Staff
Jennifer Fish
Jennifer Fish has been director at Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District for 12 years, leading its development into one of the largest soil and water conservation districts in Ohio. She directs and supports a staff of 15 natural resource professionals, with the mission of promoting responsible land use decisions for the conservation of soil and water resources.
Jennifer has a MS in natural resources and environmental policy and a BS in biology. She has co-authored two published articles: “An Analysis of the Costs and Benefits of Residing near a Rural and Recreational Greenway” and “Perceptions of Landowners Toward Natural Resource Conservation in the Big Walnut Watershed.” Jennifer’s prior experience includes working for Rivers Unlimited, a statewide nonprofit, and working for the National Park Service as an Interpretive Park Ranger. She also serves on the board of the Ohio Stormwater Association and on MORPC’s Center for Energy and the Environment Advisory Board.
Josh Garver
Josh Garver is assistant director at Franklin Soil and Water. Previously he was GIS natural resources specialist and member of the geomatics team, where he provided technology guidance and support to staff, maintains GIS data layers, and was involved in a variety of projects providing GIS expertise and support. Josh also coordinates GIS-based projects with various Franklin County agencies and local municipalities, which focus on improving water quality and meeting requirements of the NPDES permit held by Franklin County and its townships.
Josh has a Master’s Certificate in GIS from North Carolina State University, a minor in City and Regional Planning from The Ohio State University and a BS in Landscape Architecture from The Ohio State University. Prior to joining Franklin Soil and Water, Josh worked several years in landscape architecture and planning firms as a project landscape architect, designing and managing a variety of urban, park and GIS-centric projects.
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John Bailey
John Bailey is water quality field coordinator and a member of the geomatics team at Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District. John works with local municipalities on the Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination portion of the NPDES Phase II permit and is a level 3 Qualified Data Collector in Chemical Water Quality through the Ohio EPA.
John received a BS in Natural Resources Management with a specialization in Fisheries Management from The Ohio State University and an AS in Fish and Wildlife Management from Hocking Technical College. Prior to working with Franklin Soil and Water, John worked in the environmental consulting field, landscape industry, and with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Contact our water quality field coordinator
Mary Ann Brouillette
Mary Ann Brouillette is communications specialist at Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District, where she oversees marketing, branding, public information, social media and outreach. She also assists county, township and municipal partners with outreach strategies to meet NPDES goals for outreach and public participation, supplies articles for partner newsletters and Web sites, and conducts outreach activities for intergovernmental partners.
Mary Ann attended Northwestern University, studying ecology and chemistry, before joining the USDA Forest Service in region 6 (Washington and Oregon). During her Forest Service career, Mary Ann worked in recreation, fire prevention and suppression, timber and reforestation. After returning to Ohio, she received a BS in Human Dimensions of Natural Resources, Ecological Communication at The Ohio State University.
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Sherry Collins
Sherry Collins is administrative specialist at Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District where she is responsible for billing and receiving, vendor relations, inventory control, payroll, event registration, and acts as receptionist. Sherry also assists with Franklin County NPDES annual reporting.
Sherry came to Franklin Soil and Water after managing similar duties at Prairie Township. She has also worked in aftercare educational programming. Sherry attended Marietta College where she studied psychology.
Contact our administrative specialist, Sherry Collins
Sara Ernst
Sara Ernst is conservation implementation specialist at Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District, where she leads backyard conservation programs with a focus on rain gardens and other storm water management practices. Sara has worked as a field botanist in Florida and Pennsylvania, performed environmental education in various parts of Ohio and Central America, and led several Greater Cincinnati schools and communities in the installation of rain gardens.
Sara earned her BA in botany from Miami University, studied environmental education at Antioch University, and received her Master of Community Planning from the University of Cincinnati. In addition, Sara has served as a volunteer with Americorps and Peace Corps. Sara is particularly interested in creating and preserving habitats so kids everywhere have a creek to play in, and to return to when they’re big and in need of reminding.
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Martha Gilson
Martha Gilson is urban conservationist at Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District where she has worked for seven years. Martha helps municipalities and construction companies meet clean water regulations in her role as Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control. She has also grown the annual Stormwater and Erosion Control Expo into a regional educational event for developers, construction industry and storm water professionals.
Martha is a state-certified nursery professional who has worked at nurseries in Massachusetts and California. She is a graduate of The Ohio State University School of the Environment and Natural Resources, with a BS in environmental science. Her yard is a Certified Backyard Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. She has a special interest in native prairie gardening.
Contact our urban conservationist, Martha Gilson
Aaron Hebert
Aaron Hebert is GIS specialist and a member of the geomatics team at Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District, where his responsibilities include coordination with GIS staff in managing data related to current programs and projects.
Aaron graduated from Western State College of Colorado, with a BA in history with a geography minor. He has also completed a GIS-certificate program at Columbus State Community College. Prior to joining Franklin Soil and Water, Aaron interned with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, editing land parcel data in eastern Ohio.
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Kristin Hilson
Kristin Hilson is administrative specialist at Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District where her responsibilities include clerical and inventory administration of the GreenSpot Rain Barrel program, special event planning and registration, public outreach and office management and reception. Kristin also assists with document design and graphics.
Kristin graduated from ITT Technical Institute with an associates degree in multimedia design and information technology. She has lived in Brazil and speaks Portuguese and Spanish. Prior to joining Franklin Soil and Water Kristin worked in office administration in the veterinary field.
Contact our administrative specialist, Kristin Hilson
Kurt Keljo
Kurt Keljo is watershed implementation coordinator for the Lower Big Walnut, Rocky Fork and Blacklick watersheds at Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District, where his responsibilities include implementing water quality protection and improvement projects on the east side of Franklin County. He works with jurisdictions, agencies and private landowners to identify both potential projects and funding options. As part of his work, he coordinates volunteer sampling work in the creeks in the watersheds.
Prior to joining Franklin Soil and Water, Kurt was a watershed coordinator for Blacklick Creek at Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission and was the volunteer Chair of the Friends of Blacklick Creek for 12 years. He also worked for fifteen years as the University Pastor at Capital University. His educational background includes a BS in zoology from the University of Michigan with an emphasis on limnology, a MDiv from Luther Seminary, a PhD from Emory University in theology and personality, and a MS in environmental science from The Ohio State University.
Linda Pettit
Linda Pettit is environmental education specialist at Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District. She has held this role since 1994, providing presentations about soil and water resources to school classes, after school, scout and summer camp groups, as well as in-service and pre-service trainings for formal and non-formal educators. Linda coordinates TREE, Terrific Resources for Environmental Education, which is a consortium of agencies that provide environmental education in central Ohio. Linda is also the Region 1 Director for the Environmental Education Council of Ohio (EECO).
Linda earned a BA in Nature Interpretation from the University of Findlay and a biology teacher certification and MS in Education from the State University of New York at Buffalo. She has worked with students of all ages and truly enjoys educating people from all walks of life about the importance of our soil and water resources.
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Jeff Pierce
Jeff Pierce is GIS natural resources coordinator and a member of the geomatics team at Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District.
Jeff graduated from Wilmington College (OH) with a BA in English and Communications. He also holds a MS in Educational Leadership and a Master of Environmental Sciences in Applied Ecology and Resource Analysis from Miami University. Jeff has served as a past member of the NRCS statewide GIS committee, as the Chair of the Ohio Geographically Referenced Information Program’s statewide hydrology committee, and as a voting member of the Heart of Ohio RC&D Council. He has been with Franklin Soil and Water since 1995 and founded the first soil and water conservation district GIS program in Ohio.
Contact our GIS natural resources coordinator
Ryan Pilewski
Ryan Pilewski is watershed implementation coordinator for the Lower Olentangy and Alum Creek watersheds at Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District, where his responsibilities include managing available resources to promote reasonable land use decisions and coordinating watershed stakeholders to support, secure funding, and implement conservation and restoration driven projects.
Ryan graduated with honors from Slippery Rock University, with a BS in Park and Resource Management, with a concentration in open space planning, and a MCRP with a concentration in watershed management from The Ohio State University. Prior to joining Franklin Soil and Water, he conducted behavioral surveys of the gray wolf and common loon in Wisconsin and Michigan at Northland College. Ryan has also worked as a Recreation Planning Associate, evaluating federal recreation lands within the Allegheny National Forest.
Contact our watershed implementation coordinator for lower Olentangy River and Alum Creek
David Reutter
David Reutter is urban conservationist at Franklin soil and Water Conservation District, where he works with with county, township and municipal partners to manage and maintain the technical aspects of the NPDES storm water permit requirements and issues within their community and with their residents. David is involved with the review of construction plans, ordinance reviews, and comprehensive plan and master plan development for the inclusion of sustainable development practices that will protect the existing ecosystem services our natural resources provide.
Contact our urban conservationist, David Reutter
Kyle Wilson
Kyle Wilson is conservation program manager at Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District, where he is responsible for the administration of Franklin Soil and Water’s conservation implementation program. Kyle works to acquire new, and inspect current conservation easements, as well as organizing volunteer tree plantings and clean-ups on conservation lands. Kyle sits on the District 3 Natural Resources Assistance Council and is the incoming Chair of the Darby Accord Open Space Advisory Committee. In addition to grant writing and managing conservation implementation projects, Kyle provides technical assistance in riparian land management, stream restoration, and agricultural best management practices.
Kyle is a graduate of The Ohio State University.
