233 S Wacker Chicago IL 60606
Margaret Schneemann is a water resource economist with Illinois Extension and Illinois–Indiana Sea Grant, based at the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning. She collaborates with regional planners, local officials, and water managers to integrate economic analysis and social science into water resource planning. Margaret leads projects designed to strengthen community and economic resilience while supporting sustainable water management across the region.
Margaret holds an M.S. in resource economics and policy from the University of Maine and a B.A. in economics from Grinnell College, and completed doctoral coursework in economics. She has taught economics at several universities, including the University of Chicago and University of Illinois Chicago, and has published research reports on water affordability, ecosystem services valuation, and regional water demand forecasting. She also serves on environmental and water resource committees at local and regional levels.
Recent highlights include her Everyday Environment podcast episode “Water Economics: The Pricing Puzzle,” her Ecosystem Service Valuation program–which was recognized nationally as a best of Sea Grant program in 2024 – and Groundwork, a website promoting transdisciplinary stormwater planning.