The Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association is extremely grateful to a team of dedicated professionals who offer feedback on various topics as we strive to protect and promote our river-based resources across an 11,000-square mile watershed. In addition to sharing their skills on individual topics as they come up, Advisory Council members are updated twice a year on general association benchmarks, programs and initiatives.
Individuals who serve in an advisory role for us include:
Individuals who serve in an advisory role for us include:
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David EltonDavid Elton moved to Lewisburg after retiring as Professor of Civil Engineering at Auburn University (Alabama). Dave is an expert in geosynthetics for retaining walls, landfills, slopes and earth dams, as well as building and bridge foundations. He is well published, has received many professional awards, is a Professional Engineer (AL), and a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers. His interests in environmental projects include stream bank stabilization, erosion control, and surface water quality.
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Ann FisherAnn Fisher (Ph.D., University of Connecticut) retired from Penn State University, where she taught environmental economics and conducted research on people’s perceptions of water quality, their willingness to pay for environmental improvements, and the potential impacts of climate change on the mid-Atlantic region.
Earlier, she worked at the US Environmental Protection Agency headquarters, developing methods to estimate the value of environmental improvements and how to communicate effectively about the risks of pollutants. Her work experience reflects her passion for a clean environment--especially clean water because it is crucial for healthy ecosystems and for healthy people. She is a long-time member of Trout Unlimited and enjoys fishing in the Susquehanna watershed and elsewhere. |
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John LevitskyJohn Levitsky, watershed specialist for the Luzerne County Conservation District, tackles a wide assortment of water quality issues throughout the northeast section of the state, including Abandoned Mine Drainage concerns at places such as the Plainsville Borehole Discharge. Check out a podcast interview with him about a solution he has for this specific issue and the help he needs to make it realistic.
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Peter PetokasPeter Petokas is a renowned expert researcher on the hellbender, working with the Lycoming College Clean Water Institute to study the hellbender and other species while instituting programs to help offset the drastic decline of the hellbender throughout the Susquehanna River watershed. He has served in an advisory role for the US Fish & Wildlife Service on its last assessment of hellbender protections. Hear more about his experiences in this podcast episode.
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Jeffrey SockJeffery Sock received his Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from Penn State in May 1992. He has since worked 11 years in public accounting firms in the area and also worked another 19 years for private business in the area. He is an Enrolled Agent with the IRS and currently is a partner in Lee A Viard & Associates in Williamsport. His years of experience enable him to not only advise businesses on tax planning but also on ways to improve profit margins.
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Matt WilsonMatt Wilson is director of the Freshwater Research Institute and Center for Environmental Education and Research at Susquehanna University. He is a stream and restoration ecologist focused on understanding the processes that drive patterns we see in nature, and how to mimic those processes in restoration. His graduate work focused on insect communities in the West Branch Susquehanna River and how they interact with each other, spending many hours snorkeling the West Branch. Since then, he has led large-scale riparian restoration programs and his research has focused on food webs of small streams, quantifying restoration effectiveness, and using social media and surveys to identify successful approaches to science communication with different audiences.
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