Meet Our Board

Paul Mueller, President
CESSWI

Paul Mueller is an erosion control and stormwater inspector with St. Charles County's Department of Community Development. He conducts inspections at construction sites and stormwater facilities in unincorporated St. Charles County, Missouri in the rapidly growing St. Louis metropolitan area.

Mr. Mueller's experience with erosion control inspections began when he started working with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources in the early 90s. During that time, he worked with EPA Region 7 inspectors on several joint inspections. When Phase II stormwater was implemented, he worked with communities in developing their stormwater management plans. In 2016, he became the chief erosion control inspector for St. Charles County, where he also helps in the management of their MS-4 program.

Mr. Mueller has as a Bachelor of Science degree from Iowa State University. He is a Certified Erosion, Sediment and Stormwater Inspector (CESSWI). He was a revision team member for the third revision of the Missouri and Kansas "Protecting Water Quality Guide." He has participated on several committees in the drafting of land disturbance and general stormwater permits.

Mr. Mueller is active in his home community. He serves on the Board Directors and is a retired Lieutenant/Engineer with the local fire district, where he was a state-certified instructor in firefighting and hazardous materials.

Ryan Joe, VP

Ryan Joe is an Environmental Scientist at JEO Consulting Group, Inc in Lincoln, Nebraska. Ryan received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology with a minor in Environmental Studies from Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and a Master of Science degree in Biology with a concentration in Ecology and a graduate certificate in GIS from the University of Illinois Springfield. Prior to working for JEO, Ryan worked for the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) where he managed the state’s Construction Stormwater and MS4 programs. Ryan’s other previous work experience includes working as a Threatened and Endangered Species Biologist at Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC), a Farm Bill Wildlife Biologist at Pheasants Forever in Winner, South Dakota, and a Wildlife Biologist and Spatial Analyst at the Crane Trust in Wood River, Nebraska.

As an Environmental Scientist at JEO, Ryan is involved in a wide variety of environmental-related work, including MS4 permit assistance, construction stormwater and industrial stormwater permitting, construction stormwater oversight inspections, wetland delineations, Section 404 permitting, stream assessments, threatened and endangered species surveys, migratory bird surveys, and roadside vegetation inventories.

Ryan is married to Kelli and they have two young daughters, Cora and Willa. Ryan enjoys spending time with his family, hunting, fishing, sports, camping, kayaking, and is a big Miami Dolphins and St. Louis Cardinals fan.

Sarah Davis, Secretary

Sarah Davis is a Stormwater Specialist for the City of Springfield, MO where she oversees several programs related to MS4 compliance, including industrial inspection, land disturbance permitting, post-construction inspection and municipal good housekeeping. She has undergraduate degrees in Biology and Environmental Science, as well as a Master's Degree in Biology. In addition, Sarah is a Certified Erosion Sediment and Stormwater Inspector (CESSWI) with 10 years of experience in sediment and erosion control best management practices.

Thomas Wells, Treasurer
CPSEC, CISEC

Thomas M. Wells, CPESC, CISEC is the Environmental Services Manager for Lamp, Rynearson Associates, Inc. a Civil Engineering firm based out of Omaha Nebraska. Tom has worked in the stormwater industry for 18 years focused on the cradle-to-grave approach to construction stormwater. From Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan design/review, regulatory permitting, compliance inspection, client/contractor/regulatory coordination through final stabilization as well as into post-construction Stormwater management design, inspection, and coordination. The primary focus for Tom has been on residential, commercial sites, as well as linear construction projects. In his 10-year association with the International Erosion Control Association - Great Rivers Chapter, Tom has served in several roles on the Board of Directors including Board Member, Treasurer, Vice President, and President. When he's not busy trying to save the environment, his 5 kids and amazing wife keep him very busy.

Board of Directors

Zachary A. Jilek, Past President CPESC, CISEC
Environmental Services Dept. Manager E & A Consulting Group, Inc.

Zach is a shareholder and Environmental Services Department Manager for E & A Consulting Group, Inc. Zach is a graduate of the University of Nebraska Omaha & Lincoln where he received his Bachelor of Science in Construction Engineering Technology. In 2004, Mr. Jilek accepted a position with E & A Consulting Group, Inc. and formed their Environmental Services Department. In 2012, Mr. Jilek became a stockholder of E&A and in 2013 he was elected to the Board of Directors. In addition to his duties in the Environmental Services Department, Jilek serves as a trustee for E&A’s 401(k). Personally, Zach is married to Nicole and they have two children, Zachary, Jr. and Emily. His family resides in northwest Omaha. In his spare time, he is an avid hunter and fisherman and is constantly improving a parcel of land in north central Nebraska as a hunting retreat.

Ronald Poe, PLA, CPESC

Ronald Poe, PLA, CPESC is a Highway Environmental Program Manager at the Nebraska Department of Transportation. He received a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from Iowa State University in May 1993. In October 2003, he joined IECA in an effort to educate himself about the erosion and sediment control industry, as well as stormwater initiatives that were happening on the national level. In November 2004, he achieved the Certified Professional of Erosion and Sediment Control (CPESC) Certification and in October 2008, he completed the licensure process and is licensed as a Landscape Architect in the State of Nebraska.

Mr. Poe has been employed in the stormwater industry for approximately 25 years; beginning his career in 1993, working as a landscape designer for a design/build contractor. In 1998, he transitioned to the Nebraska Department of Transportation where he learned the art of erosion control design. Currently, he leads NDOT's Roadside Development & Compliance Unit (RDCU), comprised of eight staff dedicated to the erosion and sediment control and stormwater profession.

With his DOT responsibilities, Mr. Poe has a thorough understanding of the erosion and sediment control and stormwater industries. He coordinates regularly with state and federal agencies, consultants, contractors and product representatives in regard to Best Management Practices, design techniques, stormwater and other environmental issues.

In October 2005, Mr. Poe was elected onto the Board of Directors for the Great Rivers Chapter and continues to serve in that capacity today. He currently serves as President of the Chapter, a position that he has held for the past two years. In 2017, the Great Rivers Chapter received IECA's "Outstanding Membership Retention" Award. Receiving this award was a testament to the efforts of the Chapter leadership in providing quality education to our mission.

Darice Baxter, CISEC

Darice Baxter has served on the Great Rivers Chapter of IECA since 2007 and, is the current GRC Secretary. She also serves on the Johnson County Storm Water Alliance (JCSWA) board and is a member of the Iowa Storm Water Education Program (ISWEP), representing the University of Iowa in its commitment to the environment.

Darice is an alumna of UI's Environmental Science & Geoscience program where she was a double major in Environmental Science and Geoscience. Darice is an Environmental Specialist for the UI's Environmental Services as their stormwater inspector, her other duties include asbestos testing and indoor air quality testing. Darice is a Certified Inspector of Erosion and Sediment Control (CISEC). She is also certified in asbestos abatement practices, which include the identification and testing of suspect materials known to contain asbestos and managing the subsequent abatement project.

Darice's primary job responsibility at the UI is to oversee stormwater quality compliance at construction sites, she reviews, approves and proposes modifications to Storm Water Pollution Preventions Plans (SWPPP's ) that are to be implemented during construction projects. As such, she is an integral part of the building process of all newly constructed buildings at the University of Iowa. Each new building or remodeling project that disturbed one acre or more has been assessed by her. Darice encourages stormwater post-construction practices to be implemented and recommends best management practices utilized on individual sites. During the construction phase, she inspects each site weekly for SW compliance.

In her free time, Darice enjoys pursuing her hobby of stained glass artistry, biking, Iowa football, gardening and spending time in the outdoors with her husband Jason, son Kade and their two Akita's Kai & Kirin.

John Warren, CPSEC

I am a graduate of the University of Missouri – Columbia with a degree in Agriculture/Agronomy & Horticulture. Upon graduation, I practiced as a Landscape Contractor and Designer in the Kansas City area as well as the Washington D.C. area for 10 years including Erosion & Sediment Control projects. 

I have been in the Erosion Control Industry as a Supplier and Consultant since 1990, initially as a Regional Manager for American Excelsior and then with ASP Enterprises as a Branch Manager from 1994-2017. I served as the Midwest Region Manager for Hanes Geo Components from 2018 – 2022 and currently work in Geo & Stormwater Sales for Ferguson in the Southern Plains District of MO, KS, OK & AR.  I work directly with developers, municipalities, state agencies, engineers, architects, landscape architects and contractors creating sustainable solutions with a wide range of products and practices.

I became a Certified Professional in Erosion & Sediment Control (CPESC, #763) in 1992 and from 2000 to 2012 I was the Missouri State Representative for the CPESC Program. I am active locally with the American Public Works Association, the American Society of Consulting Engineers (including the Kansas and Missouri Chapters), the Soil & Water Conservation Society, the Engineer’s Club of Kansas City, and several local charities including the Tour de Hope, Head for the Cure and the YMCA Challenger program for kids with Special needs.

I am married to my wife Linda and together we have 6 children, I enjoy family time, cycling, travel, art, cooking and lake activities.

Josh Hanson, CPESC, CPSWQ

Josh started his stormwater compliance career in the Mid-Atlantic region and was a member of the Mid-Atlantic chapter of the IECA before relocating to the Midwest. He has performed stormwater compliance services or consulted in 30 states and the District of Columbia. For Olsson, he acts as the stormwater compliance technical advisor for the Olsson footprint. As part of his responsibilities, he sees the IECA as an industry leader in technical advances in the erosion control and stormwater management fields. He encourages attendance at conferences in local IECA chapters to better educate regional teams on regulatory issues, technological advances and new and innovative BMPs to heighten the quality of their designs