The RORG team is comprised of University of Illinois Extension/Illinois Indiana Sea Grant staff within the College of ACES. The multidisciplinary team works on a range of water quality projects that include the RORG renovation.
Eliana Brown
RORG Director/Project Principal Investigator
Water Quality and Stormwater Specialist
brown12@illinois.edu
Water Quality and Stormwater Specialist Eliana Brown’s areas of expertise include green infrastructure and stormwater and wastewater programs. She coordinates the Watershed Steward and Rainscaping Programs for Illinois and is a National Green Infrastructure Certification Program (NGICP) instructor at Parkland College. Her education includes a Master’s degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering. She began her University of Illinois career working for Facilities & Services Environmental Compliance as the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) coordinator co-founding events such as Boneyard Creek Community Day. Her accreditations include LEED AP, NGICP, CPESC (2014), and certified Master Gardener.
Layne Knoche
RORG Assistant Director
Extension Outreach Associate
lknoch2@illinois.edu
Layne Knoche is a Stormwater Outreach Associate with Illinois Extension and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant. With a bachelor’s degree in Landscape Architecture, certification as an Illinois Master Gardener, and as Assistant Director and Landscape Designer of Urbana’s Red Oak Rain Garden, his professional focus revolves around native plants and planting design as they relate to stormwater systems and the integration of social, aesthetic, and educational aspects in those natural and built environments. Prior experience includes municipal streetscape design and landscape design contracting.
Maddy Craft
RORG Volunteer Coordinator
Extension Outreach Associate
mcraft4@illinois.edu
Madelyn Craft is a recent graduate of the University of Illinois with a degree in Sustainable Design and minors in Landscape Studies and Natural Resource Conservation. She is most interested in native plants, green infrastructure, and environmental restoration. She implements aspects of both green infrastructure and landscape restoration to create urban spaces that are both aesthetically pleasing and environmentally beneficial in the hopes of building healthier communities. In her free time, she enjoys birdwatching and reading.
Maddy provides tours, leads volunteer workdays, and coordinates with the RORG Team on volunteer communications. She also assists in monitoring and documenting growth and activities at the rain garden.
Extra Help
Erin Schimenti
Erin Schimenti is a recent graduate of Illinois, with a dual degree in Sustainable Design and Communication. She is especially interested in green stormwater infrastructure and educational outreach. Under the guidance of the RORG Team, Erin is developing a series of botanical art that increase rain garden plant literacy.
In the future, she hopes to continue to combine art and sustainability concepts to help people become more aware of their local environments.
Red Oak Rain Garden 