Team

Principal Owner

Jill grew up in Wisconsin where she was formally trained as an aquatic biologist. However, her unique public management and outreach skills equip her to engage and empower citizen groups and government officials toward larger, shared environmental or community goals – goals well beyond water quality science. She has almost 20 years of experience in environmental planning, natural resource assessment, and public involvement programming, in both the public and private sectors. Jill has been recognized with several state and local awards for her work and is an active, charter member of the Indiana Water Monitoring Council’s Board of Directors.  Jill has both program management and project management experience spanning a wide variety of Mid-western landscapes and is an experienced ecologist skilled in water quality assessment, storm water management, and numerous non-point source pollution prevention strategies.

Jill’s energy when communicating technical concepts to new audiences is often contagious and a welcomed part of any team. When she’s not in front of a powerpoint presentation, she’s hiking her dogs, kayaking a local stream, hoping a flight somewhere, or kicking around the lakes of northern Indiana with friends and family. Jill’s passion and commitment to the outdoors inspires both her work and her personal adventures.

Senior Environmental Planner

Lisa is a horticulturist and biochemist by training, earning her bachelor’s degree from Purdue University. With varied experiences in horticulture, landscape design, biochemistry, and plant research, she’s well-equipped to understand environmental concerns and applications of ecological principles for use in land use and natural resource planning. Having grown up in rural Indiana, Lisa understands the practical constraints of the agricultural community and is skilled at interacting with a variety of stakeholders. She has 20 years of outdoor and environmental work experience, including ecological inventories, permitting, water quality testing, planting design, data interpretation/summary, and technical report writing for various agencies and local project sponsors. Lisa is often recognized as a critical member to many technical project teams due to her follow-through, quality of work, and team mentality. Lisa is  Vice-Chairwoman of her county’s Soil and Water Conservation District and is also a substitute teacher.

Senior Project Manager

Scott received a Master of Landscape Architecture degree from Ball State in 2009 and came to Empower Results after 7 years in the planning and design field. Scott’s experience working with state agencies, small towns, and non-profit organizations covers a diverse array of projects, including road aesthetics, site design, native landscapes, green infrastructure and stormwater BMPs, community and river redevelopment vision plans, connectivity plans, and more. His background also includes extensive experience with public outreach and involvement, including messaging strategy, material development, podcast and video production, and reporting. Scott has additional training in wildlife habitat development, green building (LEED) and Public Interest Design (SEED).

Senior Environmental Planner

Kelly was born and raised in Kentucky where she fell in love with nature on the family farm and received a Wildlife Conservation degree from Murray State University. She first came to Indiana to get her masters from Indiana University’s School of Public Environmental Affairs, and then moved to Indianapolis to work with an environmental collective impact initiative. Kelly has 8 years of experience working with civic, private, and non-profit organizations to provide program evaluation, ecological and water quality sampling, project management, and community engagement. When Kelly is not out in the field or at her computer she loves working in her garden, cooking and swing dancing.

Public Policy Specialist

Bill is a water policy nerd, who has spent many years studying arrangements for managing and protecting water resources in the U.S. and overseas while he was a political science professor at IUPUI in Indianapolis, from which he retired in 2021. He received a bachelor’s degree in economics and a master’s in political science from Ohio University, and a Ph.D. in political science from Indiana University-Bloomington. He’s been a consultant, author, and teacher, and remains a Senior Research Fellow with the Ostrom Workshop at IU-Bloomington.

Community Outreach Specialist

London grew up exploring the great outdoors of central Indiana, where they developed an appreciation for all the parks and hiking trails the Hoosier state has to offer. With a Bachelor in Fine Arts and a certificate in Business Management from Indiana University, London has nearly a decade of experience in marketing, communications, and team management roles. Most recently, they served as co-owner of a local digital marketing agency serving small businesses and nonprofits in Indianapolis and beyond. They joined Empower Results team in the spring of 2024 and are thrilled to help improve and protect water resources throughout central Indiana. Outside of this professional role, London spends their time sculpting in their art studio, hiking with their dog, and making pottery.

Senior Project Manager

Shannon is an environmental engineer through training and has leveraged her technical background and problem-solving expertise to help communities address their infrastructure needs. Shannon has worked in both engineering consulting and municipal government, giving her a full understanding of the challenges and opportunities communities have in delivering essential services and enhancing quality of life. She has secured millions of dollars in grant funding to help preserve and enhance native landscapes, expand and maintain the urban forest, and use nature-based solutions to reduce flood risk and protect property.

Shannon is passionate about bringing together diverse groups of experts to solve complex problems. She has led public meetings, facilitated community advisory groups, and worked in community education and outreach.

Accounts Manager

David was trained in the sacred art of bookkeeping out in the lovely (and expensive) state of California when, in a pattern that has repeated itself a few times, a boss decided they didn’t want to deal with the tedious part of owning a business. David’s weird patience for the inanity of number entry has made him a valuable tool for those who would rather be spending their time doing something they love, not reconciling bank statements. After moving to Indy to run away from the insane costs of living in the Bay Area, David attended IUPUI to receive a degree in writing and business where he was also a Managing Editor for the campus’s literature magazine, once again doing the background admin stuff nobody else really wanted to do. Besides doing work for Empower for the last few years, David has been working for Green 3 Studios, a landscape architecture firm conveniently located right down the street from Empower Results. David now resides in Chicago. “Why is he still working for companies down in Indy?” you may be asking yourself. From what he’s heard, it’s a very lucky happenstance to find bosses you actually enjoy working for. From his bosses’ perspective, David is a critically valued member of the team – the one responsible for keeping the day-to-day logistics of Empower Results running smoothly as well as helping other team members keep project budgets on track.

Intern

Lily is a senior at IU Indianapolis studying sustainability practices and policy. She has a background in environmental and nonprofit work. After interning with The Watershed Foundation, she gained experience in water quality monitoring and community outreach. Growing up on Lake Tippecanoe, she has a love of the outdoors and being out on the water. Lily shares our deep passion for protecting Indiana’s watershed and natural resources.