August / September 2021 Newsletter

The Communicator

For those of you who may not know me, I am Matt Nusenow, P.E., your new Chapter 57 President. My first exposure to eminent domain was a valuation dispute of a property contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, an industrial chemical used in transformers for its electrical insulating properties. My investigation of the property revealed that the contamination was not from the property owner’s operations, but from a salvage company that removed a transformer after draining the PCBs onto the ground. As my career already included remediation of contaminated sites and preparing the costs to remediate contamination, assisting in the valuation of contaminated sites seemed like a good fit.

​I was introduced to IRWA, when a Law firm I worked with invited me to a Chapter 57 meeting. I immediately recognized this was a fun chapter and asked to come back. I volunteered to become the environmental chair and the next thing I knew I was asked to be Secretary. I am excited to be the incoming President of Chapter 57, the fun chapter.

These are interesting times, navigating COVID restrictions, fear, and new normal. I look forward to the opportunity and challenges of bringing us back together in person for meetings and more.

I am excited to work with our new chapter leaders including Hector Casillas, President-Elect, Robbie Hechanova, Treasurer, and Peggy Barnes, Secretary and trusted advisor. I also look forward to working with our many past leaders and chapter members. My main goal will be to coordinate a return to normal, where everyone feels comfortable. I want to create an environment at these meetings that cultivates fun. Also, we will focus on membership and education. I will work with Griffin Wayne and Kelley Kelley…

Upcoming events include the Region 1 Fall Forum, Tri-Chapter, and Spring Forum. The Fall Forum is a meeting of new Presidents and Vice Presidents from each of Region 1’s 13 chapters, as well as a couple of folks from HQ. It is scheduled for October 15th. The Tri-Chapter is the annual holiday meeting with Chapters 1, 67, and 57 scheduled for December 9th and always a lot of fun. The Spring Forum has not been planned and Chapter 57 is considering hosting it. I hope y’all join us and see what the “new normal” will look like.

Matthew Nusenow
Chapter 57 President
2021/2022

Aug. / Sept. 2021 Newsletter