife with Highest Distinction, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1994 |
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Tom SmrdelTom is a river scientist at Headwaters Corporation. He has experience working in and rehabilitating rivers in all corners of the west. His main areas of expertise include 1d and 2d hydraulic modeling, river restoration design, hydrographic surveying and long-term monitoring of fluvial systems under adaptive management. Tom ‘s experience has been focused on integrating physical processes of habitat restoration with robust ecological design criteria for the recovery and preservation of salmonids, migratory birds and other sensitive species that rely on river corridors. His recent work includes a physical experiment to test the feasibility of sediment augmentation to restore a braided planform in the central Platte River, as well as testing and development of hydrodynamic models which couple the interactions of river hydraulics, sediment transport and vegetation dynamics for the application in riverine management.
Education: M.S. Watershed Science, Colorado State University; B.S. Physical Geography & GIS, University of Oregon (2006) Certifications: Whitewater Rescue Technician, 2013; River Restoration Professional Certificate, Portland State University, 2011; 40 hour OSHA HAZWOPER, 2006 |
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Tim Tunnell, CERPTim Tunnell is a Senior Land Manager at Headwaters Corporation. He has 25 years of experience with a variety of native grassland/rangeland resource planning, management and restoration strategies including prescribed fire planning & implementation, ecological grazing, herbicide & mechanical control of invasive /noxious vegetation, and grassland restoration design and implementation. Tim has special expertise in the integration of prescribed fire and grazing to enhance heterogeneity of native grassland species composition and vegetative structure for the benefit of grassland wildlife and livestock production. Much of his recent work has focused on the planning, coordinating, and implementation of the restoration and management projects on ~12,500 acres of habitat lands acquired through the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program (PRRIP) located within an 80- mile stretch of the Big-bend Reach of the Platte River in South-central Nebraska. Education: M.S. Rangeland Ecology & Management, Oklahoma State University, 2002; B.S. Wildlife Management, Texas Tech University, 1994 Certifications: Certified Ecological Restoration Practitioner (SER), 2017; Certified Wildland Fire Manager (AFE), 2017 |
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Seth Turner, PE
Seth is a Senior Water Resources Engineer at Headwaters Corporation specializing in water resources planning and management. He has extensive experience with the hydrologic modeling of river systems; water supply needs assessments from local to statewide levels; evaluation of alternative agricultural water transfer methods; and the alternatives, operations, and surface water effects analyses required for NEPA compliance of regional water supply projects. The primary focus of Seth’s recent work for Headwaters is the development of water projects for the benefit of threatened and endangered species in a highly-managed river system.
Education: M.S. Civil Engineering, University of Colorado at Boulder, 2003; B.S. Agricultural Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2001 Certifications: Professional Engineer, 2007 (CO) |
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Kevin Werbylo, PEKevin is a Water Resources Engineer at Headwaters Corporation. He has experience on a variety of water resources and habitat rehabilitation projects, as well as experience with water rights investigations and water conservation projects. The majority of Kevin’s experience has been in semi-arid environments and braided river systems where he has performed hydrology and hydraulics calculations and analyses for numerous types of water resources projects. Most recently, Kevin has worked on wetland rehabilitation projects aimed at enhancing migratory waterfowl habitat, assisted with the design and layout of flow augmentation project concepts, assisted with the management and coordination efforts to get flow augmentation projects permitted and constructed, and assisted with the design and modeling of channel restoration projects in a braided river system.
Education: M.S. in Civil Engineering, Colorado State University, 2013; B.S. in Environmental Engineering, Northern Arizona University, 2011 Certifications: Professional Engineer, 2017 (CO) |