Monday, August 3 | 8:00 am – 9:30 am
Keynote
Suzanne R. Coffey. P.E
CEO of the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA)
Before being named CEO, Ms. Coffey was the Chief Planning Officer for GLWA, a position she held at the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department. In that capacity, Ms. Coffey championed GLWA’s efforts to bolster the Authority's asset management capabilities and capital improvement program execution, as well as lead long-term planning efforts, such as the Wastewater Master Plan.
Ms. Coffey became very familiar with GLWA through her role as a manager in the Oakland County’s Water Resources Commissioner’s office where she worked for 12 years, and she was an integral part of the DWSD-GLWA transition efforts. During that time, Ms. Coffey was responsible for supervising engineers, field staff members, administrative and technical support personnel and supporting operations and maintenance of wastewater interceptor systems, local municipal wastewater conveyance systems, drains and lake level control structures, as well as oversight of staff members who perform construction project management and construction inspection. Ms. Coffey is a licensed professional engineer in the state of Michigan. Coffey was recently elected to a three-year term on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies, the nation’s recognized leader in legislative, regulatory and legal clean water advocacy.
Tuesday, August 4 | 11:30 am – 1:00 pm
Keynote
Melissa Marshall
Founder, Present Your Science
Melissa Marshall believes even the best science can remain undiscovered unless it is presented clearly and compellingly to spark innovation and drive adoption. She is passionate about helping scientists and technical professionals improve how they present—without changing who they are.
Since 2009, Melissa has traveled globally to work with Fortune 100 companies, research institutions, and universities, sharing the transformative strategies she has honed through her consulting practice and her decade-long tenure as a faculty member at Penn State University. Since 2019, Microsoft has annually acknowledged her efforts in enabling the technical community to utilize PowerPoint for more effective slide design, honoring her as one of Microsoft's Most Valuable Professionals (MVP).
Her keynote, Talk Nerdy to Me, is a lively, inspiring keynote that helps scientists, engineers, and technical professionals transform complex ideas into clear, compelling messages. Melissa Marshall shares practical strategies for making technical presentations more understandable, memorable, and engaging—so great ideas don’t stay hidden in jargon, data, or overcrowded slides.
Special Session: Join us for a 90-minute virtual workshop with Melissa Marshall on May 27, 12:30PM ET.
Present Your Science: Transforming Technical Talks is a practical, fast-paced workshop designed to help technical engineering presenters make complex ideas clearer, more focused, and more engaging. Participants will learn how to adapt content for varied audiences, filter technical details without losing rigor, and design slides that highlight the message instead of overwhelming it. By the end of the session, presenters will have strategies they can immediately apply to improve the clarity, impact, and professionalism of their conference talks.