Our Team

Sarah Veselka is an experienced aquatic biologist (20+ years) with a successful track record of managing large complex projects with threatened and endangered species concerns for transportation, energy, utilities, and municipalities. Sarah is a qualified freshwater mussel, fish, crayfish, and macroinvertebrate surveyor and taxonomist. She is a PADI Master Diver with considerable experience in large river, low visibility, and diving including the use of dry suits and full-face mask communications. Sarah appreciates taking on the responsibility for her client’s project success and seeing projects through from start to finish. She also enjoys volunteering for the Women’s Energy Network of West Virginia as the Community Initiatives Director to give back to WV communities and the Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society as Secretary to support conservation efforts of freshwater mussels and snails.

Kylene Hinerman has over 14 years of management, administrative, and human resources experience in the healthcare, manufacturing, and banking industries. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Relations and has worked on numerous marketing and advertising campaigns. She is enthusiastic about growing and gaining new skills in all of these fields, finding efficient pathways for day to day operations, and taking care of staff and clients. Kylene volunteers for the Northern Virginia Family Services where she assists in giving job seekers the tools, guidance, and confidence to successfully enter or reenter the job market. She values learning from others, genuine connections, paying it forward, and leading with kindness.

Emily Grossman has over 12 years of experience conducting freshwater mussel surveys and relocations throughout the Mid-West and Appalachia and successfully managed one of the largest known mussel relocation efforts in the country on the Mississippi River. With an Engineering degree focused on water resources, Emily has a unique understanding of the relationship between hydraulics and freshwater mussel habitats. She is a federally permitted mussel biologist specializaing in surveys in AR, IA, IL, KS, MI, MN, MO, and OK.

Matthew Gilkay has over six years of experience conducting freshwater mussel surveys and relocations throughout the MidWest and Appalachia, and is a USFWS approved malacologist. In addition to his freshwater mussel work, he also brings experience with submerged aquatic vegetation, federally endangered crayfish surveys, and is a PADI and SSI certified Advanced Open Water Diver with 10 years of diving experience. Matt is a federally permitted mussel biologist with experience in MN, IA, MI, OH, PA, NY and WV.

Brad Novak has experience conducting biological surveys in small to large river ecosystems. This includes two years as a fish survey crew lead and trainer for Illinois Natural History Survey and two years as a fisheries graduate research assistant focusing on Asian Carp research. Mr. Novak is a certified PADI Open Water Diver and has two years of field experience conducting freshwater mussel surveys in IA, IL, OH, NY, PA, and WV.

Ben Ebert is an ADCI certified diver, tender and dive supervisor with four years of mussel survey / diving experience. Ben has worked across the Eastern United States completing freshwater mussel surveys, relocations, and monitoring efforts. He has logged over 350 working dives including over 150 dives in which he safely and effectively supervised.