2024 NEPA Essentials Workshop

Marie Campbell, Sapphos Environmental

Marie is President of Sapphos Environmental, Inc. She is an elected at-large California Association of Environmental Professionals Board Member who serves as the Liaison to the National Association of Environmental Professionals, where she is also an elected at-large Board member. Ms. Campbell has over 35 years of experience in preparing environmental compliance documents pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). She has served as the strategic advisor or project manager for numerous joint NEPA/CEQA environmental documents. She is currently serving as the Environmental Oversight Manager for Construction Package-4 section and the Environmental Compliance Manager of the Locally Generated Alternative section of the Fresno-Bakersfield segment of the California High-speed Rail project. Prior to establishing Sapphos Environmental, Inc. in 1992, she served an Associate at one of the State’s largest environmental consulting firms, after serving as the Acting Chief, Environmental Resources Branch, for the Los Angeles District the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Ms. Campbell earned her Masters and Bachelor of Arts at the University of California Los Angeles. 

Theresa Dickerson, WSP

Theresa is Vice President and Director of Environmental Planning for WSP’s Southern California Advisory Services Practice. She has over 30 years of experience in managing the environmental clearance process under both state and federal regulatory laws. Her career focus has been on large infrastructure projects having helped to deliver projects in four states and five counties. With her most recent experience as the NEPA Assignment Coordinator for the California High-Speed Rail Authority. 

Theresa has managed over $3M in environmental services for major metropolitan cities, counties, transit agencies and DOTs and delivered a wide range of environmental documents including CEQA only, NEPA only, and CEQA/NEPA combined documents under NEPA assignment. She is also a subject matter expert with expertise in all phases of project delivery from planning, environmental clearance, final design, to construction. As a practice leader, Theresa provides policy guidance, and advising services to help clients bridge the gap between planning and the environmental clearance process. 

Theresa has spent over 10 years of her career mentoring young career professionals through both formal and informal venues. Several of her mentees have gone on to hold careers in state and federal agencies. She has also been a guest speaker and educator for UCI’s Urban Planning and Public Policy Program. Theresa is responsible for managing and providing compliance reviews for large, complex infrastructure projects, including energy, transportation, and water. 

Ian Michael Forrest, Esq., Forrest Environmental Law

Ian is Founder and Managing Partner at Forrest Environmental Law. He leverages over 25 years of experience navigating diverse and unique regulatory challenges in support of a wide range of development projects and matters, including the development of real estate, renewable energy and infrastructure, regulatory compliance, as well as administrative and environmental litigation.

Ian is a frequent lecturer regarding renewable energy development, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and climate change legislation and policy. 

Ian is a graduate of the University of California, Irvine, the Federal Polytechnic University of Lausanne, Switzerland (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne or EPFL) and Boston College Law School. Ian's graduate work and thesis at the EPFL focused on the role of sustainability in carbon emissions trading and the development of carbon offset projects. During law school, Ian served as a judicial intern for then Chief Judge Hon. William G. Young of the Massachusetts Federal District Court and was a Managing Editor for the Boston College International and Comparative Law Review. 

Michael Hendrix, Michael Hendrix Consulting

Michael Hendrix is one of California’s leading climate change and air quality scientists. He is the recipient of the AEP "Professional Achievement Award. AEP specifically recognized that his commitment to balancing the need for industrial, commercial and residential development projects in California with the need for climate resiliency, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, and air pollution is evident through his dedication to resiliency planning, air quality and greenhouse gas emissions evaluations and mitigation that significantly reduce potential risks, greenhouse gases and air pollution generated by the expansion of these markets. Mr. Hendrix is the current Chairperson for the AEP Climate Change Committee. In that capacity, he provides leadership within AEP on the issue of climate change risks, adaptation, resiliency, and analysis of greenhouse gas emissions.

Michael Smith, PhD, WSP

Dr. Michael D. Smith is a nationally-recognized leader in National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) compliance with over 29 years of experience in project and program management, technical analysis, policy development, and training/education for a wide range of public and private sector clients. He is currently a Senior Vice President and the National Practice Leader for WSP USA's Environmental Policy and Process Group. WSP USA is an arm of one of the world's leading professional services firms with over 65,000 strategic advisors, environmental specialists, engineers, scientists, technicians, architects, and planners located globally in more than 500 offices in 40 countries. He has managed and provided compliance review for some of the nation's largest, most complex, and highly controversial projects, including major energy, transportation, and water infrastructure projects, regulation of genetically engineered plants, commercial space transportation operations, and approval of new fuel economy standards for all vehicles operated in the U.S. He has extensive experience providing training and strategic advice for NEPA, CEQA, and related environmental compliance requirement. 

Rich Walter, ICF

Rich is Vice President, Environmental Planning at ICF. He has over three decades of experience in environmental planning, climate action planning, compliance strategy, permitting, and mitigation development and implementation. He has worked on numerous controversial and complex environmental planning and compliance programs, involving both state and federal environmental planning, review, and compliance. 

Partnering with public and private sector clients, Rich has directed and participated in environmental impact assessments, alternatives analysis, and environmental permitting processes for a variety of proposed development and infrastructure. He has expertise in high-speed, intercity, and commuter rail; residential, commercial, and industrial development; park and recreation facilities and resorts; general plans and specific plans; flood control; water supply; wetland restoration; solar and wind energy; marine oil terminals and oil pipelines; natural gas power plants and pipelines; roads, highways, and bike paths; vineyards; telecommunications; and mining ventures. Rich also leads our California Municipal Climate Action Planning practice, which focuses on greenhouse gas inventories and greenhouse gas reduction planning for cities, counties, and regional governments in California.