2020 IECA Annual Conference and Expo Recap | Raleigh, NC | February 23-26, 2020

Post Conference Recap

The 2020 IECA Annual Conference and Expo was another hit with attendees. From the opening keynote inspiring attendees to "think differently" to succeed, and upscale awards luncheon to the Taste of Raleigh closing event and field tours to close the event - the feedback on the event makes this one of our best events yet! Preconference and field tour session participation was at an all time high. And, education sessions featured various formats to help attendees learn in an atmosphere best suited to their needs.

Dr. Kevin Snyder provided attendees with strategies (and a free to ebook to think differently) to transform their thinking about personal motivation to achieving new levels of success. Snyder provided “outside the box” examples to envision new possibilities and manifest extraordinary performance in daily life activities. “We can change without growth, but we cannot grow without change,” stated Snyder as he expanded upon how chance and change can help attendees achieve their vision of success.

The IECA Awards of Excellence program acknowledges outstanding achievements in the erosion and sediment control industry and is a staple event at the conference. Dr. Rich McLaughlin with the North Carolina State University (NSCU) Erosion, Sediment and Turbidity Control Program received the environmental excellence award which is IECA’s most prestigious award. Earl Norton, M.S. CPESC, CPAg, received the outstanding professional of the year award, and Charles R. Riling, Jr., TRETCNO, ABI, CESSWI sustained contributor award for distinguished service to IECA. New awards were announced to recognize IECA partners and young professionals in the industry. The new sustained partner award recognizes a company who has provided distinguished support to IECA and demonstrated long-term support to the industry. The winner of this award is East Coast Erosion Control. The first category for young professionals recognizes three outstanding young professionals under 30 years old in stormwater and erosion and/or sediment control projects, programs, or academics that demonstrates excellence in natural resource conservation and environmental protection. The three award winners are Michael A. Perez, Ph.D., CPESC; Kristine Sommer, CPESC, QISP, QSD; and Sylvie Spraakman, P.Eng. The next new award category recognizes four outstanding young professionals under 40 years old in stormwater and erosion and/or sediment control industry that demonstrates excellence in natural resource conservation and environmental protection. The award recipients include IECA president, Adam Dibble, CPESC, CESSWI; Wesley N. Donald, Ph.D., E.I., CPESC; Dylan Drudul, CPESC and Stefano Rignanese, MS.

This year’s Expo Hall brought in more than 140 exhibitors showcasing the latest industry products and solutions. The Expo Hall also featured the IECA Learning Lab with vendor showcases and Contractors’ Corner. An onsite rainfall simulator that provided examples of health management practices to improve water infiltration and water holding capacity. The IECA photo contest continues to be a favorite on the show floor. Photo contest winners featured a newcomer to the contest – Rene Barrientos with his image “Getting the Job Done.” JJ Breede again won for his photo submission “Flexamat and Dam Protection.” Look for the winners' full images in the April Environmental Connection magazine. And, the closing event featured “Taste of Raleigh” food stations that provided samplings of Raleigh’s finest cuisine.

The IECA Poster Contest was in the IECA Townhall this year. The poster presentations promote the exchange of scientific and technical information within our industry and are presented by students and young professionals. This year’s first place poster winner, Brent Wilder from San Diego State University presented “Flood after Fire in Southern California – Incorporating Machine Learning to Identify Important Parameters for Process-based Hydrologic Models.” Second place poster winner, Lan Lui from Auburn University presented “Evaluation of Scaled Lamella Settlers for Treating Suspended Sediment.” Third place winner, Sophia Barron from San Diego State University presented “Surface Water Quality in Coastal Watersheds Following the Woolsey Wildfire in California.”

The IECA Annual Conference will colocate with the Geosynthetics Conference in February 21-24, 2021 in Kansas City, Missouri. Call for abstracts are now open and exhibition/sponsor opportunities are being sold for next year's event as well.