TEAM

Jody Bickel

Founder and Chief Executive Officer

 

Jody’s experience spans more than 25 years in ecosystem services and a lifetime of work involving environmental conflict resolution, natural resources management, and the development of environmental markets. She has successfully led teams and guided stakeholders in natural asset ventures at varying scales.

Wayne White

Senior Regulatory Advisor

 

Wayne improves outcomes in species viability by linking client goals to regulatory compliance solutions and conservation outcomes that are more practically aligned with the landscape. During a 31-year career with the Fish and Wildlife Service, Wayne wrote some of the first ESA section 7 consultations, including work on early pesticide consultations, while managing the largest field office in the agency.

Kim Skyelander, Ph.D.

Senior Collaboration Advisor

 

Kim’s unique career has been shaped through extensive education and field experience in land management, conservation initiative, and environmental conflict negotiation. Her academic background is deep and diverse, but she is also no stranger to connection to place. Throughout her life, this approach has enabled Kim to connect diverse parties to successful outcomes through thoughtful facilitation; her work with tribal governments, non-profit organizations, businesses, political leaders, municipalities, tourism bureaus, schools, nature centers, research stations, the media, and other stakeholders has yielded many successes. 

George Kelly

Senior Environmental Markets Advisor

 

George leverages his deep experience in ecosystem markets, environmental finance, and environmental law to advance outcomes-based environmental solutions using market and performance-based tools. George currently serves as the CEO of Earth Recovery Partners. Immediately prior to starting ERP, George served as a managing director at Quantified Ventures, founder at Bespoke Mitigation Partners and an affiliate member of Earth and Water Strategies. From 2014-2019, he was the Chief Market Officer for Resource Environmental Solutions, which had acquired Environmental Banc & Exchange, a firm he founded in 1997.

Daniel Perkins, Ph.D.

Regulatory Advisor and Technical Director

 

Dan has extensive experience and passion for stewardship science and quantifying the value propositions and incentives that drive regulatory compliance, ecosystem services, and land stewardship. Much of his work is in agriculture, solving problems related to human health and environmental chemical risk assessment, compliance and regulatory systems, environmental policy, and technical communications. 

Michael Thabault

Regulatory Advisor

 

Mike has spent more than 30 years working on fish and wildlife conservation issues in the Federal Government. He worked 7 years at the National Marine Fisheries Service and almost 25 years at the Fish and Wildlife Service. His particular expertise lies in administering the Endangered Species Act (ESA) at the local, regional, and national level, including complex section 7 consultations. He has been a leading agent of change on some of the biggest conservation issues of our time including large water development projects as well as listing and delisting controversial species under the ESA. He has worked on policy and regulatory change throughout his career to improve delivery of the ESA.

Karen Berg

Senior Associate

 

Karen is passionate about defending ecosystem components in a human-centric world. She has merged careers in international diplomacy, environmental geography, and business development, using analytical thinking and creative facilitation in equal measure to guide diverse clients and stakeholder groups toward innovative solutions to highly complex environmental and social issues.

Jeff Waldon

Senior Scientist

 

Jeff shines in terms of connecting successful business and innovation with the nuts-and-bolts of relevant conservation outcomes. He has developed and implemented hundreds of projects in the US and abroad, specializing in progressive ecosystem strategies that leverage the best of technology integration, land management strategy, biodiversity safeguarding, and human dimensions.

Jane Bonds, Ph.D.

Senior Scientist

 

Jane provides guidance on the best available science regarding pesticide application and exposure methods for Creekbank projects. She brings over 20 years of experience in the control of pests and diseases and spray drift research with the objective of development, advancement and application of scientific research related to public health and crop protection.

David Gibson, Ph.D.

Senior Scientist

 

David is a botanist with over three decades of research experience in plant population and community ecology of grasslands, restorations, and agroecosystems with a passion for seeking environmentally sustainable solutions to real-world problems. He has conducted research in North America and Europe addressing both applied and basic questions, working with agricultural chemical manufacturers and state and federal agencies including the Fish & Wildlife Service and the United States Forest Service.

Pamela Fetterman

Senior Scientist

 

Pamela has 31 years of experience in environmental and ecological resource management, restoration, and water quality solutions at landscape scale, including 20 years of public sector regulatory experience. She has deep as well as broad understanding of regulation and compliance and the Clean Water Act, gained through extensive work in mitigation and in permitting activities.

DANA ALLEN

Project Scientist

 

Dana specializes in geospatial analysis, environmental modeling, metrics, and assessment methodologies for Creekbank Associates. He is highly skilled in drone mapping technology and other data management tools for collection and assessment at multiple levels of complexity. He is passionate about enabling best practices and highest-value outcomes from a practical perspective, leading to effective, accessible solutions for both the client and the public.

Chancey Lewis

Project Scientist

 

Chancey provides biological expertise across diverse ecological systems, including botany, prairie restoration, Threatened and Endangered species, wildlife, and rangeland management. His work involves assessing potential project impacts to natural resources, and the development and delivery of offsets for mitigation and conservation banking regulatory compliance.

Jeremiah McKinney

Project Scientist

 

Jeremiah is an innovative environmental specialist in mitigation and reclamation as it relates to mining and energy project development. This has brought his work into both the private and public sectors as liaison, technician, biodiversity researcher, and planner for a broad variety of clients. Jeremiah’s background is similarly diverse, with work in permitting, study design, monitoring strategies, abatement, mitigation, and reclamation for ecosystem-scale vegetation and animal resource management.

Cody Craig, Ph.D.

Project Scientist

 

Cody is an aquatic scientist who applies data driven solutions concerning permitting and compliance issues related to fisheries and aquatic environments. He brings a long tenure of research experience in aquatic community ecology, ecosystem shifts related to environmental conditions, habitat associations, ecological statistics, and species distribution modeling. With a focus on best available science and iterative learning, Cody brings insights and practical application to Creekbank’s projects involving aquatic environments, including ESA section 7 consultations, and water quality assessments.

Matthew Von Hendy

Research Analyst

 

Matt is an independent information and research specialist, a recognized expert with more than 20 years of experience finding, organizing and disseminating scientific, technical and government information for clients concerned with conservation and ecosystem vitality.

Kathryn Trainor

Research Assistant

 

Kathryn has held senior leadership positions to develop environmental stewardship and placemaking programs and partnerships. During her 15 years of nonprofit experience, she has built and directed a variety of programs from capacity-building through ongoing park stewardship.

Michael Lazorchak

Environmental Attorney

 

Michael is an attorney practicing in the areas of civil litigation, and natural resources and public lands law. He provides clients guidance on understanding regulatory compliance, reducing potential exposure, and resolving disputes proactively. Michael has experience litigating matters under a suite of environmental statutes, including the Clean Air Act, Endangered Species Act, and National Environmental Policy Act.

IN MEMORIAM

CARL DEE FRENTRESS 1944-2019

Every good business has an inspiration, and ours is Carl. Carl valued good whiskey, good music, cooking, and fine friendships. He loved his family with a deep reverence. Carl’s other loves were the systems in place on Earth that make human life possible, and desirable. He commanded an understanding of the natural environment that few folks comprehend, and he had a great respect for those who work with the land to create a better life for all. He was a biologist, mentor, champion, arbitrator, and advisor, and he is deeply missed.

“…when tired at last, he sat on the bank, while the river still chattered on to him, a babbling procession of the best stories in the world, sent from the heart of the earth to be told at last to the insatiable sea.”   – Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows