Margaret Schneemann is a water resource economist with Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG) and the University of Illinois Extension, based at the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) in Chicago. In this role, she collaborates with regional planners, local officials, water managers, and community stakeholders to integrate economic analysis and social science into water resource planning, policy, and decision-making.

Before joining Sea Grant and Extension, Margaret taught economics, finance, and statistics at several universities, including the University of Chicago and the University of Illinois Chicago. She has also served as a consultant to public agencies, educational institutions, and private sector clients, bringing economic insight to complex environmental and resource policy issues.

Margaret holds a Master of Science in Resource Economics and Policy from the University of Maine and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Grinnell College. She completed doctoral coursework in economics and has published research on topics including water affordability, ecosystem services, and urban water demand. She participates on regional environmental and water resource committees and has shared her expertise through outreach channels such as the Everyday Environment podcast.

See Margaret’s Publications and Products