Center for Watershed Protection Expands Its Staff

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 14, 2016 – In a move to bolster the expertise it offers Pennsylvania communities, the Center for Watershed Protection has expanded its staff by hiring a noted water resource designer with previous experience at the state’s Department of Environmental Protection.

Mike Hickman, E.I.T., is joining the Center’s Philadelphia-based team at a time when the Center is expanding its work in the Chesapeake Bay and Delaware River Basin by helping local governments in Pennsylvania find the best approach to achieve water quality goals.

With 83,438 stream miles and nearly one in four streams that do not meet water quality standards, there’s a lot at stake. The Center, a non-profit organization dedicated to responsible land and water management, is committed to developing clean-up plans to make local waters safe for recreation and drinking.

“Hiring Mike is a win for the Center and a win for Pennsylvania,” said Hye Yeong Kwon, the Center’s executive director. “His in-depth knowledge of the state and local water quality requirements will benefit communities and municipalities as we work to protect and restore watersheds across the region. We are delighted to have him on our team.”

As a water resource designer, Hickman will help communities across Pennsylvania to reduce polluted runoff to meet national and state water quality goals for their Pollution Reduction Plans (PRP), Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL) and Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit requirements.

“I’m passionate about the Center’s mission to improve water quality and thrilled to join a knowledgeable team that’s known for delivering results,” said Hickman. “I look forward to researching, designing, and implementing

best management practices to improve Pennsylvania’s waterways for an organization that leads the nation with clean water solutions. And we should not forget that this work creates jobs and benefits residents and local economies.”

As a former employee of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Hickman has offered training, written guidance documents and assisted communities around the state as they worked to meet their MS4 requirements. He also has extensive experience in erosion and sediment control, post-construction stormwater management, permitting, and the development of conceptual-level stormwater plans. He has worked with Pennsylvania municipalities on the details of performing their Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination (IDDE) duties in “on-the-ground” scenarios, providing training and helping to define permit requirements.

In addition, Hickman brings five years of experience in design, construction and data management. He has a B.S. in Environmental Engineering from Penn State University–Capital College and an M.S. in Water Resources and Environmental Engineering from Villanova University.

Hickman will be joining the Center’s Philadelphia team that includes Julie Schneider, watershed planner, and Bryan Seipp, watershed manager/professional forester.

The Center for Watershed Protection offers municipalities and nonprofit organizations many services to improve water quality such as calculating land use and pollutant loads or modeling for stormwater. Click here to read a full list of services.

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Contact: Kristen Peterson, The Hatcher Group, 410-990-0284