Speaker Biographies

Session 1

Candace Freyseng is the Director Environment, Health and Safety for MDS Inc., a global life sciences company based in Toronto, Canada. Responsible for setting corporate EHS and CSR strategy, she has been with MDS since 2004. Previously, Candace was a member of the Deloitte Environment and Sustainability team, helping to start the practice when she joined the firm in 1999. Her previous experience was as an environmental engineering consultant, using her degree in civil engineering from the University of Toronto.

Session 2

Kyle Cahill is Director in the Corporate Partnership Program at Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), which has a 20-year track record of success partnering with business to create significant environmental and business improvements. At EDF, Kyle collaborates with the private sector to advance corporate environmental performance in areas including: climate change strategies, safer products and materials, clean vehicles and paper and packaging. In his work, he has also done significant research and analysis on the reputational impacts of green initiatives.

Jamie Owen is a CPG veteran with 24 years of experience in a variety of manufacturing, engineering, planning, and regulatory assignments. He has a BS in Chemical Engineering, a Master's in Public Policy, and is a licensed Professional Engineer. Prior to joining The Clorox Company, Jamie spent 20 years at Procter & Gamble. Since joining Clorox, he has been the Plant Manager over multiple plants and managed a strategic project that obtained Board of Directors approval. Jamie is currently the Corporate Product Supply Leader for the Environment and Sustainability.

Johanna O'Kelley, Director of Licensing and Membership Marketing, has been with Sierra Club for 11 years. She is a part of the senior management at Sierra Club and is responsible for the creation, development and management of all aspects of licensing and cause-related marketing. In addition, she also has extensive experience in B2C direct marketing for Sierra Club. Johanna is a member of the Sr. Communications Committee, the National Diversity Council, and the National Membership Committee for Sierra Club.

Session 3

Mark Hause is the Global Environmental Competency Leader for DuPont as part of the Corporate Safety, Health and Environmental Excellence Center. Previous experiences include Global Environmental Engineering Technology Manager as well as a variety of Leadership roles in Manufacturing, Technology, Sales and Business Management in the 27 years he has been at DuPont. Professional affiliations include Board membership for NAEM, Red Clay Valley Association, Upper Bay Counseling and Support Services Inc. and Benchmarking Chair for GEMI. Mr. Hause earned a BS degree in Chemical Engineering at Iowa State University.

Douglas F. Stilwell is an Environmental, Health and Safety Manager for International Paper, located in Memphis, TN. Amongst his many EHS roles, he tracks and participates in regulatory development related to Greenhouse Gas and is the primary contact within IP for the commercialization of Environmental Credits, including CO2. Doug has worked in the Forest Products Industry since 1977 beginning his career as a Timberlands Manager for Weyerhaeuser in Washington State.

Session 4

Dawn Krueger has been with 3M for 15 years in the corporate Environmental Operations group, after obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Minnesota. She currently manages the dozen environmental engineers and scientists responsible for permitting and regulatory compliance implementation for 3M's US operations. In addition, Dawn coordinates 3M's activities with respect to EHS integration of newly-acquired facilities, and is the technical manager for 3M's EHS Management System and Scorecard.

Zack Mansdorf is the Senior Vice President for Safety, Industrial Hygiene and Environment for L'Oreal North America & Worldwide. He joined L'Oreal in 2000 where he spent 5 years at the L'Oreal headquarters in Paris. Zack is responsible for worldwide operations at L'Oreal. He has a PhD from the University of Kansas in Environmental Engineering with Masters degrees in Environment and Safety from the University of Michigan and Central Missouri State. He is a QEP, CSP and CIH.

Session 5

Tom Easterday is the Senior Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel and Member of the Board of Directors of Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. (formerly Subaru-Isuzu Automotive Inc.). He was also appointed to serve as a Member of the Board of Directors of Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. He is the first American to be appointed to the SIA Board of Directors. Tom holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management and Administration and a Juris Doctorate from Indiana University.

Tim Gaughan has worked in the Health, Environment and Safety Department in the corporate headquarters of Arkema Inc., since 1994. His current duties involve coordinating specialized services to company manufacturing facilities, including permit development, regulatory interpretations, agency negotiations, process optimization, environmental training, waste minimization, project management and audit preparation/response. Mr. Gaughan received his B.S. in Environmental Engineering at Syracuse University in 1988.

Session 6

Bill McGlocklin is the Director of Environmental Affairs for SKF North America, a position he has held since 1985. During this period, he also had responsibility for the development and implementation of a Global EHS program for the Parent Company, ABSKF. Prior to joining SKF, he also held positions with GE as a Division EHS Manager and with the Kentucky Department of Labor as an Industrial Hygiene Consultant and Industrial Hygiene Compliance Officer.

Elaine Salewske is a corporate communications senior manager with Baxter International Inc., a global, biotechnology, medial device and specialty pharmaceutical company based in Deerfield, Illinois. At Baxter, Elaine manages the company's sustainability report and corporate social responsibility related communications including media relations, internal communication and community relations. She also serves as a liaison to Baxter's Sustainability Steering Committee, an executive-level group that leads the company's efforts to integrate sustainability into its long-term strategic planning and daily activities.

Session 7

Dr. Robert C. Blink has 28 years experience in the practice of medicine and is currently medical director and vice president of WorkCare, Inc. After undergraduate study in biology at Northwestern University, he attended medical school at the University of Wisconsin. Following postgraduate surgical training in Dallas, TX, he attended the University of California – Berkeley where he received his MPH in Environmental Health Science. As a principal with WorkCare, Dr. Blink is responsible for providing clients nationwide a full menu of occupational and environmental health services including absence management, injury prevention and care, medical surveillance and health promotion.

Madina Joshi has worked in the field of ergonomics for over 20 years. Madina started her career in industrial engineering with Bachelors and Masters degrees in IE from Texas Tech University. Madina is presently the Corporate Ergonomist at Raytheon, where she has worked for the past 12 years. Madina is a Six Sigma Specialist and a Certified Professional Ergonomist.

Mr. Fred Norton is currently Technical Director of Ergonomics for the National Market of Liberty Mutual Insurance. He is responsible for consulting in ergonomics, risk assessment, workstation design, and program evaluation to Fortune 500 companies. He has over 25 years of experience in Safety and Ergonomics and is a frequent speaker at national conferences on risk management and ergonomics. His credentials include Certified Professional Ergonomist, Associate in Risk Management and Registered Professional Engineer in Safety.

Session 8

David Koepper currently works for ITT Corporation as the ESH Director for their Residential and Commercial Water Products Group. Mr. Koepper oversees the Environment, Safety and Health programs for 3600 employees in 37 locations including operations in Europe, North America and Asia. He has experience working for the government, the automotive industry, the electronics industry and the commercial water distribution equipment industry. He is a Certified Hazardous Materials Manager and a professional member of the ASSE.

Tommy Thompson is the Senior Manager of International Environmental Affairs for Hanesbrands Inc., a global textile manufacturer, retailer, and branded label supplier, and is responsible for developing environmental policies, procedures, and management systems. Mr. Thompson is a recognized expert in cross media environmental law in the US as well as other countries. With over 30 years of experience in the field comes operational environmental expertise not only in facility management and operations, but certifications and licenses as an ISO-14000 auditor, water treatment operator, wastewater treatment operator, laboratory chemist, hazardous waste management, and emergency responder.

As EHS Customer Relations Leader for Owens Corning, Nancy Joy-Poignon brings more than 20 years of global EHS experience from a diverse group of companies. Nancy has worked in the pulp and paper, chemical, oil & gas and building materials industry. She has led the development and implementation of global EHS programs in all industries. Here work has been far reaching as she has managed EHS operations in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. Today as Customer Relations Leader for Owens Corning, one of her responsibilities is global chemical control throughout the supply chain.

Session 9

Robert J. Brant leads and coordinates OSHA regulatory and cooperative initiatives for the United States Postal Service. He led the worldwide EHS function for Mobil Chemical Company and the North American operations of Imperial Chemical Industries. At Kaiser Aluminum and Chemical and United States Steel Corporation he held numerous safety leadership assignments at plant, division and corporate levels. While at Mobil Chemical, all facilities achieved the OSHA VPP Star status and successfully implemented the American Chemistry Council's Responsible Care â program. Also, Bob was Chairman of the National Board of Directors for the VPP Participants' Association.

Keith Welch is currently an Environmental, Health & Safety Manager for Tyco Flow Control Americas in Pasadena, TX where he has been employed for 7 years. In his current role, Keith has overall EHS responsibility and oversight for over 20 locations in Canada, the US, and Mexico. Keith was recently recognized by Tyco International for his outstanding EHS contributions during the company's annual EHS Conference. In addition Keith has been responsible for leading the implementation of the Intelex software for over 30 Tyco Flow Control Americas facilities.

Session 10

Robert M. Currie is the Director, Corporate Environment, Health & Safety for Baxter Healthcare Corporation. He is primarily responsible for Baxter's global environmental program and provides EHS technical support to manufacturing facilities worldwide. Current initiatives include environmental and product stewardship compliance, incorporating EHS and sustainability concerns into the new product development process, using Lean and Six Sigma concepts to reduce waste generation and natural resource consumption, corporate EHS audits, effluent control systems design, information management systems and overall risk management and risk reduction. Mr. Currie has been with Baxter Healthcare Corporation for twenty years.

Allen M. Stegman is General Director of Environmental for BNSF Railway. He has over 18 years of experience in the HSE field. Allen has responsibility for the environmental area and has focused recent efforts on the company's climate change strategy, metrics, and external communications such as BNSF's Corporate Citizenship Report. As BNSF is one of the largest transportation providers in the nation as well as one of the largest landowners, safe Hazardous Materials Transport and Remediation/Reserve Management are also key focus areas.

Session 11

Janice Hager is the Managing Director of the Integrated Resource Planning (IRP) and Environmental Strategy group for Duke Energy Corporation. In th is role, she is responsib le for Duke Energy's integrated resource and environmental compliance planning for the regulated electric utility companies in the Carolinas and Midwest. Ms. Hager frequently testifies before regulatory commissions on the need for new resources to meet customers' growing energy needs. Mrs. Hager has been with Duke Energy for 27 years holding various positions within the engineering, regulatory, and rate departments. 

Alice LeBlanc is Director of the Office of Environment and Climate Change in the Corporate Affairs Department of American International Group (AIG). Her responsibilities include implementation of AIG's corporate climate change strategy. This includes supporting business units in development of climate change related products in insurance, investments, financial products and consulting as well as internal and external communications and advocacy, work with non-profit organizations, and initiatives to engage employees and reduce AIG's environmental footprint.

Vanessa Stiffler-Claus serves as Manager of Federal Affairs at Deere & Company (John Deere). In that role, she is responsible for representing the company in all legislative and regulatory activities related to energy and environment, particularly in the area of greenhouse gas emissions regulations. She is also the company representative to the USCAP, serving actively on various working groups of relevance to the company and its customers. She has led and organized numerous education and outreach opportunities to agriculture and forestry customers to develop policy recommendations to recognize and reward the agriculture and forestry sectors in a cap-and-trade system. 

Session 12

Frank Szopinski is the Manager of Compliance Assurance for Abbott, a diversified pharmaceuticals health care company that operates in over 100 countries. His primary responsibility, as part of the EHS Governance function, is managing Abbott's audit program. The program includes periodic on-site EHS audits of manufacturing and commercial operations in all countries in which the company operates. He has close to 20 years of EHS experience, has been managing environmental health and safety audits for the last for 4 years.

Mike Green currently serves as Compliance Auditing Manager for BP's Safety and Operations (S&O) Audit. Mike has worked in BP for over 20 years in managerial and individual contributor roles. His experiences include time in the following BP business/functions: S&O Audit, Group Compliance and Ethics, Marketing Sales & Logistics, Analytical Technology & Laboratory Services, Scientific & Engineering Services, and Research & Development. Mike holds a Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry from The Ohio State University and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago, Graduate School of Business.

Rick Prior joined International Paper in 1990 and has been a part of the environmental audit program since 1992. Rick has acted in a managerial role since 2005. Rick also manages the environmental remediation program at International Paper. He stopped counting audits conducted at 300+, including international audits.

Session 13

Greg DeCamp is a Senior Environmental Specialist with Constellation Energy and has over 30 years of experience as an environmental consultant, primarily to electric utilities and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Representative project experience ranges from facility siting/routing, design, permitting, and construction through operations and closure. Mr. DeCamp holds a B.S. in Chemistry from Xavier University (OH) and an M.S. in Biology (concentration in Ecology) from Bowling Green State University (OH).

Dean Miracle has been associated with environmental activities at the Southern Company for 30 years, after graduating from Florida State University. His responsibilities include permitting and licensing activities, and development and management of the Company's environmental and occupational health programs to assure compliance. At present, Dean directs activities of the SC environmental management system (EMS), risk identification & mitigation process, and environmental management information systems (EMIS).

Session 14

Don Ritz is the Vice President, Safety and Health with Barrick Gold Corporation, a leading international gold company with among the largest market capitalizations in the industry. The company has operating mines and development projects in the United States, Peru, Tanzania, South Africa, Chile, Argentina, Australia, PNG, Pakistan, Russia and Canada. Mr. Ritz is an acknowledged leader in corporate loss mitigation and risk management through the creation and implementation of environment, health and safety policies and programs.

Session 15

Larry Deeney is the Manager of Global Environment for General Mills. Mr. Deeney provides strategic direction and oversight on environmental initiatives throughout General Mills' North America and International operations. In addition to his efforts to build a solid and vibrant environmental program within General Mills' manufacturing operations, Larry guides the company on other EHS matters, including environmental performance metrics, acquisitions and divestitures, and managing external stakeholders. Mr. Deeney has over 20 years of environmental experience.

Sarah Gibson is the global environmental programs manager at Dell Inc., supporting Dell's facilities and manufacturing operations. Among her many hats, she manages the global ISO 14001 programs, EHS procedure and policy development and environmental reporting, while consulting internally and assisting with environmental project and programs such as energy management and green building design. Prior to joining Dell in 2002, Sarah spent many years with Motorola's semiconductor operations in Phoenix, AZ and Austin, TX in various environmental, health and safety managerial and technical ladder roles.

Michael Hewett is the Manager of Environmental Services for Publix Super Markets. He has over seventeen years of experience in environmental management, including regulatory compliance and sustainability programs. Beginning his career with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Michael spent eight years developing rules and setting regulatory policy while partnering with the Federal EPA and various State and Local governments.

Session 17

Jeff Lineberger, PE, is Director of Hydro Strategy & Licensing for Duke Energy. Jeff leads license compliance and relicensing of Duke's 30 FERC-licensed hydropower stations in the Carolinas and Midwest, as well as water resource planning and drought management. Jeff has served as lead negotiator for Duke in successful relicensing settlement negotiations with large numbers of stakeholders. Jeff holds a BS in Civil Engineering from NC State and is a former US Navy submarine officer.

Session 18

Michael C. Hewitt is Vice President of the Global Workplace Safety Practice at DuPont Safety Resources. Since joining DuPont in 1974, Mike has developed strong expertise in safety excellence and is a recognized authority in the area of workplace, construction and contractor safety. He is known for driving a disciplined approach to safety and is constantly working to develop new tools to improve, standardize and facilitate the implementation of the DuPont safety process.

Mitch Jackson is Staff Director of FedEx Corporation's Environmental Affairs & Sustainability. In that capacity, he has responsibility for the sustainability and governance areas of these matters, providing strategic direction and management of environmental, energy management and sustainability issues. He has worked for FedEx in differing aspects of the Company, including Operations, Properties and Engineering, and the Legal Division. Mr. Jackson serves on Governor Phil Bredesen's Keep Tennessee Beautiful Advisory Council, and has also served on the Heinz Family Philanthropies' Heinz Awards environment jury for the past two years.

Session 19

Robert Brayley is the Executive Director of Environmental, Health & Safety and Disability Management for Textron Inc. Mr. Brayley has over 25 years of Environmental, Health and Safety experience in large manufacturing companies. He began his career as an environmental technician in a metals manufacturing facility and has since held numerous EHS management positions at all organizational levels. Bob joined Textron's corporate office in 1992 as Manager, Site Remediation. Currently hehas company-wide responsibility for environmental, health & safety, disability management and loss prevention.

Paul Narog is the Manager, EHS Operations – Environmental Operations for 3M. Mr. Narog has responsibility for 3M's Sustainability initiatives and environmental governance programs. This includes the management of 3M's sustainability strategy, compliance auditing, U.S. permitting and regulatory affairs, ISO 14001 implementation and environmental policies. Paul has served as the Six Sigma Master Black Belt for 3M's corporate EHS and Medical organizations, leading the integration of Six Sigma methodologies into EHS business processes. He is a member of NAEM, A&WMA, and is a Qualified Environmental Professional (QEP).

Session 21

Andrew Couch established the West Tennessee Clean Cities Coalition (WTCCC) in 2005 and serves as Executive Director. The WTCCC joins other Clean Cities in their efforts to promote alternative fuel use, improve air quality in non-attainment areas, increase national security by developing domestic fuel production and provide farmers and entrepreneurs an opportunity to play a significant role in the development of this new industry. In 2003, Andrew founded Deep Fried Rides, a renewable fuels company that promotes the use of Biodiesel and diesel fuel system retrofits and serves as Chief Executive Officer of the company.

Dave Pryblowski is the Sustainability Director for Mars Snackfood US. In this role, Dave coordinates efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, energy, water and packaging use through their supply chain. He has over 25 years experience in the confectionary industry in a variety of leadership roles including engineering, product development and raw material development. Dave has B.S. and M.S. degrees in Chemical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI).

Session 22

Anita Dawson is Director, EHS with Cadbury in the Americas. She came to Cadbury in 2003, serving in the Global EHS Group, with key roles in developing and monitoring policy, procedures and global programs including water sustainability and climate change. Her current responsibilities include managing environmental liabilities, corporate due diligence, and EHS program support for sustainability. Anita's EHS experience prior to Cadbury includes over 20 years in Pharmaceuticals and Specialty Chemicals including roles in EHS leadership, EHS Strategic Planning and Implementation, Manufacturing and Environmental Engineering.

Liz Muller has over 20 years of experience in the environmental field. As Gap Inc.'s Sr. Environmental Manager for over nine years, she was the primary authority on all aspects of the company's environmental strategy and programs. Her accomplishments range from conducting the company's first life cycle assessment and metrics system to implementing water quality and environmental procurement programs, launching organic cotton products and installing a solar array.

Jennifer Mattes joined Johnson Controls in 2007 as director, global public affairs, in the Diversity and Public Affairs Department. She leads the company's corporate social responsibility efforts. Jennifer manages sustainability reporting for the company, and directs the global employee volunteer program focusing on leadership development and environmental causes. She is also responsible for global philanthropy including the Conservation Leadership Corps program which engages diverse youth in conservation work in urban parks.

Richard Wizansky, Ed.D. is Senior Director for Institutional Advancement at SCA - The Student Conservation Association, the nation's oldest and largest provider of volunteers for the conservation of public lands. Formerly SCA's Director of Development, he now leads the organization's corporate sponsorship program. Wizansky holds a Doctorate in Educational Policy and Research from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, lectures extensively throughout New England, and regularly consults on development issues for nonprofits and at the Bayer Center for Nonprofit Management in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Session 23

Alex Pollock has been an influential leader in US and Canadian business operations providing strategic EH&S, Sustainability, Change Management Public Affairs and Community Relations expertise for over 32 years. He provided strong interpersonal leadership while delivering EH&S related improvements resulting in increased respect and reduced liability for a Fortune 50 Corporation. Alex has broad experience in merging organizations, strategic planning, organizational design, and navigating change. He has a passion for leadership development and has instructed, encouraged and challenged audiences at numerous professional conferences.

Session 24

Shannon E. Cunniff is the Director, Emerging Contaminants, Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Installations and Environment). Ms. Cunniff is the Department of Defense's point person for emerging contaminants. In this position Ms. Cunniff draws on her experience in water resources, environmental science, and technology to facilitate DoD's efforts to address mission sustainment issues involving emerging contaminants.