Presented by: 

Frank McLaughlin, Brownfield Project Manager, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

ABSTRACT:

An overview of recent collaborations from Camden, NJ that are advancing community and environmental goals through a water resource management lens. Projects encompass everything from river restoration to stormwater management to parkland conservation to brownfields reclamation. Case studies from the Cooper River, Camden Greenway, and Harrison Avenue landfill will illustrate how inter-agency and community partnerships have been leveraged to advance groundbreaking work in water resource management, environmental restoration, and neighborhood enhancement.

SPEAKER BIO: 

Frank McLaughlin has worked in the environmental and geological sciences fields for over 30 years in the public, private, and academic sectors. Frank started at NJDEP in 1988 as a Hydrogeologist and has worked nearly 20 years in the Office of Brownfield and Community Revitalization managing brownfield development area (BDA) projects in Camden, Pennsauken, and Palmyra. Frank has overseen the successful reclamation of numerous brownfields and landfills in Camden to create new economic, community and environmental assets including the Salvation Army Camden’s Ray & Joan Kroc Community Center on the former Harrison Avenue Landfill.

Frank currently manages NJDEP’s the Community Collaborative Initiative at NJDEP, a placed-based partnership where NJDEP staff is embedded in 12 communities across New Jersey.  Previously, Frank was a founding member of the Camden Collaborative Initiative, a solutions-oriented partnership between governmental, non-profit, private, and community-based organizations formed to implement innovative strategies to improve the environment and the quality of life for Camden's residents. The Camden Collaborative Initiative has become a national model of successful public-private partnerships and it received USEPA’ Environmental Champion Award in 2016.   Frank is also involved in regional partnerships, including the Delaware River Urban Waters Federal Partnership, where he Co-Chairs the Brownfields Revitalization Community of Practice.

Frank received his B.S. in Chemistry and Geology from Fairleigh Dickinson University (1985) and M.S. degrees from Rutgers University in Geological Sciences (1988) and Environmental Sciences (2006). Frank is also an Adjunct Professor in Environmental Sciences and Geology at Ramapo College. Frank volunteers to support urban environmental education and he also is invited to speak on urban environmental issues to schools, non-profits, academic institutions and professional organizations.

Engineers:

This seminar does qualify for 1.0 Professional Development Hour (PDH). A Certificate of Attendance will be available for AWRA-PMAS members only. The meeting price for non-members who wish to receive a Certificate of Attendance for the PDH is $10.00 ($3.00 for meeting + $7.00 for certificate).  

Please note: Presentation is to be given through Zoom at the link below. PDH's will be issued through PDFs. Please allow extra time to register through Zoom and get software set up. Presentation will start at noon. Early participants will be in a Waiting Room until noon. Participants must email AWRA.PMAS@gmail.com to request PDH Certificate after the event.

Presentation link will be provided in registration reminder email. Zoom link should only be used by those who register for the event through AWRA directly. 

Thank you!