ANN NAVARO (Moderator) is a Partner at Bracewell in Washington, D.C. Ann advises on and litigates under the federal laws and policies governing natural resources and the environment. After more than 25 years as a top litigator and policy adviser to the federal government, Ann brings exceptional insight and acumen to clients seeking to build infrastructure, produce valuable natural resources, or improve government policies and programs affecting their businesses. She has held senior legal and policy positions at the US Army Corps of Engineers and the US Department of the Interior. Ann spent more than 10 years as a trial lawyer in the Environment and Natural Resources Division at the US Department of Justice, as well as 10 years litigating and managing civil works litigation for the Army Corps. Ann has advised on some of the most challenging and high-profile policy issues in natural resources and environmental law, including NEPA reform, federal permit streamlining, wetlands protection, and protected species policy. She has litigated or overseen the litigation of scores of disputes involving a wide range of issues, such as upstream energy permitting, wetlands permitting, offshore royalties, federal takings and constitutional challenges. Ann supports clients—including infrastructure developers and companies active in the upstream, pipeline, renewables, power transmission, and LNG sectors—on project siting and operation; permitting and enforcement under federal wetland, habitat and resource statutes; and related regulatory issues, policy advocacy, and litigation.

MARCELLA BURKE is the Founder and Managing Partner of Burke Law Group in Houston, Texas. Marcella began her legal career as an energy attorney in AmLaw 100 law firms, where she earned an equity partnership. She was appointed in the Trump Administration to serve in the Environmental Protection Agency as Deputy General Counsel, and in the Department of Interior as Deputy Solicitor for Energy and Natural Resources, where she managed the litigation docket and regulatory portfolio of all energy and natural resource permitting and project development on federal lands, including the federal oil and gas, renewables, carbon capture, offshore wind, and hydropower programs. In 2023, Texas Governor Abbott appointed Burke as one of four members of the School Land Board, which manages the sale and leasing of 13 million acres of state lands, which includes vast properties in West Texas, Gulf Coast beaches and bays and submerged lands, and timberland in East Texas. Marcella serves in leadership roles with the State Bar of Texas Environmental Division, The Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law, and the Institute for Energy Law. Additionally, she is the Founder of the Marcella Burke Law Mom Endowment at the University of Houston Law Center, and the Marcella Burke Chickasaw National Family Flourishing Endowment, both of which support women with children in law school.

AARON L. SZABO is a Government & Regulatory Affairs Attorney at Faegre Drinker in Washington, D.C. Aaron has extensive experience on environmental policy issues including EPA actions related to development and transmission within the oil and natural gas sector, power plants, the manufacture, import and use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), the use of ethylene oxide (EtO) and other chemicals, and climate change. Aaron was involved in the development of multiple significant Environmental Protection Agency climate and air regulations, including the Clean Power Plan, and oil and natural gas methane regulations. Aaron also worked on the Council on Environmental Quality’s National Environmental Policy Act’s updated regulations and federal sustainability policies. Before joining Faegre Drinker, Aaron served as a partner at a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy and strategic communications firm. Prior to that role, Aaron was senior counsel for the White House Council on Environmental Quality. He has also served as senior policy advisor for the White House Office of Management and Budget’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, where he worked on domestic environmental and energy regulatory policy. Prior to his work in the White House, Aaron worked at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

BETH A. VIOLA is a Senior Policy Advisor at Holland & Knight in Washington, D.C., where she is the chair of the firm's Energy and Natural Resources Industry Sector Group. Possessing decades of experience in climate change and energy policy, Ms. Viola advises a range of corporate clients, coalitions and industry associations on public policy related to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions and the transition to a low carbon economy, including the funding and deployment of clean energy and innovative technologies and advocacy on related environment, tax, trade and appropriations issues. She frequently speaks on domestic and international energy and climate issues and has been quoted extensively in the media. During the Clinton Administration, Ms. Viola served as a senior advisor to the White House Council on Environmental Quality. In this role, she advised the president, vice president and senior government officials on environmental and energy issues, concentrating on climate change, natural resources and smart growth. She was also the primary White House liaison on these issues to elected officials, industry, environmental, religious and labor leaders, as well as the media. Ms. Viola was one of Vice President Al Gore's chief environmental advisors in the White House and later during his presidential campaign. She also served as a senior advisor for energy and environmental policy for then-Sen. John Kerry's presidential campaign in both the primary and general election. Ms. Viola later served as a facilitator for climate change discussions at the Clinton Global Initiative. Prior to joining the White House, Ms. Viola worked on Capitol Hill.