Articles

Technical Sessions - August 2016

MORNING SESSION - Hosted by Sustainability Institute @ 11:00 AM 

Topic: Advancements of Low Impact Development in Dallas

Speaker: Jennifer Smith, E.I.T., ENV SP and Adam Cross, P.E., - Hayden Consultants

Hayden Consultants is committed to applying sustainable design principles to our work.  Sustainable design is defined as “meeting the needs of today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”  For a project to be sustainable, it must be environmentally friendly, economically feasible, and socially acceptable. Rachel Hayden is at the forefront of sustainable and context sensitive design for infrastructure improvement projects.  In recent years, Ms. Hayden has organized in-house design challenges to incorporate LID designs into traditional municipal projects.  These design challenges have assisted in determining which LID elements best fit our design projects, when applicable, such as Riverfront Boulevard and currently Canada Drive.

Due to Ms. Hayden’s leadership with sustainable design in Dallas, Hayden Consultants was chosen to lead the effort of developing 8 LID standard details for the City of Dallas.  The scope also included corresponding a training presentations and maintenance protocol and checklist.  One training presentation for city engineers, planners, reviewers, managers, directors, etc. covering plan review, design considerations, goals of each LID detail, and more.  The second training presentation is for maintenance and inspection departments, which will cover topics such as correct installation and construction techniques, maintenance protocol and checklist provided as part of the scope, appropriate erosion control methods, and testing of LID facility.

Jennifer Smith has a BS in civil engineering from Southern Methodist University.  Ms. Smith has been with Hayden Consultants for two years and the current Membership Chair of ASCE Dallas. 

Adam Cross has a BS in civil engineering from Texas A&M University.  Mr. Cross has been with Hayden Consultants for 8 years and is the current Vice President of TSPE Preston Trail Chapter.

AFTERNOON TECHNICAL SESSION - Hosted by EWRI @ 1:10 PM

Topic: Texas Water Development Board Overview

Speaker: Kathleen Jackson – Board Member, TWDB

Kathleen Jackson will be following up the main luncheon presentation with more details on the water supply plan, encouraging communities and consultants to use TWDB as a resource, and also encouraging consultants to assist TWDB in outreach to communities to assist in implementing their CIPs.

Kathleen Jackson has a diverse background representing agricultural, environmental, industrial, and wholesale-supply interests, which includes developing and implementing water management strategies for Southeast Texas. As a registered professional engineer, Jackson served as public affairs manager for one of the world's largest petroleum and petrochemical producers.

Additionally, she was involved in production agriculture with her late husband, who ran a cattle operation and farmed rice. She served as a past member of the Lower Neches Valley Authority Board of Directors, the Texas Water Conservation Association, and participated on the Sabine and Neches Rivers Bay and Estuary Environmental Flows Assessment Program Stakeholders Committee.

She is also a board member and past president of the Lamar Institute of Technology Foundation, a sustaining member of the Junior League of Beaumont, a member of the Texas Farm Bureau, past president of the American Cancer Society of North Jefferson County, and a past board member of Junior Achievement of the Golden Triangle.

Jackson received a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from North Carolina State University.

Jackson has three children, sixth-generation Texans, who all reside and work in Texas.