NACCR 2026 Plenaries

Opening Ceremony & Plenary Speakers (July 12, 2026)

This event will be available for virtual viewing starting at 3:30 PM CST on July 12. Click on THIS LINK to register!

This Is Precisely the Time: Nature, Relationship, and the Future We Choose

Join SCBNA, SER, and the SER-MWGL Chapter at our Opening Ceremony for a series of presentations and welcoming remarks by the following speakers. An Opening Reception will follow at 6 – 9 PM CST, featuring light hors d’oeuvres and an opportunity to network with other conference attendees.

Traditional Welcome:

The Little Priest Singers are a Southern/Ho-Chunk family drum group based in Wisconsin Dells, WI, specializing in traditional Native American music. Known for performing at cultural events and educational festivals, they promote and preserve Indigenous culture, traditions, and music. They will open the NACCR with a traditional welcome representing the varied Indigenous communities throughout the region.

Opening Speakers:

Phil Levin

Director, The Nature Record

Phillip S. Levin is Director of The Nature Record, an independent national assessment of nature and its benefits to people in the United States, and Interim Executive Director of EarthLab at the University of Washington. He is also Professor of Practice in the University of Washington’s School of Marine and Environmental Affairs. From 2023 to 2025, he served as Director of the National Nature Assessment in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

Levin is a conservation scientist focused on bridging theory and practice, integrating social and natural sciences to support more effective and equitable environmental decision-making. His work centers on developing interdisciplinary approaches to understand and manage marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems—and the communities that depend on them.

Prior to his current roles, Levin was Lead Scientist for The Nature Conservancy in Washington and a Senior Scientist at NOAA Fisheries’ Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle. He also served as scientific lead for NOAA’s Integrated Ecosystem Assessment programs in the California Current and Puget Sound, helping advance approaches to assess ecosystem health and forecast the cumulative effects of coastal management and climate change.

Levin has received numerous awards for his contributions to marine and coastal science. He has authored more than 230 peer-reviewed publications and co-edited two books, Conservation of the Anthropocene Ocean and Extinction, as well as the forthcoming Nature Record: An Assessment of Nature and Nature’s Benefits in the United States. His work has been widely featured in major media outlets.

Levin received his B.A. in Zoology from the University of Texas, his Ph.D. in Zoology from the University of New Hampshire, and completed postdoctoral training at the University of North Carolina.

Kevin Shafer

Executive Director, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District

Kevin Shafer serves as Executive Director of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD). MMSD is a regional government agency that provides water reclamation and flood management services for more than 1.1 million customers in 29 communities in the Greater Milwaukee, Wisconsin Area. The District serves 423 square miles that cover all, or segments of, six watersheds. Established by state law, the District is governed by 11 commissioners with taxing authority. Since assuming this role, Kevin has transformed the MMSD into one of the leading wastewater utilities in the country through the integration of green infrastructure with traditional infrastructure. Kevin’s 2035 Vision has propelled MMSD forward with climate change adaptation through an aggressive program to convert to renewable fuels, install green infrastructure, and preserve floodplains. Kevin’s leadership has brought MMSD recognition as the recipient of almost every major award in the industry, including the 2012 U.S. Water Prize. He currently serves on the boards of The Water Council, The Nature Conservancy-Wisconsin, and US Water Alliance. Kevin served as past president of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies and The Water Environment Research Foundation, past co-chair of The Water Research Foundation, past Board member of the Great Lakes Protection Fund, Mequon Nature Preserve, River Revitalization Foundation, and Discovery World, and a past member of the EPA’s Local Government Advisory Committee. Kevin holds a master’s degree in civil engineering, water resources, from the University of Texas, and a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Illinois.