R3 Recordings

Megha Lakhchaura, State EV Officer, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency

Megha Lakhchaura was recently appointed the State EV Officer for Illinois at the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. In this role she is working with various state agencies, public entities, and the industry to develop a comprehensive EV and EV charging strategy and approach for the state. Before joining the state government, she was the Head of Policy, North America at EVBox Group for four years where she worked on transportation electrification initiatives across states and at a federal level. Prior to joining EVBox, Megha was Policy Director at Sunrun Inc. and drove the market and regulatory policy in California. Megha was also with the California Public Utilities Commission for over seven years working on wholesale electricity market issues including power planning and procurement, Resource Adequacy, and Renewable Portfolio Standards. She has an MPP from the University of California Los Angeles.

Kevin Clark, the Principal of the Lakota Group

From the Lakota Group’s website: “Kevin brings 17 years of experience in urban planning and landscape architecture to The Lakota Group, where he oversees the firm’s urban design projects. His award-winning portfolio spans downtown, transit-oriented and neighborhood revitalization plans, physical and economic development strategies, and innovative design of open spaces and public places. He is passionate about dynamic and interactive public processes and works to integrate innovative technology throughout all we do.

Kevin has been a featured guest speaker at state and regional planning conferences. His projects have won recognition from the American Planning Association, American Society of Landscape Architects, Congress for New Urbanism, and the Chicago Building Congress. Kevin holds a Masters in Urban Planning and Policy from the University of Illinois-Chicago and a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture from the University of Kentucky. He is a certified planner and registered landscape architect.”

Walt Kelly is a groundwater geochemist who has been at the Illinois State Water Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, since 1992. He has been the Head of the Groundwater Science Section since 2013. He is an adjunct professor in the Department of Geology and Geography at Illinois State University. He has a M.S. in geological sciences from Case Western Reserve University and a Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences from the University of Virginia. His research interests are primarily related to groundwater quality, and he is an author on more than 100 reports and peer-reviewed papers.

Christopher Schmidt, Air Quality Manager, Illinois Department of Transportation

Christopher Schmidt is currently the Air Quality Manager at the Illinois Department of Transportation
(IDOT) where he has worked for the past 11 years. Chris oversees several projects including the
department’s alternative fuel corridor program, solar in the right -of-way initiative, all-hazards
vulnerability assessment, diesel retrofit program, Illinois’s Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality
program, and acts as a liaison between the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and other agencies
regarding mobile emissions reduction. With the passing of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act,
Chris will oversee the department’s efforts to implement the new Electric Vehicle Charging
Infrastructure, Carbon reduction and PROTECT programs.

Robert Wilhelmi, Brownfields Redevelopment Specialist, City of Rockford

Rob has been involved with Brownfields redevelopment for 20 years as a private environmental consultant, City of Rockford Code Enforcement Supervisor, and now the Brownfields Redevelopment Specialist for the City of Rockford, Illinois.  During his private consulting days, Rob worked on complex brownfields projects that had impacts in the subsurface, but also hazardous building materials.  After 12 years of private consulting, Rob moved to local code enforcement with an emphasis blight removal and integrating the code enforcement with Brownfields redevelopment.  Most recently, Rob leads the City of Rockford’s highly successful Brownfields Redevelopment Initiative that is currently using assessment, cleanup and RLF funds to address blight and catalyze redevelopment in City.

David Simmons, Executive Director, Ride Illinois

Dave Simmons became the Executive Director or Ride Illinois, a nonprofit, statewide bike advocacy organization in 2019. The organization’s mission is “to make Illinois better through biking.” Ride Illinois advocates for favorable legislation, bike-friendly roads and trails, and education for bicyclists and motorists. He became a League Cycling Instructor (LCI) in 2009 which opened his eyes to the importance of advocacy and bike education. After working for nearly 25 years in educational publishing, Dave made the leap to the nonprofit world and his current role with Ride Illinois.

Dan Kane, Executive Director, Boone County Conservation District

Dan Kane is the Executive Director of the Boone County Conservation District (BCCD) and has served in this capacity since April of 2000. He has more than 35 years of experience providing technical perspective addressing issues involving Boone County’s natural resources. Dan also has previous work experience in the private sector working for engineering and surveying firms and as a well-site geologist in the oil exploration industry. Dan has a BS in Geology from Winona State University and is a Licensed Professional Geologist by the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation.

Barb Chidley, Neighborhood Specialist, City of Rockford

As Neighborhood Specialist for the City of Rockford, Barb Chidley is responsible for engaging with residents, neighborhood associations, and other organizations working to improve quality of life in our neighborhoods. Her favorite part of the job is creating meaningful connections with the diverse residents of Rockford. Having spent six years teaching at Auburn High School when she first came to Rockford, Barb credits her students with everything she has learned about valuing other people’s cultures and experiences. The trust and relationships built together in her classroom led to poignant conversations and significant growth, for Barb as well as her students. This is why she invited some of her favorite Rockford relationship-building experts to join together to start Connect Rockford; she knows from experience that deep, meaningful connections are the foundation upon which all other good things are built.

Barb has also served as a board member of the Community Action Agency and on the Head Start Policy Council. She is a single mom of a twelve-year-old son and a twenty-year-old daughter. They have lived in the North Highland Square Neighborhood for seven years.

Brad Roos, President, Sustain Rockford

Brad Roos is a Rockford native with Chemistry degrees from the University of Illinois/Champaign-Urbana where he then taught high school. For more than 40 years Brad has been doing neighborhood and community development work with most of his work focused on affordable housing development using sustainable building design. He has also served in leadership and consulting roles in the Rockford area and in Illinois, Ohio, Minnesota and Washington State.

Melisa Ribikawskis, Associate Planner, Region 1 Planning Council

Shortly after earning her MS in Urban and Regional Planning with a concentration on Transportation Planning from the University of Iowa, Melisa began working for Region 1 Planning Council. During that time Melisa worked on a variety of transportation projects that only reinforced her interest in how people get from one place to another. Melisa has been with R1 for almost three years and is currently an Associate Planner at where she has begun leading a variety of projects including the Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan update, Transportation Improvement Program, as well as the Complete Street Policy and Design Standards.