LARA J. TREEMORE-SPEARS
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
PROGRAM MANAGER, WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY, DETROIT, MICHIGAN, 2015 – 2019. CONCURRENT
RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:
Healthy Urban Waters, an interdisciplinary program for research, education and outreach in
urban watershed health and sustainability, funded by the Erb Family Foundation, Office of the
Vice President for Research, National Science Foundation (NSF), Great Lakes Protection Fund and
others. Roles: Initiate and manage program during its first four years; oversee operating budget
for research initiatives of $200,000 per year; set program priorities in collaboration with the
Principal Investigator (PI) in Civil and Environmental Engineering; conduct independent research
on a variety of topics relating to environmental sustainability; recruit, coordinate and engage 17
volunteer Advisory Board members representing groups and agencies such as Friends of the Detroit
River, The Nature Conservancy, Great Lakes Water Authority, Huron-Clinton Metropolitan
Authority (HCMA), State of Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE),
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and the International Joint Commission; mobilize partners,
Foundation Relations and Sponsored Programs Administration for fundraising; write successful
grant proposals for equipment ($250,000), operating funds ($800,000) and others described below;
establish data tracking and analysis for program progress; write reports of activities and
outcomes for donor management; manage communications and ongoing relationships with
faculty, external partners, and donors. Highlights include the following:
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Design and lead a three-day workshop on sustainability of the Food-Energy-Water Nexus
(NSF grant #-) in collaboration with a committee of 5 faculty members and the USFS
Baltimore Field Station in 2015. Design dialogue sessions and field trips, recruit guest speakers
including eight practice leaders from the City of Baltimore, manage invitations and RSVPs for
70 diverse participants, arrange for food, venues and materials, and author related
publications (journal article and textbook chapter listed below). Assist in designing, hosting
and documenting outcomes of a related 2-day 2019 NSF workshop in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on
Reimagining Water: Linking Sustainable Urban Water Systems in the Great Lakes Basin.
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Lead team of five faculty in 2015 to write successful funding proposal for $250,000 in field
station equipment and facility improvements (NSF-FSML grant #-). Design and
oversee research grant-making process to select and award funding to researchers at Wayne
State, the University of Windsor, Friends of the Rouge and others to utilize the new equipment.
Facilitate renewal and completion of Friends Group agreements with field station sponsors.
Oversee installation of environmental monitoring equipment and data management system.
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Coordinate and present technology-development competitions, ErieHack 2017 and ErieHack
2019, with a committee from TechTown Detroit and Cleveland Water Alliance, leveraging the
support and involvement of corporate sponsors such as IBM and GE. Design and implement
strategies for engaging volunteers, donors, sponsors, competitors, judges and contributors to
participate, including marketing and emceeing events.
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Successfully co-author a $3,000,000 proposal in 2017 to provide interdisciplinary PhD training
and research funding for the departments of Engineering, Biology, Communication,
Economics, Urban Planning, Education, Anthropology, Pharmaceutical Sciences and the School
of Medicine entitled, “Transformative Research in Urban Sustainability Training” or T-RUST
LARA J. TREEMORE-SPEARS
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(NSF-NRT grant #-), increasing participation of underrepresented minorities in science,
technology, engineering and mathematics. Successfully recruit 30 volunteer advisory board
members and facilitate a review of program curriculum remotely by a subcommittee of 8 of
them. Coordinate and present program start-up and the establishment of a related new Dual
Title PhD Degree in Urban Sustainability in the departments of Biology and Anthropology.
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Engage the next generation in field science and environmental learning through
partnerships with environmental educators HCMA, Michigan Technological University, Detroit
Audubon, Belle Isle Nature Zoo and University of Michigan (UM) Dearborn Environmental
Interpretive Center. Lead diverse field trip participants from the Detroit Public Schools (DPS),
Macomb County Girl Scouts, and other groups ages 12-19 to conduct water quality sampling,
examine benthic macroinvertebrates, and assess riparian habitat quality. Design and lead
SCECH trainings for teachers in environmental education in the classroom and on field trips.
Coordinate corporate volunteers and students to maintain rain gardens in partnership with the
Michigan Science Center, Detroit Biodiversity Network, Integrative BioSciences and others.
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Research project manager for developing and deploying sensors to enable detection and
management of microplastics in the Great Lakes ($900,000); coordinate remote participation
by a 60+ member partner network and its quarterly meetings; research theory of behavior
change to control plastics pollution; develop effective community action & technology
testing protocols; oversee staff to create public information materials; represent the project at
meetings of the Great Lakes Protection Fund and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration Marine Debris Program; translate scientific information for general audience.
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Conduct research on social theories of behavior change and response to environmental stress,
complex dynamics of the food-energy-water nexus, innovative urban stormwater
management, contaminants in urban household drinking water systems, urban education in
environmental sustainability and water, large-scale surface water monitoring systems, and
impacts of volatile organic compounds on urban human health and the environment.
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Collaborate on grant-writing teams for applications to NIH (P42 SRP Program), NSF (MRI),
DOE (EERE-SWIM), Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy and others.
Flint Area Community Health and Environment Partnership, funded by the Michigan
Department of Health and Human Services in-. Roles: Manage with the Principal
Investigator a diverse team of 75 researchers including nationally-recognized scientists to
investigate public health and water quality relating to the Flint water crisis, a $3,000,000 project;
coordinate across institutions such as Henry Ford Health System, Genesee Health System, UM and
paid consultants; develop detailed plans and processes to implement research concepts in
collaboration with investigators in Civil and Environmental Engineering, Social Work and
Epidemiology; design and oversee all databases and results tracking systems and ensure that
online data is up-to-date and relevant; hire, train and supervise fast-paced 25-person communitybased sampling team including Flint residents that in a period of six months collected and analyzed
water samples and interviewed participants in 800 homes about their experience of the crisis, also
connecting volunteer study participants with supportive resources as needed. In collaboration with
the PI, respond to audits by Institutional Review Board and State of Michigan, publish results.
SENIOR SCIENTIST, ASTI ENVIRONMENTAL, BRIGHTON, MICHIGAN,-; PROJECT MANAGER-:
Manage brownfield redevelopment incentive projects, winning awards of over $15 million from
the Michigan Economic Development Corporation Community Revitalization Program, local and
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state TIF, and OPRA tax abatements for mixed-use urban redevelopment. Initiate and complete all
project components including brownfield planning, fundraising, financial modeling, working with
committees to obtain local and state approvals, tax credit accounting, and public speaking.
Perform professional services in fundraising and client management. Write successful grant
applications and competitive bids for services, managing relationships with funding agencies and
clients, and provide detailed reporting and documentation of project outcomes.
Author strategic plans for capacity-building that incorporate ideas generated during
collaboratively-designed workshops along with independent research and data analysis, including:
Florida National Scenic Trail Volunteer Capacity Study (for a collaboration of U.S. Forest Service and
other public, private and non-profit entities), Seminole County Parks and Recreation Needs
Assessment, and several Hazard Mitigation Plan updates for Michigan counties.
Develop survey methods for program evaluation, including surveys of park users, volunteers,
staff and the general public about recreation facility and natural area use, and volunteer
recruitment and retention. Analyze data for program improvement and fundraising opportunities.
Develop planning and evaluation tools for park staff, researchers, and volunteers.
Design and oversee construction of innovative practices for storm water management,
wetlands, stream channels, native plantings, forest restoration, streambank stabilization,
footbridges and park amenities. Develop restoration plans for natural features and wildlife
habitat, with GLRI and other funding. Obtain environmental permits from EGLE and USACE.
Plan events for county and federal recreation agencies in Florida and for the Huron-to-Erie Alliance
for Research and Training in collaboration with committees, as part of strategic plan development.
Design and lead collaborative workshops and summarize consensus outcomes.
Collect and analyze data on vegetation, fish, aquatic macroinvertebrates, hydrology, birds,
amphibians and small mammals. Compare results to data on environmental impacts on
contaminated sites. Develop volunteer training manual for Friends of the Rouge Frog and Toad
survey, train and recruit volunteers, and coordinate data collection and analysis for the Middle
Rouge sub-watershed.
NATURAL AREA PRESERVATION, FIELD OPERATIONS SUPERVISOR, CITY OF ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN,-:
Supervise park staff and volunteers in natural area management activities such as trail
construction and maintenance, invasive species and trash removal, bird and amphibian data
collection, habitat and waterway restoration, erosion control, green infrastructure and rain garden
construction, controlled burns, park monitoring and office work. Coordinate and lead controlled
burn crews (staff and volunteers) using radio communication over rough terrain.
Build effective teams using training, progress updates, coaching and feedback to encourage and
maintain enthusiasm. Plan and oversee events such as volunteer-workdays for up to 200 people,
appreciation hikes and special events. Plan annual retreat and other team-building events.
Develop and implement strategies to increase volunteer recruitment and retention to 10,000
hours per year by diversifying program activities and improving project planning, volunteer
mentoring, special events, volunteer recognition and strategic outreach to new audiences.
Restructure volunteer community science programs and databases to improve data quality and
volunteer experience, make systems easier to understand and use, and increase effectiveness of
science-based decision-making. Create marketing communications related to volunteer initiatives.
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Review and improve site development plans by recommending practical means to reduce
environmental impacts and enhance green infrastructure in developer proposals to the City.
Work collaboratively with other departments including field operations to identify solutions for
natural areas and waterways, such as volunteer-maintained rain gardens and native plantings,
restoration of areas after underground utility replacement, and erosion control practices to stabilize
waterways and improve water quality. Work directly with park planners, landscape architects and
engineers to improve green infrastructure and other park improvement designs on city property.
Develop and implement program data analysis strategies, presenting complex information in
easy-to-understand formats for public education and staff training. Restructure processes for
geographic analysis and map generation (ArcGIS), relational databases (Microsoft Access, Crystal
Reports), and work management solutions (MindManager) to develop plans for, oversee the
progress of and assess impact of ecological restoration in City parks.
PROJECT MANAGER AND ENVIRONMENTAL SPECIALIST, SMITHGROUP JJR, ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN,-:
Fundraise and manage client relationships in a for-profit engineering and landscape
architecture company. Write successful applications for funding, manage relationships with
funders, and produce reports and documentation to satisfy funding requirements.
Develop work plans and coordinate engineers, landscape architects, wetland scientists and
graphic designers to complete design projects on time and on budget, including: design nine
acres of storm water treatment wetlands, waterway stream bank stabilization, interpretive signage,
trails and other park improvements at Flodin Park in Canton Township, including oversight of
survey, geotechnical and stream flow modeling sub-consultants and earthmoving/landscape
contractor; concurrently manage design of infrastructure improvements, ecological and wildlife
habitat restoration, native plantings and interpretive signage for a lake-plain prairie remnant on
Belle Isle, overseeing construction and ecological restoration contractors; design 200-acre wetland
bank on a working farm, obtaining approval of the first wetland banking plan in Michigan; design
five CRP wetlands for landowners in accordance with USDA-NRCS requirements.
Interpret state, township and city environmental regulatory requirements and negotiate
permits for a variety of development projects, requiring analysis of large amounts of complex
data and development of negotiation strategies, detailed plans and alternatives analysis.
EDUCATION
Master’s degree (MS) in Resource Ecology and Management; Bachelor’s degree (BS) in Resource
Policy and Behavior. University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment, Ann
Arbor, MI. Two semesters as Graduate Student Instructor for Introduction to Natural Resource
Problems, a broad class on topics such as natural sciences, environmental justice, forestry, and global
dynamics for 100 incoming undergraduates. MS on effects of controlled burning on prairie insects.
Management training: Conservation Finance (2019); Planning and Facilitating Collaborative Meetings
(2017); Community-Based Participatory Research (2017); Water Infrastructure Network Development
(2017); Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative - Responsible Conduct of Research, Ethics and
Human Subjects, Health and Privacy Information Security (2016); City of Ann Arbor supervisor training
in managing staff, building effective teams, safety, CPR/first aid, bloodborne pathogens -)
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Environmental training: Soil gas and vapor intrusion (2015); HAZWOPER Refresher (2014); Certified
Stormwater Operator for Construction Sites -); Certified Pesticide Applicator -).
TECH PROFICIENCY
On-line Meetings (Zoom, GoToMeeting, FreeConferenceCall.com, Skype)
Collaboration (Slack, MindManager, Trello, Tom’s Planner, OneDrive, Dropbox, Canvas)
Documents & Data Management (Microsoft, Google, Limfinity, ArcGIS, Cityworks, Crystal Reports)
Accounting & Reporting (Ellucian Banner, Ultipro, FastLane, ClarisWorks)
SELECT PRESENTATIONS & PUBLICATIONS
2020 Cities at the Nexus (corresponding author), Ecosystems and Ecosystem Services (contributing
author), Opportunities at the Nexus (contributing author), The Food-Energy-Water Nexus,
Springer International Publishing, DOI 10.1007/- Urban Scientific Partnerships Between Academia, Government and Community. Paul Hawken’s
Rise Up & Drawdown Michigan Conference, Grand Rapids, MI.
2019 Water Justice and Climate Change Panel. Water Is Life Alliance Summit. London, Ontario.
2017 The Role of Partnerships in Urban Field Research. IAGLR’s 60th Annual Conference on Great Lakes
Research, Detroit, MI.
2017 Radio Interview about ErieHack2017: Innovation Around Our Great Lake by the Mobile
Technology Association of Michigan, http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mtam/2017/04/03/erie-hack2017-innovation-for-our-great-lake.
2016 A workshop on transitioning cities at the food-energy-water nexus. Journal of Environmental
Studies and Sciences (2016) 6:90-103. Treemore-Spears, L. J. and J. M. Grove, C. K. Harris, L. D.
Lemke, C. J. Miller, K. Pothukuchi, Y. Zhang, Y. L. Zhang.
2015 Michigan Recreation and Parks Association Conference, Lansing, Michigan – Strategic Processes
and Partnerships for Building Volunteer Stewardship Capacity (training session provided a one
hour credit for Certified Park and Recreation Professionals).
2014 Michigan Society of Professional Surveyors – Wetland Identification, Regulation and Restoration
in Michigan (training session provided three hours of Continuing Education Credit for Professional
Surveyors)
2013 American Ecological Engineering Society Conference, Lansing, Michigan – Improving a Created
Wetland: Lessons Learned.
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