About Us

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Charlie Pick lives in the floodplain of the North Branch of the Chicago River in northern Illinois.  Several times a year, floodwaters come and go in his backyard, giving the river room to breathe.  Over the past decade, the frequency and severity of flooding have both increased, so he created Floodplains Forever to champion the cause of expanding floodplain capacity in the Continental United States, particularly the Mississippi River watershed.  

Charlie also serves as a vice-chairman for The Wetlands Initiative (TWI), a non-profit restoring high-quality wetlands within the Illinois River watershed.  TWI emphasizes wetland quality and innovation, having restored wetlands ecosystems in agricultural, urban, industrial, and suburban environments.  TWI's collaborative approach, joining together land owners, non-profits, donors, and government agencies, is a model for the strategies employed by Floodplains Forever. 

Charlie has worked for the past 30 years in the real estate and organic recycling industries, applying his experiences and skill sets to the exciting challenges of floodplain advocacy.  He lives with his wife, three kids, and one derpy doggo in Northfield, Illinois.