WHO WE ARE

St. Charles Watersheds Alliance (SCWA) is a non-profit organization that aims to improve the watersheds in St. Charles County by promoting stormwater planning and habitat conservation, ensuring a resilient and healthy environment. Our mission is to advocate for a resilient and healthy ecosystem in St. Charles County watersheds, while implementing low impact development practices in development and conservation. We are a group of passionate individuals who strive to make a positive impact on our community and the environment. Our team consists of professionals from diverse backgrounds who share a common goal of improving development that protects our watersheds and ensures a healthy ecosystems.

Our goals are to influence ecosystem architecture approaches as our County and its watersheds develop. We will provide educational resources and become a networking resource between public and private stakeholders. St. Charles County is in its transition phase of becoming a metro destination with a personality distinct from St. Louis, and largely unfettered by irreversible detrimental development decisions. SCWA seeks to help clarify, organize, educate, provide outreach, and represent its communities with an emphasis on both advanced development solutions and conservation practices.

Planning for Stormwater sensitive Low Impact Development and Community Beautification

WHAT WE DO

Our Services

SCWA, we work towards our mission by collaborating with local governments, businesses, and residents to promote and educate sustainable practices that reduce stormwater runoff impacts and protect water quality. Some of our services include:

1. Advocating for planning and policy changes that support sustainable Low Impact Development, rain-scaping, and conservation practices.

2. Conducting research and providing educational materials that promote solutions

3. Providing education and outreach programs to raise awareness about the importance of looking after our watersheds.

We believe that by working together, we can create a healthier and more resilient and adaptable environment in all of St. Charles County communities.

Our Team

Dedication. Expertise. Passion.

Our team at SCWA are dedicated individuals who have already made great strides and improvements in the St. Charles and St. Louis region in development, planning and conservation. Together we will elevate the regional environmental planning and management sphere to improve our watershed living spaces.

Team Bios

PRESIDENT

JAY BERGERON

Jay has been involved with design, construction, remediation, and inspection of green infrastructure for over 15 years. His past roles in local, state, federal, non-profit and private environmental consulting with fortune 500 companies such as BNSF, Bass Pro, Scannell and military facilities have provided some of the most well-rounded mastery of environmental regulation, planning and development. Jay graduated from the University of Queensland in Australia where he focused on green infrastructure and was able to see how green infrastructure was performed across the globe well before the USA began taking it on.

In 2008 and 2009 Jay was working for the Oxley Creek Catchment Association in Brisbane, Australia where they won the renowned Thiess International Riverprize.

Today, Jay is also the Principal at a national company that supports total turn-key solutions for BMPs and Blue-Green Infrastructure. Jay is also further helping large company facilities realize ESG merit in stormwater management, and other sustainability objectives

VICE PRESIDENT

RANDY FECHTER

Randy Fechter is a distinguished business leader and seasoned entrepreneur with a remarkable career spanning over 28 years in federal grounds management, environmental management, and operation and maintenance contracts. With a distinguished military background that includes serving in pivotal operations like Desert Shield, Desert Storm, and Desert Farewell, Randy established GPM Inc. in 1994. As the President and CEO of GPM Inc., he leads a team of accomplished professionals dedicated to delivering intricate and specialized landcare maintenance services and federal O&M contract services.

Rany is a master at public lands management, wildfire suppression, habitat restoration, Habitat Rehabilitation and Enhancement Projects (HREPs), invasive species control, prescribed burns, masticated fuels reduction, vegetation maintenance and the management and maintenance of critical levee systems including large pump stations. The scope of GPM Inc.'s expertise extends to floodplain management, flood emergency operations support, right-of-way maintenance, and facilities operation and maintenance.

EXECUTIVE BOARD

Chris Feldewerth

Chris has a mastery of native vegetation care and management. His knowledge of vegetation identification and details on native habitat management is impressive. Chris is one of the owners of Compass Native Landscapes. This company focuses on native plant care and maintenance, invasive species control, and design and planting with natives. Chris is a staple of the native habitat sphere of influence in the St. Louis region and a hidden gem.

EXECUTIVE BOARD - TREASURER

ADRIANA HERMIDA

Adriana is a dynamic architect project manager with over 30 years of experience. Adriana’s experience provided her with responsibilities from initial design phase, to construction administration.

Adriana’s has a particular talent for inspiring others while achieving total patron satisfaction on all her work.

Adriana has spent some of her career in Argentina. Argentina has had a global influence on architecture dating back from the 60s. Adriana’s perspective on melding architecture and nature with urban planning is unique and necessary.

EXECUTIVE BOARD

ANGELA MAYER

Angela is a critical and creative thinking professional who is results-driven and detailed-oriented. With over 8 years of experience, she focuses on placemaking and the end user in all scales of design. She is an integral part of the team at BHC, a leading civil engineering and surveying company, performing landscape architectural work alongside her engineer and landscape architect counterparts. Angela holds a Master of Landscape Architecture from Kansas State University. She has a strong interest in sustainable practices and plants, and enjoys finding new restaurants and spending time with her family and friends

EXECUTIVE BOARD

RANDY MARDIS

Randy Mardis earned an associates degree in architecture prior to attending Kansas State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture degree in 1979. As a student at KSU, he served as Student Chapter President in 1977. Randy he has worked for three landscape architectural firms from 1979 through 1994, when he opened his own practice. His projects are found throughout the Midwest and South and represent a wide diversity of project types.
Randy has served the profession through mentoring and taking opportunities to educate the Public. In 2010, he was presented the Robert E. Goetz award which recognizes his mentoring, his high ethics and his service to the profession of landscape architecture. He has been a guest speaker at several garden clubs and college programs in the area and has also served in advisory board capacities at Meramec Community College and Kansas State University. Randy has taught adult classes at Missouri Botanical Gardens since 1989. Since 1994, Randy has occasionally volunteered his services to Gateway to Gardening, an organization that develops various gardens in vacant lots throughout the Saint Louis area.

EXECUTIVE BOARD

MATT HOLLEY

Matt Holley is a seasoned construction professional, guided by a desire to drive value and positive results for clients and project stakeholders. With over 12 years of experience in the civil construction industry, he has led teams in multiple capacities, including project management, preconstruction, business development and strategy. Holley believes that if you do good things, good things will come back to you, and aims to build relationships and projects in the same way. He has put this approach into action in multiple construction market sectors across the continental United States by partnering with clients to understand their challenges and shape solutions to meet their definition of project success. Holley holds a Bachelor of Science in construction management from Missouri State University. Outside of work, he enjoys cooking, traveling and spending time outdoors.

EXECUTIVE BOARD

RALPH TURNEY

Ralph has too many accolades and business ventures to list here. Ralph is chairman of Red Arrow and involved in warehousing, trucking and logistics. Ralph is also heavily involved in land sales and developments. Ralphs impressive network of friends and association on boards makes Ralph an invaluable individual. Ralph cares very much about St. Charles County communities and has an amazing knack for identifying partnership synergies.

EXECUTIVE BOARD

DEANA DOTHAGE

Deana Dothage serves as the Extension and Engagement Specialist and Field Specialist in Community Development for MU Extension in St. Charles County.

She joined the University of Missouri in January 2017, beginning her university career with the MU School of Medicine’s ThinkFirst Missouri and First Impact program, where she worked until June 2022. Since July 2022, she has continued her service with MU Extension in St. Charles County.

Deana is known for her ability to connect with individuals from diverse backgrounds, fostering communication and relationships on both professional and personal levels. Her career experience spans health education, insurance, law enforcement, and volunteer management. She facilitates sessions across several Community Development programs, including Engaged Neighbor, Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities, Build Your Board, and Strategic Doing.

She holds a B.S. in Administration of Justice – Policing Option from the University of Missouri–St. Louis and a Master’s Degree in Public Affairs from the University of Missouri–Columbia, along with a Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management.

Dedicated to MU Extension’s mission, Deana works to enhance quality of life by bringing the University’s educational resources to the community.