IECA’s membership voted to re-elect Julie Etra, MS, CPESC, and Tom Williams, MA, CPESC, to the 2011 board of directors. Joining Etra and Williams on the 2011 board of directors is new board member Beth Chesson, CPESC, CPSWQ. Chesson will begin her term in February alongside fellow board members Julie Etra, MS, CPESC; Philip Handley, REM, CPESC, CESSWI; Lee Johnson, CPESC; Sandy Mathews; Rick Morse, CPESC; Brock Peters, CISEC; Charles Riling Jr., and Tom Williams, MA, CPESC.
Beth Chesson, CPESC, CPSWQ, is a senior project manager with Civil & Environmental Consultants Inc. (CEC). She graduated from North Carolina State University in 1987 with a BS in biological and agricultural engineering technology. Chesson served on the IECA Southeast Chapter’s board of directors as president from 2004–2010. She currently is serving on the Southeast Chapter’s board as the past president. During her terms as president of the Southeast Chapter, the board developed several vital and critical chapter programs, including the quarterly newsletter, the college scholarship program, and the Environmental Connection scholarship program.
Julie Etra, MS, CPESC, principal of Western Botanical Services Inc., a consulting firm founded in 1993, has more than 25 years experience in the fields of erosion control, revegetation, restoration, botanical surveys, environmental documents, monitoring, and wetlands. She has had extensive teaching experience, has produced more than 14 publications, and has received numerous awards for design work. Etra has been an active member of IECA since 1988 and currently serves on the board of directors as vice president of international development. Julie is also bilingual in Spanish.
Tom Williams, MA, CPESC, director of environmental affairs for Midway Gold Corp., has over 30 years experience in the project management and preparation of reclamation plans, baseline data collection projects, and environmental impact assessments. The majority of the projects in which he has participated have been related to mining, renewable energy, power transmission, and pipelines. Williams is a reclamation ecologist and certified erosion control specialist with specific expertise in the reclamation and revegetation of disturbed lands, wetlands remediation, statistical analysis of vegetation, and erosion and sediment control. He has conducted workshops on vegetation establishment, revegetation, erosion control, and environmental impact assessment for over 15 years. Tom currently serves on the board of directors as vice president of marketing and is the chair of the Save Our International Land (SOIL) Fund and Technology Section 3 (vegetation establishment) Committee.
The IECA Board of Directors is made up of nine members, each serving a three-year term. Board positions will be decided at the board meeting to be held at Environmental Connection 2011 (EC11), IECA’s annual conference and expo, February 20–23, 2011, in Orlando, Florida, USA.
IECA would like to thank outgoing board member Mike Chase, CPESC, CPSWQ, CESSWI, for his years of dedication and service to the association. As a member of IECA, Chase has served on the Future of the Association Strategy Team (FAST), the Professional Development Committee, the SOIL Fund, Technology Section 4 (stormwater) Committee, and the Technology Section 6 (erosion and sediment control) Committee.
Mike also is a past president of the Western Chapter of IECA. He most recently has held the position of president on the IECA Board of Directors. Chase will continue his involvement on the board of directors as ex-officio board member for the next two years as immediate past president.
