Opening Session 2025
Monday, October 20, 2025
Agenda
For the most up to date information, download the latest Draft Agenda. Session information to be updated soon, please check back.
State of Lake Eerie: Nutrients and Harmful Algal Blooms
Christopher Winslow, PhD, Director
Ohio State University, Ohio Sea Grant and Stone Laboratory / School of Environment and Natural Resources
Dr. Winslow will present on the State of Lake Erie: Nutrients and Harmful Algal Blooms. The presentation will take a high-level glimpse into (1) nutrient sources today, (2) our understanding of agricultural nutrient losses, (3) effective best management practices (BMPs), (4) farmer decision making, (5) possible strategies to move toward a 40% Phosphorus reduction, and (6) information gaps and research needs. We know that 8-9% of Phosphorus getting into Lake Erie from the Maumee comes from wastewater treatment plant discharge and ~4% is coming from rural septic systems. We also estimate that Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) discharge, those that EPA knows are occurring, contribute about 1% of phosphorus. This presentation will discuss what is being done to address the issue and what we can do to address it in the future.
Biography: Dr. Winslow earned his master’s degree from BGSU, and received his bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from Ohio University. As an Instructor at BGSU and an Assistant Professor at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Winslow taught general biology courses to more than 700 students. For the past seven years, he has been a fixture at Stone Laboratory, teaching Aquatic Ecology classes to high school and college students and mentoring college students and their Lake Erie research projects in the lab’s Research Experience for Undergraduates Scholarship Program. Dr. Winslow coordinates Ohio Sea Grant’s Great Lakes research with agencies and universities, as well as assists in research, curriculum development, and student recruitment at The Ohio State University’s Stone Laboratory.
H2Ohio Update
Mark S. Johnson, Jr.
Assistant Director/Chief of Surface Water, Ohio EPA
Mr. Johnson will be providing Ohio EPA Division of Surface Water and H2Ohio Updates – General overview, priorities, permitting efficiency, transparency.
Biography: Mark Johnson was appointed Chief, Division of Surface Water in August 2023.
Johnson joined Ohio EPA in 2012 and has worked in the Division of Surface Water, Division of Drinking and Ground Waters, and Division of Environmental Response and Revitalization. Johnson has years of experience in oversight of staff, environmental regulations, environmental enforcement, environmental remediation, Brownfield redevelopment, and ecological restoration.
Prior to his appointment as Chief, Division of Surface Water, Johnson served as the Assistant Director since August 2022 and prior to that he served as the Deputy Director of Business and Regulatory Affairs for Ohio EPA. As deputy director for business and regulatory affairs, Johnson was the primary contact for regulated entities to help coordinate permitting activities within the Agency, particularly for complex projects requiring multiple permits.
Johnson graduated from Kent State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Conservation Biology.
USDA Update (to be updated)
Michele Brooks (confirmed)
Assistant Administrator, Water and Environmental Programs, Rural Utilities Service, USDA 
Ms. Brooks will discuss USDA’s activities in support of onsite and decentralized wastewater systems. She will provide a general overview of the Rural Utilities Service, Water and Environmental Programs specifically focusing on programs to assist rural communities with decentralized water and wastewater systems.
Biography: Michele Brooks was appointed Assistant Administrator for USDA Rural Development’s (RD) Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Water and Environmental Programs (WEP) on January 29, 2024. This Rural Development program provides technical assistance and financing which enable rural communities to develop water and wastewater systems that are necessary for public health and the economic vitality of rural America. These programs are the only federal programs focused exclusively on the water and wastewater infrastructure needs of rural communities with populations of 10,000 or less. Ms. Brooks brings to this position over three decades of passion in serving rural Americans and an extensive knowledge of vital issues facing rural Americans.
Prior to her appointment as Assistant Administrator, Ms. Brooks served as the Director of the RD Innovation Center Regulations Management Division. Under her leadership, she provided a strategic focus on the implementation of rural policies and regulatory activities. She improved RD’s customer experience and program delivery and led the OneRD Guarantee Initiative to standardize and transform RD’s commercial loan guarantees.
Status of Advocacy / Lobbying Efforts on Behalf of Onsite and Decentralized Wastewater
Tim Perrin
Policy Advisor, Polsinelli, LLC
Tim Perrin is a member of the firm's National Public Policy group and assists clients interested in shaping energy, environmental, and infrastructure legislation and regulation. He is part of the team which represents NOWRA on Capitol Hill. He will provide an analysis of the legislative and regulatory landscape, initiatives underway which may have an impact on the onsite/decentralized industry, and steps the industry can take to increase its influence in Washington on those initiatives.
Biography: Drawing on 20 years of advocacy and public affairs experience, Tim helps clients view public policy opportunities and challenges from a comprehensive perspective. Doing so informs the strategies he employs to secure policy solutions in the best interest of the client. Tim has been doing this successfully at Polsinelli for clients in the energy and environment, outdoor recreation, health care, higher education, and technology sectors. In the past, Tim worked at the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry (AAGP), a national medical society representing physicians and older adults. Prior to AAGP, Tim was a Washington Fellow in the office of U.S. Representative Floyd Spence (South Carolina).