Ozarks Water Watch Announces New Executive Director
February 13, 2020
Cathy Stepp was announced as the new Executive Director of Ozarks Water Watch in Kimberling City recently.
Ozarks Water Watch has announced the hiring of a new Executive Director, Cathy Stepp. David Casaletto, the former Executive Director will remain on with the title of President.
Cathy brings nearly 20 years of public service experience dealing with environmental issues. Most recently, she served as the Regional Administrator for the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 5. Her responsibilities included overseeing environmental protection efforts in the Great Lakes states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin, as well as 35 federally recognized tribal governments. Additionally, she was the manager of EPA Great Lakes National Program, in which she led restoration and protection of the largest freshwater system in the world. Before joining Region 5, she was principal deputy regional administrator for EPA Region 7 in Kansas City.
Cathy served as the secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources from 2011 to 2017. As state cabinet secretary, she led the third largest state agency with about 4,000 employees and was responsible for state enforcement and protection of wildlife, fisheries, state parks, trails, forests and environmental permitting. She directed numerous improvements in water quality rules, most notably a substantial revision in the rule that regulates groundwater/drinking water quality and impacts from agricultural use. During these efforts, Cathy quickly saw the importance of building relationships and sharing information with stakeholders on all sides of challenging environmental issues.
She also served as a Wisconsin state senator from 2003-2007, where she served on the Environment and Natural Resources committee and authored and advanced legislation on regulatory reform, job creation and other issues. Prior to her Senate term, she served as a citizen appointee on Wisconsin’s Natural Resources Board. This board directed the policy of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
Prior to entering public service, Cathy and her husband, Paul, owned a small home building company that they built from scratch. This private sector experience, combined with public sector service, has given her the well-rounded perspectives needed to bring all sides around a table to talk about tough environmental issues from a position of empathy and respect for the law. She and Paul decided in 2016 to make Branson home for the next chapter of their lives. She has a personal connection to and fundamental understanding of the critical importance of clean water in the Ozarks for recreation, public health and tourism. Her consistent message throughout her public service is “We Are Better Together.”
Cathy and Paul have two grown children, Hannah and Mitchell, and they enjoy the magnificence of all the Ozarks has to offer by boating on Table Rock Lake, floating down the Buffalo River and hiking/riding trails in the Mark Twain Forest.
Ozarks Water Watch is a nonprofit water quality organization protecting the watersheds of Beaver, Table Rock, Taneycomo and Bull Shoals lakes.
Cathy brings nearly 20 years of public service experience dealing with environmental issues. Most recently, she served as the Regional Administrator for the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 5. Her responsibilities included overseeing environmental protection efforts in the Great Lakes states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin, as well as 35 federally recognized tribal governments. Additionally, she was the manager of EPA Great Lakes National Program, in which she led restoration and protection of the largest freshwater system in the world. Before joining Region 5, she was principal deputy regional administrator for EPA Region 7 in Kansas City.
Cathy served as the secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources from 2011 to 2017. As state cabinet secretary, she led the third largest state agency with about 4,000 employees and was responsible for state enforcement and protection of wildlife, fisheries, state parks, trails, forests and environmental permitting. She directed numerous improvements in water quality rules, most notably a substantial revision in the rule that regulates groundwater/drinking water quality and impacts from agricultural use. During these efforts, Cathy quickly saw the importance of building relationships and sharing information with stakeholders on all sides of challenging environmental issues.
She also served as a Wisconsin state senator from 2003-2007, where she served on the Environment and Natural Resources committee and authored and advanced legislation on regulatory reform, job creation and other issues. Prior to her Senate term, she served as a citizen appointee on Wisconsin’s Natural Resources Board. This board directed the policy of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
Prior to entering public service, Cathy and her husband, Paul, owned a small home building company that they built from scratch. This private sector experience, combined with public sector service, has given her the well-rounded perspectives needed to bring all sides around a table to talk about tough environmental issues from a position of empathy and respect for the law. She and Paul decided in 2016 to make Branson home for the next chapter of their lives. She has a personal connection to and fundamental understanding of the critical importance of clean water in the Ozarks for recreation, public health and tourism. Her consistent message throughout her public service is “We Are Better Together.”
Cathy and Paul have two grown children, Hannah and Mitchell, and they enjoy the magnificence of all the Ozarks has to offer by boating on Table Rock Lake, floating down the Buffalo River and hiking/riding trails in the Mark Twain Forest.
Ozarks Water Watch is a nonprofit water quality organization protecting the watersheds of Beaver, Table Rock, Taneycomo and Bull Shoals lakes.