CEIA Annual Conference – Program Highlights
Kingston Plantation, Myrtle Beach, SC
September 18 – 20, 2024
Wednesday
Wednesday, 8:30am – 5pm in Oxford – Asbestos Supervisor Refresher - Denise Popeo, Crystal Coast Environmental
Denise Popeo, with over 30 years of experience in the environmental field, brings a wealth of knowledge to the Asbestos Supervisor Refresher Course. Starting her career in Philadelphia, Denise founded a women-owned consulting business in 1997, which she led for 14 years. Her expertise extends to her work at the EPA, where she served as Health & Safety Manager and Project Lead on key projects, including asbestos in soil and anthrax cleanup research. Currently, she is the Vice President of Crystal Coast Environmental, specializing in government and military projects, and has been an adjunct instructor at Greenville Technical College since 2018.
Additional registration, CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE ASBESTOS SUPERVISOR REFRESHER
Thursday Sessions in Kensington ABC, Embassy Suites
9:00am-9:15am Welcome & Introduction – Courtney Enderle, EI Group, CEIA President
Brent Kynoch, EIA Managing Director
9:15am-10:15am Keynote Presentation - Jameson Govoni, Managing Partner at UG Solutions, Founder of the Sentinel Foundation
Jameson Govoni, a former Green Beret, and successful entrepreneur, brings a wealth of experience from both the battlefield and the boardroom. In his keynote speech, Jameson will share his insights on becoming the kind of person everyone wants in the trenches—regardless of the situation. Drawing on his journey from combat missions to launching businesses, he’ll illustrate how a positive attitude, determination, and a sense of humor can open doors and create unexpected opportunities.
10:30am-11:15am FieldFlo Roundtable – Dan Szigeti, FieldFlo
Dan Szigeti is a visionary leader and environmental enthusiast with a profound background in environmental contracting and a relentless commitment to developing innovation solutions for the environmental remediation and demolition industry.
11:30am-12:15pm Federal and State Regulations and Compliance Based on Asbestos Located at Disposal Sites - Kyle Mertens, Waste Management South Atlantic
Kyle Mertens is a University of South Florida alumnus with BS in Environmental Science and Policy. He began his environmental career on the East Coast of Florida working for a local coastal engineering firm. He then relocated to California in 2016 to begin his solid waste career as an Environmental Manager with WM. In 2021, he transferred to NC/SC to be closer to family, where he is currently located in Charlotte and working with WM as the Environmental Manager for NC and SC.
12:15pm-1:45pm Lunch - Kensington G
1:45pm-2:30pm Combustible Dust – Definitions, Method Comparison, and Statistics – John S. Passero, EMSL
John Passero is part of the Materials Science Division at EMSL Analytical. John’s focus is business aspect of the department and technical discussion. John brings over 10 years experience working in the laboratory with combustible dust and other materials science tests.
2:45pm-3:30pm DEI – Courtney Enderle, EI Group
Courtney Enderle, CSP, brings over a decade of experience in the industrial hygiene and safety consulting industry. In her presentation, "Safety's New Era: Harnessing DEI from a Parasailing Misadventure," Courtney will explore how Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) principles can be integrated into safety practices, focusing on the psychological and physical aspects of workplace safety for a more inclusive and secure environment.
3:45pm-4:30pm Update on the current state of the CLPPP – ML Tanner, SC CLPPP SC Department of Public Health
M.L. Tanner holds a BS in biology from the University of the South and she has been an EPA certified Lead Risk Assessor since 1999. The first half of her career was spent in research at the University of Tennessee (UT) Medical School in Memphis and the UT College of Veterinary Medicine in Knoxville.
M.L. began her public health career in Halifax County, NC, and has worked in both the NC and SC Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Programs. She has been Program Manager for the SC CLPPP at DHEC, now the SC Department of Public Health, since 2022.
M.L. also serves as Regional Vice President for Region 7 (SE) with the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA).
Join us for the Karaoke Social Event Thursday Evening in Kensington G, included in your registration!
Friday Sessions in Kensington ABC, Embassy Suites
8:30am-9:15am OSHA Update – David Howell, SC OSHA Safety Standards Officer
David Howell is the Safety Standards Officer for the South Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Administration. In this role, he provides interpretations on OSHA standards for employers and employees and answers questions regarding compliance. David began service to the State of South Carolina in 2018, as an OSHA Safety Compliance Officer where he conducted safety inspections and accident investigations at various workplaces throughout the state. David arrived to South Carolina OSHA with a desire to help keep South Carolinians healthy and safe. Prior to working at South Carolina OSHA, he worked in public service for ten years at the Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office, and the Detroit Medical Center. David has an undergraduate degree from Wayne State University’s School of Mortuary Science. He was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan and is a happy transplant of South Carolina.
9:30am-10:15am NC ARPA Overview – Jeff Dellinger, N.C. Department of Health and Human Services
10:45am-11:15am SCDES Asbestos Update - Jennifer Boryk and Kenny Garcia, South Carolina Department of Environmental Services
Kenny Garcia is the Senior Inspector of the Asbestos Section and has been with the Department for 9 years. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Biology from the University of South Carolina and has experience in a variety of trades within the Construction industry. He has a passion for restoring century-old residential structures and Ribeye steaks.
Jennifer Boryk has been manager of the Bureau of Air Quality's Asbestos Section at SCDES for 4 years and with the program for almost 10. She holds a BS in Geology from College of Charleston introducing this former yankee from Maryland to the all beautiful places in South Carolina. Putting down SC roots after college, she worked for ArborGen Laboratory and the Forestry Service before finding a home as a regulator for DHEC.
In our presentation, we will share general updates as a new agency: the Department of Environmental Services. We will also be providing our regular regulatory asbestos update on the past year and our focus for next year.
11:30am-12:15pm Protecting Ourselves and Our Communities: Updates from the Department of Public Health (the agency formerly known as DHEC) - Michelle Myer, DNP; DPH's Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program
Dr. Michelle Myer is a nationally certified pediatric nurse practitioner with a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree focused on Public Health Leadership. She has worked for 39 years in Public Health, most of that time serving as a state-level nurse consultant, after working in pediatrics in city and county health departments. She is currently the Director of the SC Department of Public Health's Children's Health and Perinatal Services Section.
Dr. Myer’s expertise includes planning, developing, and assessing programs and outreach activities aimed at improving the health of populations and individuals. She currently serves as the Principal Investigator of South Carolina DPH’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, having worked in the childhood lead programs in SC and NC. She is passionate about applying epidemiology, evidence-based practice, abroad understanding of pediatrics, and experience with building teams to help further the goals of public health and environmental justice.
12:15pm Closing Statements, Giveaways – Courtney Enderle, CEIA President