The Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce’s Infrastructure Planning Division will host an informative Zoom Webinar, titled “Are We Running out of Water” on Thursday, June 24th from 8:00 – 9:30 AM. The panelists include Brian Butscher with the City of Sugar Land, Dr. David Harkins with Carollo Engineers, Ed McCarthy with McCarthy & McCarthy LLP, and Brandon Wade with the Gulf Coast Water Authority. This event is generously sponsored by DEC. This session is moderated by David Gornet, FBCC Infrastructure Planning Division Chair, Gornet Consulting, LLC. As the population of Texas continues to grow, the availability of water supply continues to be a concern. Join our panel of experts as they discuss a history of water rights and conservation in our area, take a look at the Sugar Land Water Resource Plan to discuss future needs, sources and projects, how water is provided in Fort Bend County, and upcoming challenges with water resources and contracting water.
Brian Butscher is the Director of Public Works for the City of Sugar Land. He has 17 years’ experience in Public Works. He has been with the City of Sugar Land since December 2015. He is responsible for the operations of the Utility, Streets, Right of Way, and Traffic division. Brian has a Bachelor of Science degree in Ocean Engineering from Texas A&M University and a Master of Public Administration from Texas A&M University Corpus Christi. He is a registered Professional Engineer in Texas.
Dr. David K. Harkins is the Texas Water Resources Lead of Carollo Engineers in Austin, Texas. Dr. Harkins has over 20 years of experience in water resources and environmental engineering design and planning studies. His experience includes project related to water supply, surface and groundwater modeling, aquifer storage and recovery (ASR), groundwater management, water quality analysis and modeling, water availability modeling, water resources management, instream flow analysis, environmental flow analysis, bay and estuary evaluations. Dr. Harkins is a registered Professional Engineer in the States of Texas, Oklahoma, and Mississippi.
Ed McCarthy is a partner in the firm of McCarthy & McCarthy L.L.P. Practicing primarily in water and water related matters. Mr. McCarthy has spent most of the past 40 years representing both private landowners and governmental entities, including municipalities, water supply corporations and water districts operating pursuant to Article XVI, Section 59, of the Texas Constitution. His representation has included sales and transfers, permitting, development of groundwater and surface water rights and district legislation, regional water supply projects and development, CNN issues, water/ waste water applications and contested cased before TCEQ and groundwater districts. Mr. McCarthy is also experienced in endangered species matters as well as flood and drainage issues associated with land development and water matters.
Brandon Wade brings more than 35 years of municipal experience to his role as Gulf Coast Water Authority General Manager and Chief Executive Officer. Previously, Brandon served as GCWA Deputy General Manager; Pflugerville City Manager; Galveston Deputy City Manager, Director of Public Works and City Engineer; and Alvin Director of Community Development and City Engineer. At GCWA, Brandon leads a staff of 75 to provide up to 200 million gallons of water a day to industrial, municipal and agricultural customers in Brazoria, Fort Bend, and Galveston counties. Brandon holds a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Houston and a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from Texas Tech University.
Registration is currently open. Event Sponsor: $500, includes company logo featured on all marketing materials, social media platforms, and chamber website, a unique registration page branded with company logo, logo inclusion on confirmation email for all participants, recognition during the event, and an invitation for a team member to join as a panelist during the webinar allowing face-time with all attendees. Individual Member Reservations are $20. Prospective Member Reservations are $30. Register today at www.FortBendChamber.com or contact Ryan Husid at 281-566-2163 or Ryan@fortbendcc.org.
The Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce Infrastructure Division, under the leadership of Chair, David Gornet with Gornet Consulting, LLC, educates and advocates for transportation, infrastructure and development programs throughout the region that promote opportunities for investment that encourage an improved quality of life in our region.
About the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce
The only 5-star accredited and largest single-county chamber in the region located in Fort Bend, the Great American County. The advocate for excellence in Fort Bend County and beyond.