2019 EHS&S Operational Excellence Speakers
Tamer Azar, EHS Project Manager; Enhesa
Tamer Azar, EHS Project Manager at Enhesa, has been with Enhesa since 2014 and is an EHS Regulatory Analyst covering the Middle East and North Africa. He holds a Master's degree in International Business Law from American University, Washington College of Law.
Budd Batchelder, EHS & Sustainability Leader; Comcast Northeast Division
Budd Batchelder is the Senior EHS Manager of Comcast Cable, Northeast Division. Budd is responsible for developing and implementing programs to protect natural resources and people. He has helped Comcast reduce its environmental impacts by implementing programs to manage recycling, energy efficiency, and on-site renewable energy. He is also responsible for strategic development of programs to improve the safety of Comcast’s workforce.
Shae Birkey, Industry Account Manager; Caterpillar Inc.
Shae Birkey is an Industry Account Manager with Caterpillar Safety Services and has more than 15 years of experience in the EHS profession working in consulting, governmental, commercial and industrial settings. He has worked in frontline field positions and corporate management roles, as well as an EHS subject matter expert, corporate auditor, and EHS facility manager. His passion is to educate others on the process of empowering front-line employees, engaging and educating supervisors in positive accountability practices, and supporting leaders to be visibly committed to improving safety culture. He has a B.S. in parks administration and an M.S. in conservation biology from the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign.
Sanaa Chakibi, Project Director; Specialty Technical Consultants (STC)
Sanaa Chakibi is an STC Program Director located in Arlington, Virginia, with 12 years of experience in EHS compliance auditing and environmental management systems compliance. Ms. Chakibi has performed audits for clients in a variety of industries and has extensive international EHS regulatory review and analysis experience. Ms. Sanaa specializes in helping companies assess regulatory risk, review their corporate standards and develop a strategy to meet their compliance goals.
Lesley Clarke, Manager, Environmental Performance; Walker Industries Inc.
Lesley Clarke, Environmental Performance and Compliance Lead at Walker Industries, is responsible for developing and implementing environmental management programs with a focus on regulatory compliance, permitting, training and auditing. Lesley has over 13 years of experience working in the environmental sector. She began her career as an environmental consultant, where she conducted and later managed contaminated site assessments, monitoring and remediation projects in several jurisdictions across Canada. In more recent years, Lesley moonlighted as an instructor at Niagara College, lecturing on waste management practices in Ontario. Lesley is a graduate of Fleming College and is a certified member of The Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists.
Grant Ervin, Chief Resilience Officer; City of Pittsburgh
Grant Ervin serves as the Chief Resilience Officer and Assistant Director for the Department of City Planning for the City of Pittsburgh. Grant oversees the integration of sustainability and resilience into city services, programs and policy. He works to create a smart, sustainable and resilient city by fostering partnerships, leveraging assets and finding creative solutions across departments, agencies and sectors. With deep experience, he integrates environmental, community and economic development and infrastructure policy to create innovative and sustainable solutions.
Dr. Walter C. Fluharty, Vice President of EHS & Organizational Development; Simon Roofing
Dr. Walter C. Fluharty is currently the Vice President of Environmental Health and Safety & Organizational Development for Simon Roofing and is responsible for their manufacturing facilities and 66 Service Centers nationwide. In a career that spans more than 30 years, he has built a reputation developing world class safety cultures in a wide variety of industries. His experience includes developing the widely used training program "It Can Happen Here" funded by an OSHA New Directions Grant. He actively participated in the development of several OHSA standards, including, the Process Safety Management of Highly Hazardous Chemicals and Cadmium standards.
Matt Gabris, Vice President of Safety, Health and Environment; Aryzta AG
Matt Gabris is the Vice President of Environmental, Health, Safety and Security (EHSS) for Aryzta Baking, the third largest commercial bakery in the world. Matt has been in EHS for 25 years in the food and beverage industry for 24 years. He has worked for Sara Lee, Premium Standard Farms (now part of Smithfield Foods), Miller Coors and for the last six years ARYZTA baking. In all of these roles he has been responsible for an operating budget and company-wide capital expenditures for environmental, health, safety and security projects. Matt holds a BS in Industrial and Environmental Health Management from Ferris State University and a Masters in Hazardous Waste Management – Chemical Engineering from Wayne State University in Detroit. Matt helps guide the baking industry as the American Baking Association Safety Committee Chair and member of the Energy and Environment Steering committee.
Taylor Gelsinger, Manager of Research Analytics; NAEM
Taylor Gelsinger has been with NAEM since 2013. She executes NAEM's research program, specializing in a range of EHS and sustainability topics, including: compliance, environmental information management systems, corporate responsibility reporting, materiality, metrics and professional development. Taylor graduated with a Master of Environmental Management degree in environmental economics and policy from Duke University and a B.S. degree in business administration from Oklahoma State University.
Thomas Hill, former General Counsel for EHS Operations; General Electric Co.
Thomas Hill served as the General Counsel for the General Electric Co. Global EHS operations until his retirement in 2017. As the senior lawyer, he managed a global team of lawyers and environmental specialists responsible for creating and implementing GE’s EHS risk management programs. Mr. Hill was also responsible for representing GE in some of its most complex litigations in environmental compliance and risk management. He remains involved in legislative reform, and consults with business to develop internal health and safety policies. Mr. Hill earned his B.S. from Wayne State University and his J.D. (with honors) from the Michigan State University Law School.
Nick Kell, Emergency Preparedness Project Manager; Ball Aerospace
As Emergency Management Coordinator, Nick is responsible for implementing and maintaining an enterprise-wide emergency preparedness and response program to strengthen organizational readiness and resiliency. With over 10 years of emergency management experience within both the public and private sector, Nick has used his knowledge to lead and synchronize preparedness efforts across various industries and communities. He received a B.S. in Health Sciences from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and is also a graduate of Boulder County's Leadership Academy.
Tim Levinger, Director of Environmental Health and Safety, Keystone Region; Comcast Business
Tim Levinger is the Director of Environmental Health and Safety for Comcast’s Keystone Region, based in Pittsburgh, Pa., which comprises central and western Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio, northern West Virginia and western Maryland. He enhances employee health, safety and wellness while ensuring Comcast is a good corporate citizen through sustainability programs and initiatives. Tim is recognized at Comcast as a proven leader for change management. His analytical skills and ability to interact and adapt to situations have given him the opportunity to succeed with many initiatives to further EHS&S as Comcast values. Tim is currently pursuing a degree in Organizational Leadership.
Jeff McCormack, Audit Manager - Compliance Audit; Georgia-Pacific LLC
Jeff has over 29 years of environmental management experience and joined Georgia-Pacific in 2011 where he is audit manager in the Corporate Compliance Audit group focusing on Environmental, Management Systems. Prior to joining Georgia-Pacific, Jeff worked in the Corporate Audit group of Honda North America. Jeff has 12 years of plant environmental manager experience, and holds a B.S. in chemical engineering from the University of Kentucky.
Kevin Meyers, North America Manager of Labor Relations; Valvoline LLC
Kevin Meyers is the North America Labor Relations Manager for Valvoline LLC with responsibilities for labor and human resources supporting the company’s supply chain and EH&S organizations. His role also has oversight for human resource compliance efforts. Prior to Valvoline, he engaged in similar work for Ashland Inc., including multi-business unit accountability, mergers and acquisitions, and manufacturing optimization programs. He has also provided management services representing Ohio school board management and county government in its labor and human resources functions. Kevin is a graduate of The Ohio State University with a concentration in human resources and industrial relations.
Anne Monine, Corporate Environmental Lead, EHS; Cargill Inc.
Anne Monine is Cargill's Environmental Thought Leader and leads the corporate effort to develop and implement Cargill's Environmental Strategy. Anne is a Chemical Engineer with 30 years of experience in every aspect of Environmental, Health and Safety. She has worked on environmental issues for government and industry, and has actively participated in many trade associations and non-governmental organizations. Anne is a proven change agent with a reputation for leading organizational change and motivating employees to achieve productivity, safety, compliance and sustainability objectives.
Tim Murphy, Vice President, Environmental Performance; Walker Industries Inc.
Tim is the Vice President, Environmental Performance at Walker Industries Holdings Limited, a family-owned, fifth generation conglomerate with operations in the aggregate, construction, emulsion and environmental services sectors across North America. Tim has over 30 years of experience in environmental management, business organization and strategic planning. He has worked with and for private and public organizations in the environmental, transportation, manufacturing, and government sectors. He has a B.E.S. in Urban Planning from University of Waterloo, a M.Pl. in Urban Planning from Queen's University, and post-graduate certificates in urban design and business from Oxford Brookes University and McMaster University.
John Novotny, Director, Corporate Environmental Control & Capital Project Management Manufacturing Technology & Engineering; Corning Inc.
John F. Novotny joined Corning as Director of Corporate Environmental Control and Capital Project Management, MT&E, in 2016. Novotny is responsible for the oversight, strategic development and management of Corning's global environmental programs and activities. He also oversees capital project management and facilities engineering. Novotny was previously an executive-level environmental engineer for Arcadis. He holds a B.S. in civil engineering from State University of New York at Buffalo.
Michelle Redfield, North American Director for Environment and Safety/Environment Process Improvement; Schneider Electric SE
As the North American Director for Environment and Safety/Environment Process Improvement for Schneider Electric, Michelle and her team direct the company's North American environmental and sustainability initiatives and strategy, leading environmental and safety programs such as compliance, management systems, water reduction, zero waste to landfill, CO2 Neutrality, data management and environmental recognition. She is the leader for Schneider Electric's Safety, Environment and Energy management system global certificate. She has also led Schneider Electric's global safety and environmental data management system program as well as its global safety standardization and process improvement programs — converting a growing company of over 200 separate brands into a single safety program.
Brian Ross, Partner; Ross Legal Corp.
Brian Ross is an experienced internet, technology, cannabis, business and intellectual property attorney. He joined Ross Legal Corporation in 2016, where he advises fast-moving companies in technology, cannabis and other emerging industries. Brian has a strong background in commercial transactions, intellectual property, team leadership, data privacy, global legal and regulatory compliance, corporate governance and general legal matters. He received his Juris Doctorate from the UCLA School of Law. He graduated Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa from UCLA, with a B.A. in Political Science.
Elizabeth Ryan, Director of Communications; NAEM
As Director of Communications for NAEM, Elizabeth Ryan provides editorial direction and lead authorship for the association's research publications, including its talent management series, its software and data management research and the association's expertise on emerging trends. Prior to joining NAEM, she covered transportation, poverty, housing and urban policy as a long-form investigative journalist. She holds a B.A. in Comparative Literature from the University of Rochester and an M.S. in Journalism from Northwestern University's Medill School.
Joshua Scott, Instructor, Associate Director for Education; Environmental Health and Occupation – Colorado School of Public Health
In the Center for Health, Work and Environment, Josh leads a team of dedicated health and safety experts aimed at delivering world class learning opportunities for professionals responsible for occupational health protection and health promotion. The center's continuing education program is responsible for local, regional, national and international conferences, online courses, webinars and in-person and web-based trainings. Josh also teaches graduate-level courses and seminars in Total Worker Health® leadership, interdisciplinary learning, occupational stress management and workplace well-being. He received his B.S. in Physical Education and Biology Education from Western Michigan University in 2007 and his M.S. in Exercise Physiology and Holistic Health from Western Michigan University in 2009.
Melissa Spittler, Environmental, Health & Safety Manager; Saint-Gobain
Melissa Spittler is a Regional Environmental Health & Safety Manager at Saint Gobain, supporting the EHS&S efforts at 29 manufacturing facilities in the United States and Canada. In addition, she serves as a company representative for multiple trade associations and is a member of the Saint Gobain Women's Network Steering Committee and past Hub chair. Melissa joined Saint-Gobain in 1999 as part of the plant accounting department and has since held roles of progressive responsibility in human resources and EHS&S. Melissa holds a B.S. in Occupational Health & Safety from Columbia Southern University, where she is currently pursuing her master’s degree in Organizational Leadership.
Dr. Robert Sroufe, Professor of Sustainability & Operations Management; Donahue Graduate School of Business Director
Robert Sroufe is a Professor of Sustainability, Operations and Supply Chain Management in the MBA Sustainable Business Practices program at the Palumbo-Donahue School. His research focuses on sustainability performance and how firms can develop effective environmental management systems to measure and manage a triple bottom line. His work has been published in a number of journals, and he is the author of several books. Professor Sroufe conducts research with firms including Alcoa, Baxter, Dow, Ecolab, Ford, Gillette, GSA, Herman Miller, IBM, Intel, Interfaces, Lucent, and Steelcase.
Eric Weber, Vice President of Product Development; McCoy and Associates
Eric Weber has extensive experience analyzing and interpreting environmental regulatory requirements since 1986. He has been with McCoy for over twenty years and has served in various capacities including chief technology officer, managing corporate operations, and writing articles and editing technical publications. In addition, Eric Weber is one of McCoy’s veteran Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) seminar presenters, and he is currently developing a Clean Air Act (CAA) seminar. Eric’s speaking style helps demystify complex regulatory topics and he brings a depth of historical context to regulatory discussions. Prior to McCoy, Eric worked for Conoco in Houston, Texas, in their natural gas products group.
Shaoqian Zhang, Lead - Compliance Programs Implementation; Nimonik
Mr. Zhang has abundant international experiences as lead auditor and auditee of ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 in the last 7 years. He worked as an EHS Manager leading environmental protection, occupational health and safety, ergonomics, health promotion, clinic, fire protection, security, canteen and food safety in a major plant of Continental AG, one of the largest manufacturers of automotive parts. He has worked as a regulatory analyst at Nimonik and is now the lead implementer of robust compliance programs for Nimonik customers worldwide.
About NAEM
The National Association for Environmental, Health and Safety, and Sustainability (EHS&S) Management (NAEM) empowers corporate leaders to advance environmental stewardship, create safe and healthy workplaces and promote global sustainability. As the leading business community for EHS&S decision-makers, we provide engaging forums, a curated network, peer benchmarking, research insights and tools for solving today’s corporate EHS&S management challenges. Visit us online at www.naem.org.
