About Us

Caroline Durham

Field Ecologist

My love for the environment reaches back to my childhood, where I roamed the forests and farms surrounding my home in Hickory, NC. I attended UNC-Chapel Hill and received a B.Sc in Environmental Science with a minor in Biology, concentrating in ecology and natural resources.

I’ve formerly worked for the North Carolina Botanical Garden, NC Wildlife Resources Commission, and Triangle Land Conservancy. In my previous roles, I worked alongside scientists and landowners to manage land, inventory plant and animal species, and ensure the understanding of conservation agreements. I enjoy working with landowners to discover the natural wonders on their own properties. I’m excited to bring my passion for restoration and conservation to WLS.

When I’m not working, I play soccer, go hiking, or curl up with my pets and a good book.

James Coffin

CAD Analyst

I joined WLS with 15 years of experience in drafting and design. As a CAD analyst with WLS, I help create and manage CAD templates, refine design drawings , process and manage field-collected data for topographic surveys and base mapping, and create and manage plan sets for complex projects.

I enjoy being a part of the WLS team and working to improve the environment for the future. My love for the outdoors started as a young kid when I was in the Scouts. I have a passion for being a good steward of the outdoors and I wish to teach my son the same. Out of the office I enjoy hiking, cycling, camping, and fishing with my wife and son.

Nate Ober

VP of Mitigation Services, PG

I’ve managed and designed over 100 miles of stream and wetland restoration projects, drawing from more than 17 years of experience in fluvial geomorphology, ecosystem restoration design, construction management, and post-restoration monitoring.

Cost effective solutions for stream and wetland mitigation projects are a passion of mine. These have guided me towards the development of innovative technologies, and executing projects with higher quality and lower costs. I bring unique experience in three-dimensional design, machine control construction, LiDAR acquisition and aerial mapping, two-dimensional hydraulic modeling, and Clean Water Act permitting.

As a kayaker from Appalachia I followed my love of rivers by studying geology at West Virginia University. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in 2002, I quickly became an expert on the impacts of mining to surface and subsurface hydrology, and the restoration of active and abandoned mine lands. I moved to Tennessee in 2008 to practice ecosystem restoration with the Tennessee Stream Mitigation Program and the Department of Transportation. After five years I moved back to West Virginia as a Practice Lead of an ecosystem restoration team, implementing a 10,000-acre mitigation bank, a 17-mile large river restoration project, and many other restoration and mitigation projects.

I now reside in Colorado working nationwide to create mitigation projects for private and public development.

Robert Stewart

Senior Project Manager, PHD, PE

I am a water resources engineer with a diverse experience of research and application to restoration ecology. My expertise is in the fields of open channel hydraulics and sediment transport, and my skills include geomorphic assessments, 2D hydraulic modeling, 3D restoration design, sediment transport modeling, construction over site, and property assessment. I have managed and designed dozens of miles of stream restoration projects from the Piedmont of South Carolina to the Ridge and Valley province of Pennsylvania out to California. As a senior project manager, I design, model, and help Water and Land Solutions implement projects across the United States.

I grew up in East Tennessee fishing, hiking, riding horses, and enjoying the diverse outdoor activities that are available in this area. I completed my undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering at Tennessee Technological University where my passion for outdoors grew and my interest in ecosystem restoration began.

I graduated with a Masters and PHD in Civil Engineering from the University of Kentucky where my research focused on watershed sensor networks, turbulence in open channels, and sediment transport. My professional restoration career began with the Bureau of Reclamation working on gravel bedded salmonid streams in the mountainous region of Northern California. On the Trinity River Restoration Project, I designed and monitored gravel augmentations, mechanical restoration, and I helped develop restoration flow releases from Lewiston Dam.

I currently live on a sustainable homestead farm near Johnson City Tennessee and am a member of the Carter County Cattlemen’s Association. In my free time I enjoy gardening, walking the dogs, shed hunting, fishing, backpacking, and visiting friends and family. If my phone goes directly to voicemail I am likely working on a remote restoration project or out enjoying the wilderness away from cell phone service. In both my personal and professional live I am living the dream and trying to make the world a better place.

Julie Bernstorf

Restoration Engineer, PE

I am a restoration design engineer (and a professional engineer in North Carolina) with experience in environmental engineering.

Ever since I was little, I’ve dreamed of doing work that allows me to play in the many streams of North Carolina and beyond. Some of my favorite childhood memories are of camping, hiking, and exploring creeks with my sister. At Water and Land Solutions, I can help ensure that future generations are able to enjoy wild and scenic streams like I did as a youngster!

My background includes environmental remediation consulting across the southeast, and working with private agricultural landowners in western North Carolina. Throughout my career, my favorite projects have always involved water in some form. A field project that I loved was leading a tracer dye pilot study to determine if a full-scale remediation system was a viable option. We wanted to remediate contaminated groundwater beneath an active industrial plant. Two other interesting projects were excavating and restoring a lead- and arsenic-contaminated stream and floodplain, and leading multiple in-situ injection remediation field events of molasses and emulsified vegetable oil to enhance the degradation of VOCs.

I studied Ecological Engineering in the Bio&Ag Engineering department at NC State University and earned a minor in music performance. When I’m not at work, you will likely find me whitewater kayaking, playing my trumpet, geocaching, or adventuring with my cat, Emmy, who likes to hike, camp, kayak, and bike.

Emily Dunnigan

Monitoring Manager

I joined WLS as a Field Ecologist in 2019 with 5 years of experience in environmental restoration. I hold a Master’s of Science in Biology with an emphasis in Natural Resources Management from Grand Valley State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Biology with an Organismal and Evolutionary concentration from the University of Tampa.

I am passionate about our natural world and love being able to work to restore areas that have been degraded due to human impacts. With WLS, I monitor our project sites pre-and post- construction, collecting data on stream/wetland stability, vegetation, and hydrology.

I live in Raleigh and when I’m not working I enjoy kayaking, hiking, and watching movies.

Jaime Zsiros

Ecological Markets Director

As the Ecological Markets Director, I am responsible for multiple business functions, including client development and fulfillment across all of our geographies and business lines, leading marketing and credit sales programs, supervising and executing projects, and conducting market research.

I have worked in the natural resources field for over 18 years leading business and client development, writing and reviewing mitigation plans and permit applications, and conducting wetland delineations and botanical and wildlife surveys throughout the United States. Prior to joining WLS, I worked in the public sector as a state regulator. I held positions in the private sector ranging from a field biologist and permitting specialist to an assistant director of markets. I have BS in Marine Biology and Environmental Science with a minor in Chemistry from the University of Tampa, and an MS in Biological Oceanography from the Florida Institute of Technology.

My passion for ecology and the environment began as child. I explored the hills of Fayette County, Pennsylvania, and became captivated by nature-related documentaries and programs. I have always felt a special connection with nature and enjoy teaching about the marvels and complexities of ecosystems.

I reside in southwestern Pennsylvania with my husband, dogs, and cat. I love the outdoors and nature. On any weekend, you will find us at one of the local downhill bike parks or BMX tracks. When not biking, my husband and I are enjoying our property – hiking, botanizing and mushroom hunting.

Christopher Tomsic

Senior Project Engineer, PE, CFM

Rosgen IV Trained
Registered Engineer in NC, TN, SC, VA, TX, WV, PA, and IN

I’ve spent my entire life living and breathing the outdoors. I am happiest when I find myself in the woods or flipping rocks in a stream looking for life. I bring all this passion and love for the natural world to my work at WLS.

As an ecologically-minded engineer, I have over 14 years of experience focusing on environmental restoration and natural system processes. My areas of expertise include stream and wetland restoration, mitigation/nutrient banking, geomorphic/stream assessments, innovative best management practices (BMP), hydrologic/hydraulic modeling, business development, construction management, field surveying, Civil 3D, and ArcGIS. This experience has been instrumental in developing a multitude of projects at Water and Land Solutions including the Scarborough Wetland and Stream Mitigation Bank, Banner Branch Stream and Wetland Restoration Project, and the Horne Creek Stream Restoration Project. As part of my mission in life and at WLS, I try to share my experience and knowledge with other people to empower them so that they may help protect and transform our environment in the future.

I grew up in central Ohio but call the mountains of western North Carolina my home. I received my Bachelors and Masters of Science in Civil Engineering from Ohio State University.

In my spare time I helped co-found Connect Reems Creek, a Weaverville based non-profit organization committed to connecting the Reems Creek Valley to the French Broad river with a greenway. My wife and I have also started a certified organic farm (Wishstix Farm, LLC) on our 25 acres in Weaverville. I love spending time with my wife and two boys fishing, snowboarding, mountain biking, goofing off, and running around the woods.

Kayne van Stell,

VP of Ecosystem Design Services, CERP

For the past twenty years, I have been involved in many aspects of ecosystem restoration and mitigation banking such as site development, stormwater management, regulatory policy and permitting, land acquisition, conservation planning and performance monitoring. Throughout my career, I have gained valuable project implementation experience and understand how to navigate the technical complexity and financial challenges for achieving long-term success.

As practitioners at WLS, we put emphasis on improving water quality and ecological functions through an innovative and collaborative design philosophy. I have been fortunate to work with multiple disciplines, stakeholders and environmental regulators across the country. Forging meaningful relationships with these people has helped develop technical guidelines for the ecosystem restoration industry and provide a standard of care in everything we do, especially when integrating principles of fluvial geomorphology and biological diversity.

I am originally from Chicago, Illinois and hold a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Northern Michigan University. Growing up in the Great Lakes region and surrounded by water and development, my passion for the outdoors and protecting our natural resources started at an early age. I currently serve as an active board member with the North Carolina Environmental Restoration Association (NCERA) and a member of the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER). I live in Wake Forest, NC, with my wife and two daughters and enjoy spending time outdoors from the mountains to the coast.

Catherine Manner

Project Manager

I first started working at WLS in 2015 as a Project Scientist focusing on stream, wetland, and habitat restoration, conservation and stewardship. In 2020, I moved into my current role as a Project Manager. As a project manager, I am involved in and manage all aspects of our mitigation banks as well as Full-Delivery projects with the NC Division of Mitigation Services. I received my Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science with a concentration in Hydrology, and a double minor in Geology and Geography from the University of Delaware. In 2019, I completed my Masters of Natural Resources, Assessment and Analysis at North Carolina State University.

While at WLS, I have been a part of the implementation of 5 key projects in the Neuse River watershed. These 5 mitigation sites have an extensive footprint which will provide maximum ecological uplift and water quality benefits to over 22,000 linear feet of stream and 18.69 acres of wetlands. It is exciting to be involved in these 5 projects that are protecting and improving water quality in a rapidly growing area just outside of downtown Raleigh.

My passion for the outdoors and protecting water quality began as a child from summers spent on the Cowpasture River with my family. I am a current board member of the Cowpasture River Preservation Association. I am dedicated to improving the health our watersheds as well as educating the public in the value of natural resources. I feel it is important that we leave the environment better than we found it for future generations to enjoy. When not at work I enjoy kayaking, hiking, exploring downtown Raleigh and being in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Adam McIntyre, Founder and CEO

As Founder and CEO of WLS, I provide leadership and guidance within all aspects of WLS. Since the late 1990s, I’ve worked in all facets of the mitigation industry including land acquisition, project design, construction, data collection, and monitoring. I have been fortunate to help positively shape the mitigation industry across the U.S. through the implementation of new technologies, project approaches, restoration policies, and public education.

My passion lies in industry education. I enjoy teaching people about the value of our natural resources and the forever-benefits of long-term protection. Unlike any other industry, environmental restoration through mitigation provides permanent improvement and protection to our land and water resources. This is powerful and exciting, and it’s why I’m so encouraged about what our industry can accomplish.

Nick Childs

Ecological Designer, E.I.

I am a Restoration Designer at WLS and have been primarily involved with modeling, stream design, and construction administration since joining the team in 2019 after graduating at NC State. While working towards my degree in Environmental Engineering I was a part of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers as well as Engineer’s Without Borders, which allowed me to grow my engineering experience and help empower communities abroad. I also worked as a Research Assistant during my final year performing stream surveys, collecting data, and assisting with SQT analysis.

Prior to joining WLS I gained a combination of consulting and contracting experience at a few different internships and picked up a variety of tasks. These tasks ranged from assisting with stormwater drainage design on roadway projects, overseeing safety and environmental compliance during live transmission line replacement, to estimating construction quantities for a wastewater treatment facility renovation project. While not all my previous experience was directly related to stream restoration, it gave me the building blocks to be able to contribute to WLS and do my part in helping mitigate stream and wetland impacts.

During my time at WLS I aim to contribute to our projects in any way that I can to see through projects from start to finish. I enjoy having the opportunity to be in the field to collect data just as much as being able to crunch numbers to see the design come together. My passion for the environment stems from the time I’ve spent in the mountains with my family and I’ve been excited to be able to turn my passion into a career! Some things I enjoy doing outside of my work time include skiing, backpacking, and brewing.

Jason Hightower

GIS Analyst

Maps are the name of my game. My previous GIS experience consisted of data management, field data collection, spatial analysis, floodplain mapping and map production. Here at WLS, I get to utilize those skills on projects that restore and enhance our environment. Each project we have is unique – from the client to the ecosystem. I appreciate how we get to collaborate and create the best approach for each opportunity.

My passion for the environment stretches back as far as I can remember. From camping, to spending time in parks, I’ve always enjoyed being out and about. I grew up here in Raleigh and studied Geography and Geology at Appalachian State University. In my free time, you might catch me mountain biking, running, playing soccer or enjoying music.

Sammy Jo Hinnant

Mitigation Coordinator

A native of the Outer Banks, I moved to Raleigh in April of 2020 to join the WLS Team. As the Mitigation Coordinator, I help oversee credit sales and assist with office administrative tasks. Transitioning into a new industry, and moving to a new location, I appreciate the support and knowledge that my coworkers continue to provide. I love the passion that all of us here at WLS have for restoring the environment for future generations.

My love for the great outdoors started at a young age. I was very lucky to have grown up in an area where the beach and a boat ride were easily accessible. But I often enjoyed trips to Mount Airy to visit family more. It is hard to beat the beautiful landscape views that the inland areas have to offer.

I graduated from Barton College in 2013 and while I will always be a Bulldog fan, I do go against the grain in the office and pull for the Tar Heels. Outside of the office, I enjoy propagating my philodendrons, painting with acrylics, and working to improve my golf game.

Kyle Obermiller

Project Ecologist

I joined WLS in June of 2019 at a Project Ecologist with 5 years of experience in the environmental field. I have a passion for ecological restoration and was drawn to WLS to be able to make a difference in the environment. I genuinely enjoy seeing and being a part of the transformation streams and wetlands go through on our projects. During post-construction monitoring, I find great joy in finding salamanders, fish, birds, and all other little critters returning into a improved environment where they can thrive.

I am a NC native, born and raised in the mountains of western North Carolina. Growing up in the shadows of Dupont State Forest and the mighty French Broad River gave me a passion for conservation and restoration of the environment. I received my Bachelor’s degree in Natural Resource Ecosystems Assessment from North Carolina State University in 2014.

When work isn’t calling, I escape the city and can likely be found exploring and checking off visiting all of North Carolina’s state parks, from the mountains to the sea.

Aaron Lesko

Senior CAD Designer

A graduate of Triangle Tech in Erie, PA, I have 26 years of experience in CAD design and plan production. I’ve spent the last three years focusing on stream restoration. My love for mountain biking and camping have made me all the more passionate about what WLS does for environmental preservation. I’m proud to be able to contribute to the preservation of the environment.

One of my favorite projects at WLS is the Scarborough Mitigation Bank. It has been such an exciting opportunity to help design the priority 2 single thread channel. I was able see my design go from the computer to real life!

In my free time I love spending time with my family and pets. I am also an avid music fan and love to go to as many concerts as possible. My current passion project is tending to my backyard pond with my daughter.

Sarah Barbee

Project Manager

I joined WLS with 6 years of consulting experience providing ecological and survey related services for a range of clients. I am knowledgeable in all aspects of natural resource and ecosystem restoration projects, including geomorphic stream assessments and surveys, wetland and stream delineations, regulatory compliance (permitting and policy), mitigation banking, design, post-construction mitigation monitoring and as-builts, and aerial photography. I enjoy using my skill sets to solve complex natural resource projects with innovative solutions. I am very excited to be a part of a group of likeminded individuals with the WLS team!

I live in Columbus, Ohio but I never give up an opportunity to travel! My passion and appreciation for the outdoors and preserving natural resources developed from a young age. As a kid I spent my weekends camping with my family in Hocking Hills, Ohio and spent time working with my dad who was an arborist. While in college at the University of Kentucky, my appreciation for the natural environment grew as I took several trips to Red River Gorge to go hiking, climbing, and kayaking. I continued to pursue my passion by obtaining my Master of Environmental and Natural Resources degree from Ohio State University. Outside of work, I enjoy traveling, camping, hiking, kayaking, and anything outdoors.

Cara Conder

Senior Project Manager

I am a Senior Project Manager with WLS and have been active within the mitigation and ecological restoration industry for over 9 years. At WLS I am responsible for development and delivery of project tasks, regulatory coordination, and budget and schedule compliance for several mitigation banks and full delivery projects within North Carolina. In addition, I also provide management assistance to all project managers. Prior to working at WLS, I was a Project Manager at a large national mitigation firm where I developed and managed numerous mitigation banks and turn-key projects. Prior to working in the ecological restoration field, I was a science teacher for Wake County Public Schools.

My passion is working with the WLS team and seeing the group and projects really come together. I love to see younger co-workers grow and a really good team take formation.

I earned my Master of Science in Natural Resources from North Carolina State University and both a Bachelor of Science in Marine Science and a Master of Arts in Teaching in Science Education from Coastal Carolina University. When I’m not busy with WLS, I love travelling, music, cats, and enjoying the outdoors.

Daniel Ingram

Technical Director

As Technical Director I utilize my 20+ years of mitigation experience to steer projects from inception to close-out while supporting and mentoring staff. I most enjoy working on the bookends of the typical project lifespan: site identification and formation, and monitoring and regulatory closeout.

After graduating from NCSU College of Natural Resources I fortuitously had the opportunity to work on large-scale wetland mitigation in coastal NC. A few years later I got my introduction to stream restoration through NCDOT and NCWRP. Since that time, I have developed, designed, built, monitored, and closed-out a variety of mitigation banks, full delivery sites, and permittee responsible mitigation across the southeast. I learned the practice of restoration from many early leaders in the industry and I endeavor to develop the next generation of mitigation professionals.

My three kids and wife tolerate my devotion to my old boat. When not working I enjoy spending time on the water, camping/backpacking, and puttering around the house.

Josh White

VP of Mitigation Services, PG, PE, CFM, CPESC

For nearly two decades I have immersed myself in all parts of ecosystem restoration and compensatory mitigation. As a fluvial geomorphologist, I provide expertise in all aspects of WLS projects, including site search, feasibility, survey, planning, design, permitting, land acquisition and construction management. I have been fortunate enough to manage numerous large-scale restoration projects for a variety of clients throughout the United States and able to protect, design and restore over 90 miles of streams and 600 acres of wetlands. I still remain active in post-restoration monitoring and applied research efforts in order to seek improvements and refinements that lead to better overall function and value in WLS projects.

I grew up on a farm in Kentucky. My family traveled with their horses throughout Kentucky and its surrounding states. This is where I first fell in love with streams, landscapes and geology. I pursued my geologic passion with a B.S. in Geology from Northern Kentucky University and an M.S. in Fluvial Geomorphology from West Virginia University. Outside the office, I enjoy spending time outdoors with my wife and kids, seeing live music, coaching soccer, riding horses, hiking/backpacking, running and finding new interesting rocks!