Eli Miller

Cleanup and Event Coordinator 
[email protected]

Eli Miller joined the KWA team as the Cleanup and Event Coordinator in April
2024. He is a recent graduate of the University of Louisville’s Masters in
Sustainability program and plans to use his love for the natural world,
experience in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and history of program
organization to help the KWA in their pursuit of water resource protection and
education. Eli was born in Anderson Indiana, but has explored much of the
east coast during a successful thru hike on the Appalachian Trail in 2019.
Since undergrad at Bellarmine University time working for the Parks Service in
Smoky Mountain National Park, exploring the Appalachian Trail, and Colorado
14er summits have driven his passion for environmental stewardship and
education. When not working, you can likely find Eli in the parklands with his
beagle Toby and his wife, or at The Great Flood Brewing Co. enjoying a locally
crafted pint with his friends.

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Nick Hart

Water Policy Director
[email protected]

​Nick Hart joined KWA as the Water Policy Director in October 2024. Prior to KWA, Nick built a career
serving vulnerable communities while protecting public health and the environment. He has worked
with the Louisville Legal Aid Society’s HIV/AIDS Legal Project, served as the Environmental Enforcement
Coordinator and Community Compliance Supervisor for Louisville Metro’s Air Pollution Control District,
and most recently, was the Director of Environmental Health for Louisville Metro Public Health and
Wellness. Nick is a native of Kentucky, completed his undergraduate studies at Eastern Kentucky
University, followed by the University of Louisville’s Brandeis School of Law where he was a founding
member of the Environmental Law and Land Use Society.
In addition to volunteering with KWA for many years, Nick Hart also serves on the all-volunteer board of
Kentucky Backcountry Hunters and Anglers and is a lifetime member of the League of Kentucky
Sportsmen. As a former professional whitewater rafting guide for 10 years, Nick still spends as much
time on the water as possible, and is an avid hunter, fisher, and outdoorsman. He resides in Louisville
with his wife and beagle hounds.

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​Laura Gregory

Watershed Program Director
[email protected]

​Laura Gregory joined the KWA team as the Red River Watershed Coordinator in May 2017 and became the Watershed Program Director in November 2022. She will be taking her experience in the Red River statewide to work with watershed groups all across Kentucky. As Director, Laura will be developing the Kentucky Watershed Network, a collaborative effort to support our allies in the world of Kentucky water, and will be leading our Ohio River work.
Born and raised in Denton, TX, Laura attended The University of Texas at Austin, receiving a B.A. in Geography. Since then she has rock climbed, backpacked, biked, worked migrant farm jobs, and played music across the country. She moved to Kentucky in 2009 after falling in love with the people, the place, the music, and the perfect climate for gardening.

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Meg Kelly

Business Manager
​[email protected]

​​Meg joined the KWA team as Office Manager in March 2023. Her experience is in nonprofit theatre and dance management, supporting the work of artists including Liz Lerman, Woodshed Collective, and the TEAM and managing productions across the U.S., off-Broadway, and the West End. Meg grew up in Arizona, where she thought a lot about the lack of water in the desert, and she has since made her home near rivers, including the Potomac, Hudson, and Ohio. She holds a BFA in Stage Management from the University of Arizona, and an MFA in Theatre Management and Producing from Columbia University in New York. Meg spends as much time as possible baking and making jam, traveling to new places, hiking in U.S. National Parks, and jogging around Louisville.

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Susan Griffin Ward

Community Engagement Director
[email protected]

Susan joined the KWA team as Community Engagement Director in October of 2021. She is a native of Louisville and graduate of the University of Dayton where she studied social work and English literature. Her professional career has been dedicated to nonprofit service at social service and environmental organizations in Louisville. Susan is also a photographer and author of the book, Looking for the Sun at Merton’s Corner, a Collection of Portraits. Over the years, Susan has spent as much of her free time as possible canoeing, kayaking, and boating on Kentucky’s beautiful rivers and creeks. Susan is looking forward to furthering KWA's mission by increasing our engagement with current and future volunteers, donors, partners, and communities. If you or your organization would like to partner with KWA to protect, restore, and celebrate your favorite Kentucky waterway give Susan a call or send her an email. She will be happy to talk with you about how we can work together!

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Lois Smith

Red Bird River Coordinator
[email protected]

Lois joined KWA as the Red Bird River Coordinator in January of 2024. In her position she will manage KWA's Red Bird River Septic & Education Project, including overseeing the repair or replacement of septic systems and providing educational opportunities for residents of the watershed. This project is part of a watershed plan completed in 2016 by KWA, with the help of partners and stakeholders. Lois has lived on the Red Bird River or its tributaries her whole life (except for a period of time right out of high school), has lifelong relationships with people in the watershed, and personally understands the challenges impacting in the area. Lois says, "I look forward to continuing that work and serving the people of my community."

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Michael Washburn

Executive Director
[email protected]

​Michael joined KWA as Executive Director in December 2022.  Over the course of his two decade career in nonprofit and academic management, Michael has focused on everything from cultural policy to food insecurity. Michael most recently worked as Director of Programs at Humanities New York (HNY). During his time at HNY, he moved the organization away from a focus on static celebrations of history into being an organization that uses the humanities as tools with which to activate community engagement and facilitate dialogue on such issues as climate change, post-incarceration societal re-entry, democracy and trust, and other challenges. He has written about books and culture for Louisville Public Media, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and many other publications. In 2019 Bloomsbury Academic published Southern Accents, his contribution to the long-running, critically acclaimed music series, 33⅓. 

Michael was born and raised in Kentucky, and he was educated at the University of Chicago and the University of Louisville, his hometown school. When not working with the KWA team or spending time with family and friends, you can find him running (slowly!) on the trails that thread through the Red River Gorge, Jefferson Memorial Forest, and the other natural gems of the Commonwealth. Michael lives in Louisville’s Highlands neighborhood with his wife and son. 

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