Midwest Flood Control Association

2026 Annual Meeting Speakers

Speakers listed in italics have not yet been confirmed.

 

 

 

Keynote

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Rob Rash, St. Francis Levee District of Arkansas

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Mr. Rash serves as CEO and Chief Engineer of the St. Francis Levee District of Arkansas and is a longtime regional engineer with the Mississippi Valley Flood Control Association. Established in 1893, the St. Francis Levee District protects people, infrastructure, and more than 2 million acres of farmland through its levee system. A dedicated flood-control advocate, Mr. Rash, will share insights into the challenges and successes of maintaining comprehensive flood control in his region. 

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Federal Partner Presentations
 

Mr. Jim Bodron, Director of Programs, Mississippi Valley Division, USACE

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Member of the Senior Executive Service, Mr. Bodron is the top civilian in the MVD footprint. He will provide an update on the MVD Civil Works mission.

 

Mr. Jacob Brister, Executive Director, Mississippi River Commission

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Hear from the new Executive Director of the Mississippi River Commission and how he sees the role of the commission on the Upper Mississippi and Missouri Rivers.

 

Mr. Joseph Windham, Chief of Water Management, Mississippi Valley Division

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An excellent rundown on how the Corps of Engineers and federal partners make and issue river forecasts across the greater Mississippi River drainage basin. He will also demonstrate how water passes through the Missouri, Upper Miss and MR&T system during high and low water periods.

 

COL Andy Pannier, Commander, St. Louis District

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Introduction of key staff members and update on activities in the St. Louis District.
 

COL Aaron Williams, Commander, Rock Island District

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Introduction of key staff members and update on activities in the Rock Island District.

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National & Regional Partner Presentation
 

Meghan Schmidtlein, HB Strategies

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HB Strategies is a bipartisan team that tracks legislative, regulatory and political infrastructure on Capitol Hill. They fully understand the mechanics behind policymaking while recognizing the political dynamics and public opinion that could help or hurt a legislative strategy and will give us an update on how Washington works.

 

Julie Ufner, President & CEO, National Waterways Conference

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The National Waterways Conference is a national asset acting as a broad and influential umbrella organization that leads the development of common sense policy and legislation impacting water resources. NWC will hold its annual meeting in the Quad Cities region in September 2026. Ms. Ufner will provide an update on NWC activities and the support they provide to flood control stakeholders nationwide.

 

Kirsten Wallace/Dru Buntin, Upper Mississippi River Basin Association

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UMRBA is a governor-established forum for water resource planning and management among the five states of the Upper Mississippi. Through UMRBA, those five states work with federal agencies and stakeholders from all arenas to advance cooperative planning and management of the water resources. We will learn how UMRBA supports our interests and how we can support their priorities.

 

Sunny Simpkins, Executive Director, National Association of Flood & Stormwater Management Agencies

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NAFSMA is the federal voice for flood and stormwater agencies by giving public agencies the policy intelligence, federal access, and peer community they need to protect the communities they serve.