IECA Announces 2011 Board of Directors

The International Erosion Control Assn.’s (IECA) membership voted to re-elect Julie Etra and Tom Williams to the 2011 board of directors. Joining Etra and Williams is new board member Beth Chesson.

Chesson will begin her term in February alongside Etra, Williams, Philip Handley, Lee Johnson, Sandy Mathews, Rick Morse and Brock Peters.

Chesson is a senior project manager with Civil & Environmental Consultants Inc. She graduated from North Carolina State University in 1987 with a bachelor of science in biological and agricultural engineering technology. She served on the IECA Southeast Chapter’s board of directors as president from 2004 to 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 chapter programs, including the quarterly newsletter and college scholarship programs.

Etra, principal of Western Botanical Services Inc., a consulting firm founded in 1993, has more than 25 years of experience in the fields of erosion control, revegetation, restoration, botanical surveys, environmental documents, monitoring and wetlands. She has had extensive teaching experience, produced more than 14 publications and 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.

Williams, 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 he has participated in have been mining, renewable energy, power, transmission and pipeline related. Williams is a reclamation ecologist and certified erosion control specialist with 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 more than 15 years. He currently serves on the board of directors as vice president of marketing and is the chair of the 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, IECA’s annual conference and expo, Feb. 20 to 23, in Orlando, Fla.

Source: International Erosion Control Assn.