Environmental and Water Resources Institute (EWRI)

The Chicago Chapter of the Environmental and Water Resources Institute Board consists of five members, a chair, past chair, vice chair, treasurer and secretary. We hold monthly business meetings on the second Tuesday of every month. We welcome new members to attend these meetings as they are a great chance for to learn more about our group and what we have planned. We also have a number of committee chair positions available to general members, including Membership, Social Media, Communications, etc.

Below, the current board members would like to take the opportunity to introduce themselves to you. We hope to see you at an upcoming meeting!

Matt Moffitt is the current Chair of the EWRI – Chicago Chapter; having previously served as the ASCE branch president for the Central Illinois Section – Eastern Branch in Urbana-Champaign. Matt found his love of Water Resources growing up on the banks of the Mississippi River in Nauvoo Illinois. He received his BA in Physics from WIU and his BS in Civil and Environmental Engineering from UIUC, both in 2006; he later received a Graduate Certificate in Environmental and Water Resources Engineering from UIUC in 2012. After developing a broad base of expertise at several different firms, Matt landed at Baxter & Woodman where he is now an employee-owner and heads the Water Resources Department. Matt specializes in a multi-disciplined approach and outside of the box solutions for municipal stormwater management and flood mitigation. He is responsible for hydrologic and hydraulic modeling and analysis, watershed/regional studies, stormwater permitting, open-channel assessment/streambank remediation, wetlands and environmental assessment, and stormwater infrastructure design. He is currently active with the APWA Suburban Branch, on the BACOG Water Resource Committee, and a Trustee for the Palatine Rural Fire District.

Brian Olson is the current Past Chair and is a Project Manager and Greeley and Hansen. Brian has over 10 years of experience in a wide range of projects including civil/water resources and stormwater projects and NPDES compliance. Often part of a multi-disciplinary team to help solve complex water resources and stormwater problems, he has helped in the successful completion of a variety of projects. He is a licensed professional engineer in the state of Illinois, a Certified Floodplain Manager, and a Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control. His work in these various projects consist of advanced hydrologic and hydraulic modeling and design, stormwater management plans/drainage studies/watershed plan modeling, BMP design, green infrastructure analysis and design, and GIS analyses for various evaluations. Throughout these projects he worked on Illinois Department of Natural Resources – Office of Water Resources permit submittals, FEMA Letter of Map Revision submittals and various state and local agency permits in addition to assisting on US Army Corps of Engineers permit applications.

Megan Elberts is the current Vice Chair and is a Principal at Gasperec Elberts Consulting. Megan has over ten years over experience in water resources engineering in the Chicagoland area. She graduated with her bachelors and masters in civil engineering from Purdue University. She is a licensed Professional Engineer in Illinois and Indiana, a Certified Floodplain Manager, and a Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control. She currently is responsible for the day to day operations of a Gasperec Elberts Consulting, a civil engineering and land surveying firm. She lives in Naperville with her husband and two children (soon to be three!).

Jeana Gowin is the current Treasurer and is a Senior Water Resources Engineer at Christopher B. Burke Engineering, where she just celebrated her 15 year anniversary. She is a proud graduate of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Jeana is a Certified Professional in Storm Water Quality and a Certified Floodplain manager. Jeana lives in Chicago with her dog Cooper. When not spending time outdoors in this incredible city, she attends many sporting events and travels frequently, including an annual beach escape from the Chicago winters.

Steve Randolph is the current Secretary and is an Associate Vice President at Horner & Shifrin. He started at Horner & Shifrin in 1995 after graduating from Washington University in St. Louis with a degree in Civil Engineering and a minor in Environmental Engineering Science. In 2001, Steve received his MBA from Webster University. Besides being an active member of EWRI’s Chicago Chapter, his ASCE duties have included a term as President of the St. Louis Section, chairperson of that Section’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee, and a participant in ASCE’s Legislative Fly-In. He is also a Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control (CPESC) and a member of the Illinois Association for Floodplain and Stormwater Management. Steve is the proud father of two grown children and he and his wife live in Naperville, IL, His interests and hobbies include travel, reading, and collecting baseball cards.