2026 Speakers

Autumn Albright is an incoming HES&S Assurance, Personal Safety & Continuous Improvement Professional with Marathon Petroleum. She previously served as a Senior DOT Compliance Specialist supporting regulatory compliance programs across more than 3,750 miles of natural gas pipeline, 88 compressor stations, and approximately 40 gas processing facilities throughout Oklahoma and Texas. A native of Oklahoma, Autumn earned her degree in Homeland Security and Emergency Management and began her career in crisis management with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. She later spent more than a decade with Phillips 66 in emergency response and crisis management, serving on the Global Incident Management Assist Team and earning two Golden Shield Awards.

A Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) and Business Continuity Professional (BCP), Autumn's expertise includes regulatory compliance, audit readiness, operational resilience, emergency management, and continuous improvement. She is also a guest instructor for Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) and National Foam School programs.

Outside of work, Autumn enjoys running, traveling, and spending time outdoors. She is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Forensic Investigative Sciences with a specialization in fire, explosives, and firearms investigations.

Emily Anderson is an experienced emergency response and EHS professional with a strong background in crisis and emergency management within the oil and energy industry. She currently serves as a Specialist, Emergency Response at Phillips 66, where she coordinates and maintains regulatory response plans, supports crisis management and emergency response readiness, and plays key leadership roles during actual response incidents. Emily has more than two decades of experience developing and maintaining emergency response programs, leading training and exercises, and supporting small and large‑scale incident responses in both corporate and consulting roles. Her background spans onshore, offshore, and international regulatory environments, with deep expertise in preparedness, incident command systems, and operational readiness. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Emergency and Disaster Management from American Public University System.

Scott Andrews is an accomplished Emergency Management leader with over 20 years of experience across the energy and aviation sectors. He specializes in large-scale incident response, business continuity, and emergency preparedness, with a strong focus on regulatory compliance and stakeholder collaboration. Scott has held senior leadership roles supporting complex operations across North America and offshore environments, and has led response efforts during major incidents including large-scale wildfire events, hotel explosion, and aircraft incidents. Known for his practical, collaborative approach, he brings deep expertise in building resilient programs and leading teams in high-pressure environments.

Eugene Barlow is a seasoned crisis and emergency management professional with over three decades of experience in the military, public, and private sectors. His expertise spans the oil and gas industry, healthcare, government, and community services, with a proven track record in developing and implementing comprehensive response strategies for high-pressure scenarios. With his 21 years of faithful service to the United States Marine Corps, Eugene's extensive background has equipped him with the technical knowledge and leadership acumen to excel in pivotal roles where emergency preparedness and response are paramount. Eugene serves as a Crisis and Continuity Management/Emergency Response Advisor for bp Americas. In this capacity, he is instrumental in managing regional emergency preparedness and response across the Gulf of Mexico and Canada. Through collaboration with diverse stakeholders, Eugene aligns solutions with strategic objectives to strengthen bp's overall response resilience. Eugene holds an Executive Master's degree from Georgetown University and a Master's degree from Eastern Kentucky University, both in emergency management. With a deep understanding of what drives effective emergency response and prevention measures, Eugene leverages his expertise to make communities safer and more resilient. He remains dedicated to preparing organizations for, responding to, and recovering from crises of all kinds.

Angela brings 30+ years of experience in crisis and emergency management, including emergency preparedness, business continuity, disaster recovery, and executive crisis advisement. She spent nearly two decades at Chevron, where she served as Manager of Global Emergency Preparedness and Response and led the company’s global emergency response team. Angela holds a bachelor’s in Occupational Safety and Health from Columbia Southern University and multiple certifications in business continuity and organizational resilience. She also completed Harvard Kennedy School's Leadership in Crises Program in 2019.

Nicholas "Nick" Benson serves as Vice President of Clean Gulf Associates (CGA), bringing more than two decades of experience in emergency management, oil spill response, crisis management, and operational preparedness across the energy and maritime industries.

Throughout his career, Nick has held key leadership roles in some of the industry's most significant response operations, including the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and other major environmental and natural disaster incidents. His experience spans incident command, offshore and onshore emergency response, regulatory coordination, operational readiness, and the development of comprehensive crisis management and business continuity programs.

Prior to joining CGA, Nick served as Leader of Security, Crisis and Continuity Management for Equinor, where he was responsible for strengthening emergency preparedness, incident management capabilities, and organizational resilience across the company's U.S. operations. His work included supporting offshore exploration and production activities, renewable energy developments, and collaboration with federal, state, and industry response partners.

In his current role, Nick supports CGA's strategic direction, operational oversight, contractor performance, and long-term organizational development. He is particularly focused on advancing response capabilities through innovation, fleet modernization, workforce development, and strengthening partnerships between industry and government agencies.

A strong advocate for collaboration, continuous improvement, and operational excellence, Nick remains committed to ensuring the oil spill response industry is prepared to meet today's challenges while developing the capabilities and next generation of response professionals needed for the future.

Danene Birtell is a leader in oiled wildlife response and preparedness, with more than 25 years of experience and over 35 emergency wildlife responses. She has held key roles with Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research, Inc., the Oiled Wildlife Care Network at UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine and now serves as Preparedness Manager for International Bird Rescue. Her work focuses on strengthening training & preparedness, partnerships, and national and international response readiness.

Luiz Henrique de Oliveira Bispo is a Chemical Engineer with a Master’s and Ph.D. in Chemical and Biochemical Process Engineering from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). A Federal Public Servant, he was appointed in 2008 as a Specialist in Regulation at the National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP). He has held several leadership positions within the agency, including Head of the Oil and Natural Gas Production Measurement Inspection Division (2013–2017), Deputy Superintendent of Development and Production (2017–2018), Superintendent of Local Content (2018–2022), and Superintendent of Government Take (2022–2023). Since April 2023, he has served as Superintendent of Operational Safety.

Dr. Victoria Broje has over 25 years of experience in environmental science and emergency response. As a Principal Technical Expert for environmental and scientific aspects of emergency management at Shell, she supports global operations in spill response technologies, research and development, regulatory and public outreach, and environmental impact assessments. Dr. Broje actively contributes to the development of best practices in emergency response and environmental protection through industry associations such as API, ARPEL, IOGP, and IPIECA. She frequently advises academic research projects and collaborates with government agencies internationally to strengthen environmental regulations related to emergency response.

John K. Carroll III serves as Managing Director of Compliance Services at Witt O’Brien’s, where he leads the Compliance Group’s strategic growth, regulatory oversight, quality assurance, and national operations. He brings more than two decades of experience in multimedia environmental compliance, program management, training, and auditing across diverse industries. Mr. Carroll combines executive leadership with extensive technical expertise in OPA90 and the regulatory requirements administered by EPA, PHMSA, and USCG, along with a broad range of federal and state environmental programs. Through his leadership of compliance teams, client advisory work, and industry workshops, he helps organizations translate complex regulatory requirements into practical strategies, strengthen program accountability, and integrate compliance into daily operations.

Laura Carver is the Agency Oil Spill Response and NRDA Coordinator for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries (LDWF), where she has worked since February 2010 developing and implementing LDWF’s statewide oil spill response program. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Quality from the University of Louisiana and has more than 16 years of experience in oil spill response, oiled wildlife assessment and response, and natural resource damage assessment. Laura has extensive experience responding to oil spills involving a wide range of petroleum products, including South Louisiana Sweet crude, sour crude, bunker crude, mineral oil, slop oil, Argentinian crude, diesel, condensate, and other petroleum products. Her field experience includes wildlife assessment, systematic wildlife surveys, field triage, wildlife rescue, carcass and evidence collection, and development of incident-specific wildlife response strategies. She has developed specialized field triage approaches based on the type of petroleum product and degree of wildlife exposure. Laura has played a central role in developing Louisiana’s wildlife response planning and preparedness, including Area Contingency Plans, Regional Response Plans, Geographic Response Strategies, and the Louisiana Oiled Wildlife Response Plan and Field Guide. Her work brings together state and federal agencies, responsible parties, oil spill response organizations, and other stakeholders to develop practical strategies for protecting wildlife and sensitive habitats during oil spill emergencies.

Mr. Challenger is a marine ecologist and President of Polaris Applied Sciences, Inc. He has over 35 years of experience in environmental regulation, marine resource management, habitat restoration and creation, oil spill response and natural resource damage assessment. He provides technical support throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico, Mexico, the Indo-Pacific, and the Caribbean Sea for oil spill and coral reef grounding response, third party claims, fisheries closures, and natural resource damage assessments. Mr. Challenger has also participated in the design and construction of many habitat restoration and creation projects in a wide variety of aquatic and wetland sites such as coral reef, seagrass, estuarine, and freshwater systems.

Ray brings more than 35 years of experience in the energy and environmental consulting space, supporting major industrial and energy organizations. His expertise includes carbon capture and sequestration, site characterization and remediation, corporate environmental program development, capital project permitting, facility compliance and legislative and regulatory strategy.

Samuel Cheek is a Federal On-Scene Coordinator (FOSC) with the United States Environmental Protection Agency in Dallas, Texas. Mr. Cheek contributes to multiple national workgroups including the Emergency Response Health and Safety, National Biological Preparedness, National Radiation Preparedness and the Lithium-Ion Battery Emergency Response Taskforce. Mr. Cheek served as Branch Director during for Lithium-Ion Battery Recovery during the 2025 Los Angeles Wildfires.

David Coatney serves as the Director of the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service. He joined TEEX in 2019 after stints as Fire Chief for the Dallas Fire-Rescue Department and as Fire Chief of the Round Rock Fire Department.

He also served as Assistant Fire Chief at the San Antonio Fire Department, where he held several positions of progressive leadership over 25 years, including Chief of Fire Operations, Emergency Management Coordinator and Homeland Security Director and Chief of Training. In addition, he has previous experience in Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and law enforcement.

David is the current chair of the State of Texas Governor’s First Responder Council and also serves on the Texas Division of Emergency Management Executive Advisory Committee and the FEMA Region 6 Advisory Council. He is a member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, International Association of Emergency Managers and the National Society of Executive Fire Officers. In 2017, he received the Leadership Award from the Texas Division of Emergency Management, and in 2014, he was named Fire Officer of the Year by the Round Rock Fire Department.

A sought-after speaker on team-building and leadership topics, he has published and presented on Transparency in Leadership and Managing Generational Differences in the Workplace. He was a keynote speaker at the 2017 National Homeland Security Conference, discussing the “July 7th Dallas Police Shooting.”

Senior test engineer with Applied Research Associates, supporting large‑scale oil spill response research at the Ohmsett facility. He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh and specializes in the design, execution, and evaluation of full‑scale test programs including response technologies, remote and autonomous systems, and hydrodynamic performance.

Agneta Dahl is the founder and president of Paratus LLC and an advisor to clients in the energy, maritime, and rail industries. A retired U.S. Coast Guard Commander and FEMA-certified Master Exercise Practitioner, Agneta brings practical leadership and firsthand response experience to complex operational and regulatory challenges. Drawing on more than 35 years of global experience, she helps clients strengthen operational safety and prepare for environmental and other highconsequence incidents. Her work includes developing and auditing Safety Management Systems and building effective response capabilities through contingency planning, ICS training, and the development and facilitation of realistic response exercises.

Shaun has been with SET Environmental since 2006, first working in the field as a hazmat technician and ultimately moving into a management role, where he has served as lead responder on emergency responses, disaster response, and planned removal actions. Shaun manages Emergency Response Services for SET Environmental’s 23 locations and leads SET’s Major Projects response team. His response experience spans pipeline releases, transportation and disposal projects, and natural disaster response.

Anya Douglas is an HSE Specialist and Emergency Response leader with Chevron, based in Minot, North Dakota, bringing over a decade of experience advancing emergency management and public safety across government and industry.

She specializes in incident management, emergency preparedness, and cross-functional coordination, with a proven track record leading Incident Management Teams, strengthening organizational response capabilities, and driving integrated planning across complex, multi-stakeholder environments. Her work has supported improved operational readiness and more effective, coordinated response outcomes.

Anya holds a bachelor’s degree in Homeland Security with a focus in Emergency Management and an MBA, reinforcing her leadership and program development expertise. She currently serves as Chair of the SASR Co-op, where she helps shape strategic direction, enhance regional response capabilities, and foster industry collaboration to strengthen collective readiness.

Mr. Dubach has over 20 years of experience in Emergency Management in a wide range of roles. Starting his career in the Coast Guard, he has enjoyed positions within professional incident management organizations, subsea containment cooperatives, and oil & gas corporations. Through his career, he has participated in various industry efforts such as trade association committees as well as served as a Board Director for various oil spill response cooperatives. He’s responded to numerous events such as the Selandang Ayu and Cosco Busan oil spills, country evacuations, and natural disasters. Mr. Dubach has also participated in the design, facilitation, and execution of a variety of exercises for oil & gas operators, government agencies, and shipping companies. Mr. Dubach’s focus has always been to use a systems-based approach to developing sustainable crisis management, business continuity, and emergency preparedness & response programs within an organization.

Mr. Dubach holds a BA in Emergency & Disaster Management, an MS in Environmental Policy & Management, and an MBA specializing in Organizational leadership. He is currently enrolled at Oklahoma State University pursuing his PhD in Fire and Emergency Management.

Jim Elliott is a Past President of the American Salvage Association and the former Chief Operating Officer of the T&T Group of Companies where he managed worldwide marine salvage, firefighting, heavy lift, commercial diving, and emergency response operations. A retired senior Coast Guard Officer, Jim has over four decades of leadership experience in maritime operations and has served as an Incident Commander, Federal On-Scene Coordinator, Captain of the Port, Salvage Master, Commercial Diver and Project Manager on salvage and oil spill response operations from the Equator to the Arctic. He maintains multiple professional certifications, including Certified Emergency Manager (CEM), Certified Safety Professional (CSP), and Certified Environmental Professional (CEP), and has consulted on marine casualty and emergency response operations worldwide. Today, Jim serves as a senior member of the Emergency Management Services International team and manages his own emergency management consulting company. Jim holds a Bachelor of Science in Environment Management with distinction, a Master of Environmental Policy with honors, Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies with highest distinction from the U.S. Naval War College and a Master of Business Administration. Additionally, he has earned over 75 Federal, State and industry awards and medals, including the U.S. Coast Guard’s prestigious Inspirational Leadership Award and, in 2020, induction into the Commercial Diving Hall of Fame.

Mohamed Elsheref is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Analytical Science for Environmental Toxicology Laboratory at the University of Alaska Anchorage. He holds a Ph.D. in Analytical and Environmental Chemistry and a master’s degree in computer science from Louisiana State University, New Orleans. His research combines analytical chemistry and environmental toxicology to investigate environmental contaminants, their transformations, and biological effects in marine systems

Barry Forsythe is the National Spill Response Coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a position he has held since 2014. Barry is responsible for spill response policy and guidance and ensuring Service responders have access to needed training. Since starting with the Service in 2000, he has also served as a liaison to EPA Region 6’s Superfund Division providing technical support for ecological risk assessments. Barry began his spill response journey in Plaquemines Parish following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. He’s served multiple roles in the Wildlife Branch for many major spills nationwide, highlighted by multiple tours as the Deputy Wildlife Branch Director for the Deepwater Horizon response. Barry represents the Service on many interagency workgroups and committees, including the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Oil Pollution Research (ICCOPR). Barry earned his BS in biology with a chemistry minor from Southeast Missouri State University and his MS and PhD in Environmental Toxicology from Clemson University. His research primary focus was the aquatic toxicity of various metals and the impacts of non-point source pollution on water quality.

Ms. Franks has over 30 years of professional experience in environmental regulatory compliance and emergency response planning, training, and exercises. She has designed and executed many large (300+ persons) and smaller focused emergency response exercises for both facilities and vessels. Each project is designed to the specific needs of the client including the training courses in various aspects of emergency response including the Incident Command System. She is experienced in training different audiences from facility operators to emergency responders and company executives. Ms. Franks has developed a multitude of response plans for petroleum industry clients, including terminals, tank farms, pipelines, and tank/non-tank vessels under all federal and state regulations. Founded NJ Resources in 1994 and fostered it to be a recognized expert in emergency response preparedness in the petroleum industry.

Ian Frazier is the Managing Director of the Colorado Preparedness & Response Network (CPRN), responsible for the day-to-day operations and overseeing strategic initiatives for the 501(c)(4) non-profit organization. As Managing Director, Ian is focused on enhancing Colorado’s preparedness landscape by fostering meaningful collaboration between industry partners, emergency managers, and first responders. Ian is committed to advancing CPRN’s mission through expanding access to practical, scenario-based training opportunities, strengthening stakeholder engagement, and enhancing regional planning efforts across the Denver-Julesburg (DJ) Basin. He believes that effective preparedness starts long before an incident occurs- and that the strongest systems are built through trust, communication, and a common purpose. A Colorado native, avid adventurer, and lifelong learner, Ian brings over a decade of experience as a Firefighter/EMT, Hazardous-Materials Technician, and public safety professional. He holds a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Emergency Services Administration and an Associate of Applied Science degree in Fire Science Technology. His background includes leading preparedness and training initiatives at the local, state, and international levels- most notably managing multi-agency response operations in Antarctica, where he coordinated joint exercises with United States and New Zealand forces in one of the world’s most austere and resource-limited environments. These experiences reinforced his commitment to Unified Command and cross-sector cooperation.

I oversee the safe development and operation of pipeline related activities on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation, which lies in the heart of the Bakken oil field. By developing our own standards we have significantly reduced pipeline release volumes and established one, if not the best, pipeline programs in the Nation.

My background includes over 40 years of Operational and Emergency Response experience. Both as a Hazardous Materials Instructor and as an Operations Technician, my views are to prepare for the unexpected and being proactive.

CGA is one of the largest oil spill cooperatives in the Nation. James is a retired veteran of 24 years with the United States Coast Guard. His most recent Coast Guard assignments included Chief of Response and Chief, Incident Management at the Eighth Coast Guard District. During the Deep Water Horizon oil spill, he served as the Federal On-Scene Coordinator, Deputy Area Commander for Pollution Response and the Incident and Deputy Incident Commander for the Incident Command Post in Houma, LA. While at 8th District, James also served as Operations Officer on the National Strike Force Gulf Strike Team and as Deputy Commander of the National Strike Force. He has also served as the Coast Guard’s Incident Management Team, the USCG’s representative to the Interagency Board (IAB) and was the Co-Chair for the Regional Response Teams for Federal Regions VI, VII and VIII.

Sarah Hassanally is a graduate of York University’s Master of Disaster and Emergency Management program with 18 years of experience in emergency management including response, plan preparation, recovery, and interested party engagement. Combining planning and response experience with coaching development and adult education. Sarah works with the Emergency Management Group at GHD facilitating training courses and exercises throughout North America. Sarah is an ICS Canada Instructor and leads the GHD Incident Management Team service offering supporting client Incident Management Team staffing at incidents.

Michael Hernandez is the Science, Technology, and Stakeholder Engagement Officer for OSRL Americas, supporting preparedness, response, and stakeholder engagement across the region. He works closely with industry, government agencies, and regional organizations to strengthen oil spill response capabilities through training, exercises, technical forums, and collaborative initiatives. Michael has supported responses and preparedness assessments across the Caribbean, South America, and beyond, and has extensive experience developing partnerships that enhance regional resilience and emergency response readiness.

Brad Hubbard serves as the Emergency Response Manager for Shell USA in the Gulf of America. In this role, Brad is a strategic program leader for emergency preparedness, response, recovery, and security for offshore operations. Hubbard has enterprise-level experience across a broad range of multi-national energy sector operations, including onshore and offshore exploration/production, refining, pipelines, terminals, shipping/maritime, and renewable energy. Hubbard is a demonstrated incident management leader, with global response experience across Shell operations.

Prior to joining Shell, Brad worked in the municipal Fire/EMS service as a Lieutenant/Firefighter & EMT; and has maintained his Emergency Medical Technician status since 2002. Hubbard worked as a dispatcher for a county based, multi-agency, 911 dispatch/communications center. Additionally, he worked for the Institute for Rural Emergency Management (IREM) providing emergency management consultancy for the public & private sectors. Brad earned a B.S. in Crisis and Disaster Management & an M.S. in Occupational Safety Management; both from the University of Central Missouri. He is also an alumnus of the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative (NPLI), a program at Harvard University.

Since 2021, Chris has led Witt O’Brien’s international all-hazards incident management team and has over 33 years of experience in environmental response and disaster recovery. His 30 years of US Coast Guard service in the Marine Safety and Response community, included responses to national level disasters, spills of national significance, and international exercises and has prepared him to integrate into response leadership on site.

Since joining Witt O’Brien’s, Chris successfully represented vessel owners in the Unified Command as the Incident Commander for the successful refloating of the grounded container ship EVER FORWARD and as the Incident Commander for the Francis Scott Key Response in Baltimore.

Jane Kepler serves as EPA’s program lead for the Office of Superfund and Emergency Management’s joint inland pollution contingency plans with Mexico and Canada. These binational programs include the Emergency Response and Preparedness Goal within the EPA’s Mexico-US Border Program and the Canada – US Joint Inland Pollution Contingency Plan workgroup. For both programs, Jane collaborates with EPA regions, Mexican and Canadian federal agencies, and state and local partners on preparedness and response activities. Jane also serves as the workgroup lead for the EPA’s Inland Regional and Area Contingency Planning Workgroup which aims to coordinate response efforts and improve preparedness across EPA regions and within the National Response Team (NRT). Jane also serves as the EPA National Incident Coordination Team Coordinator, as well as Co-lead for the EPA’s Critical Incident Stress Management Team.

Prior to the EPA, Jane spent a decade working as a wildlife biologist in coastal North Carolina. She earned her bachelor’s in Conservation Biology from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and her master’s in environmental management from the University of North Carolina, Wilmington. Jane lives in Maryland with her husband, one year old daughter, and rescue mutt.

Carlton is a crisis management and emergency response leader with more than 30 years of experience across the energy sector. He began his career as a firefighter and Navy service member supporting crash-rescue operations, then led fire and emergency response initiatives in Nigeria with ExxonMobil. During his nearly 20 years at bp, Carlton served in several leadership roles, most recently as Crisis & Continuity Management Senior Manager for the Gulf of America and Canada Region, overseeing crisis response and continuity programs. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Health, Safety, and Environmental from Columbia Southern University.

Cíntia Levita is a biologist with a master's degree in Ecology and Biomonitoring. She has worked in the area of ​​Federal Environmental Licensing for 18 years, having worked on various types of projects at IBAMA, the Environmental Agency of Brazilian Government. She is currently an environmental analyst in the emergency and risk area of ​​the Oil and Gas Exploration Licensing Coordination at IBAMA, responsible for analyzing and approving emergency plans, as well as planning and evaluating simulations and pre-operational exercises for offshore oil and gas projects.

Clint Linder is an Emergency Response Coordinator for Shell Pipeline Company. He has been with Shell for 14 years and is a NFPA Certified Fire Protection Specialist, Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service Industrial Emergency Response Specialist, Certified Occupational Safety Specialist and a 33 CFR 105 Facility Security Officer. He has served on the Clean Events Planning Committee since 2021.

Patricia Maggi graduated in chemical engineering, and holds a Master’s degree  in Environmental and Safety Engineering and a MBA in Environmental Management. She is a senior specialist in oil spill response plans and environmental risk analysis. She's been working as an environmental analyst at IBAMA (Brazilian Federal Environmental Agency) since 2004 and has been dealing with the environmental control of the offshore E&P industry for over 20 years. She is the head of the Oil and Gas Offshore Production Coordination in IBAMA.

Charles Maguire joined the Oil and Gas Division of the Railroad Commission of Texas in 2024, where he serves as a project manager in the Technical Permitting program. He also consults for the Oklahoma Secretary of Energy and Environment.

Maguire came to the Railroad Commission from EPA Region 6, where he served as Water Division Director for more than five years. Prior to that, he held two director-level roles at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality — Director of the Radioactive Materials Division (2012–2018) and Director of the Water Quality Division (2009–2012). Earlier in his career, he served as Assistant Director for Economics and Policy Analysis at the Texas Institute for Applied Environmental Research, and as President and CEO of a small agricultural business.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering and an MBA in Finance, both from Texas A&M University.

Mr. Malizzi has over 30 years of experience in disaster response, insurance loss control, litigation support, spill planning, drills, and response, Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA), endangered species, and habitat restoration. Recently, he was the EUL for a train derailment in CA and involved in several confidential NRDAs. Recent projects include roles on Hurricanes Beryl, Idalia, Ida, Ian, and Nicole responses and the Bayport Channel Collision and other vessel matters. He was a SCAT Team Lead on the Dublin Express and B235 responses and he managed the staff on the ITC Fire response, St. Simon Sound Incident response, the TPC Explosion response, and the Hurricane’s Florence, Michael, Irma, and Harvey responses, as well as, numerous small events. Previously, he was involved on the Bay Long response in Grand Isle, LA, the Avian Influenza response in Iowa, and was a SCAT Team Lead on the Bayonne 2015 spill response in Bayonne, NJ. Mr. Malizzi also managed staff on the Exxon Mayflower, Hurricane Isaac, Superstorm Sandy, Boston 30, and Texas City “Y” responses. He served as the Program Manager for the Natural Resource Advisor Program, among other tasks, in support of the MC252 Deepwater Horizon Response (BP Spill) in the Gulf of Mexico. Mr. Malizzi is on the Board for the Spill Control Association of America and was and is on the Planning Committees for the International Oil Spill Conference 2024 and 2027. He has spoken extensively on spill planning, NRDA, and response and other environmental topics in both the U.S., Canada, Middle East, and the EU.

Robert May has 34-years of experience in the environmental industry and has progressively served in various positions throughout his career. Robert has planned, executed, and supervised environmental investigations and remedial cleanup projects ranging from petroleum storage tank projects to CERCLA Superfund sites to emergency responses. Robert is a licensed geologist in Virginia and North Carolina and is a current as well as past board member of the Spill Control Association of America. He currently serves with Clean Harbors Environmental Services as a VP in NBL Field Services for Branch Operations.

Elizabeth helps organizations navigate the rapidly evolving methane and GHG landscape by aligning regulatory, voluntary, and commercial drivers with practical, results-oriented strategies. With over thirteen years of experience in air quality consulting, she leads cross-disciplinary initiatives in methane quantification, mitigation, and strategy, including global OGMP 2.0 efforts and measurement pilot programs aligned with evolving regulatory requirements. She also contributes to the IOGP working group developing the methane quantification ISO standard supporting the EU Methane Regulation, and delivers training on methane management and emerging regulatory requirements. She holds a B.S. and an M.A. in Chemistry from The University of South Dakota and The University of Texas at Austin, respectively.

Joanne is an Emergency Management Officer with the Canada Energy Regulator (CER). She has more than 30 years of experience in oil spill preparedness and response across the shipping, pipeline, and offshore exploration and production sectors. In her current regulatory role, she provides compliance oversight of CER-regulated oil and gas companies, responds to incidents, and supports the review of new energy infrastructure projects. Joanne is passionate about fostering collaboration among government agencies, industry partners, rightsholders, and stakeholders. She has participated in and led the design of numerous international emergency response exercises, both in support of the Agreement on Cooperation on Marine Oil Pollution Preparedness and Response in the Arctic and of the Canada-United States Joint Marine Pollution Contingency Plan.

Rhonda Murgatroyd is the Owner and Managing Director of Wildlife Response Services, LLC, serving the Houston/Galveston and inland regions of the US. With more than 20 years of experience in wildlife rehabilitation and oiled wildlife response, she has participated in over 120 wildlife incidents of varying scope and complexity since 2007. She works closely with wildlife rehabilitation organizations, veterinarians, industry partners, and government agencies throughout the Gulf Coast and inland regions.

Throughout her career, Ms. Murgatroyd has served in virtually every leadership and operational role within wildlife emergency response, from Wildlife Rehabilitation Center Manager to Wildlife Section Chief and Wildlife Branch Director on large-scale incidents. She also provides expert consultation to industry and private organizations on site-specific wildlife contingency planning, facility response plans, and emergency preparedness.

The Deepwater Horizon response was a defining milestone in Ms. Murgatroyd's career. From April 2010 through August 2011, she served in the key wildlife leadership role of Wildlife Branch Director, leading Wildlife Response Services through one of the largest and most complex wildlife response operations ever undertaken. During this period, she and the WRS team developed extensive operational expertise, strengthened a premier network of wildlife response professionals, and established capabilities that enable rapid, effective response to wildlife incidents of any size or complexity.

Today, Ms. Murgatroyd and the Wildlife Response Services team continue to provide highly experienced wildlife response leadership, technical expertise, and preparedness planning, ensuring clients have access to a premier network of professionals capable of responding effectively to any wildlife emergency.

Christopher Myers is a Federal On-Scene Coordinator (FOSC) with the United States Environmental Protection Agency in Los Angeles, California. Christopher is a contributor to multiple national workgroups including the Emergency Response Technical Group, National Biological Preparedness Workgroup, Chemical Warfare Agent Preparedness Workgroup and holds the position of Co-Coordinator of the USEPA’s National Lithium-Ion Battery Emergency Response Taskforce. Mr. Myers served as Incident Commander during the 2023 Maui Wildfires and Lithium-Ion Battery Technical Specialist/OPS Lead during the 2025 Los Angeles Wildfires.

Brian E. Nelson, P.E. brings 30 years of leadership and engineering experience delivering complex infrastructure, aerospace, utility, environmental, transportation, federal facilities, as well as emergency response in manmade and natural disasters. A proven leader managing complex and large operations for the Department of Defense and has been consistently recognized for strategic leadership consistently resolving catastrophic natural disasters while providing continuity of operations. Brian is currently a program manager with Burns & McDonnell and has held Senior Executive leaderships roles for the Department of Army including Army Mega-Program Manager, Installation Senior Engineer, Director of the Directorate of Public Works, Deputy DPW/Business Operations, DPW Operations & Maintenance Division Chief, DPW Planning Division Chief, Installation Master Planner, and Chief of Engineers.

Dr. Ed Owens has over 50 years of experience in marine and inland oil spill response and training worldwide, and was the Technical Advisor to Exxon USA for the Shoreline Response to the T/V Exxon Valdez, during which he developed the Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique (SCAT) concept, and for BP’s shoreline response to the Deepwater Horizon incident. Ed has worked on spill-related inland, river and coastal projects throughout the world and has conducted oil spill related missions for the UN, the IMO, GI-WACAF, the World Bank, EBRD, and was a member of the U.S. National Academy of Science Oil Spill R&D Committee. He has provided oil spill planning and preparedness training worldwide and has authored more than 300 publications on oil spill related topics.

Tony Palagyi has worked as an NRDA practitioner and expert for over 30 years. As an environmental manager for Texaco and Shell Oil companies he also filled the role of NRDA lead for local, regional and national spill teams. He was a member of the West Coast Joint Assessment Team (JAT) for NRDA, a workgroup of industry and trustee agency team members tasked with developing processes and assessment techniques for over 14 years. Tony has participated in numerous exercises and spill events through the US and internationally. He was the Technical Working Group (TWG) lead for Marine Mammals and Sea Turtles following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Tony spent five years with a team of seven scientists developing injury assessment plans, supervising field studies, scope of work negotiations, injury scaling and developing restoration options for those resources as well as assisting other groups studying fish, birds and invertebrates. He has written numerous Ephemeral Data Collection Plans (EDCPs) for near-water facilities with potential for NRDA responses. He has presented on many NRDA topics and conducted workshops and drills for several major oil companies. Tony has been with CTEH for over a year and has worked closely with the environmental and economics team.

Heather Parker is an Environmental Scientist with over 20 years experience in the Marine Science field. She holds an MSc in Physical Oceanography, and a BSc in Ecology. Ms Parker, at USCG 13th District Seattle, serves as RRT10 and CANUSPAC JRT Coordinator. She worked for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for 15 years, including 6 as a NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator. She was a Senior Scientist consultant for 4 years for many state and federal agencies as well as a host of industry clients around the world. She has responded to oil spills and disasters for almost 20 years. Experiences range from technical expert, Environmental Unit leader and Critical Resources Unit Leader for incidents including Deepwater Horizon, Prestige, Cosco Busan, Selendang Ayu, New Carissa and Cape Mohican. To promote and enhance spill readiness, she regularly leads groups of Federal, state, local and tribal government representatives along with industry, OSROs and contractors to consensus during planning and preparedness activities including selection of dispersant pre-authorization zones, development of targeted training courses, community outreach efforts, contingency planning as well as exercise development, participation and after action improvements. She is currently project lead for the US Coast Guard on the IMO development of International Offers of Assistance Guidelines.

Bob is Managing Director at Witt O'Brien's and has managerial responsibility over Response Operations and Consulting work for Witt O'Brien's 200+ energy client’s activities across upstream, midstream, downstream, both domestic and international operations. Bob has 35 years' experience in risk management and operations best practices for the Oil & Gas, manufacturing, and financial industries. His experience involves Incident Management, Crisis Management and Emergency Response. During his tenure at Witt O’Brien's, Bob has participated in hundreds of incidents and consulting projects for private sector as well as public sector clients. Bob is on the Planning Committee for Clean Gulf and other industry conferences and has presented at energy industry investor conferences and Baylor University. Bob has a BS in Business from Bryant University, and an MBA in Business from The University of Georgia.

Stephen Pepper is a Senior Consultant of Innovative Services with more than 15 years of experience in health and safety management in the oil and natural gas industry. He has a solid understanding of federal, state, and local regulations, and is a compliance expert. He has expertise in fire protection, contingency planning, emergency planning, and project management budgets ranging from $100 million to $4 billion. He has demonstrated experience in identifying, building, developing, and motivating teams to efficiently deliver impactful safety products and processes to businesses. Areas of expertise include strategic planning, cost controls, disaster planning/recovery, process improvement, project management, field engineering, site inspections, resource allocations, profit optimization, risk management, audit protocol development, and crisis advising.

Based out of Houston, TX Ms. Purcell is the CMER Lower 48 Director for ConocoPhillips. Her focus is on their Lower 48 business unit emergency response activities, management of the local IMT’s, and oversight of their exercise and training program. Ms. Purcell graduated from West Texas A&M with a BAAS in Emergency Management, she has obtained her CEM, is a licensed drone pilot and she is also credentialed through FEMA as a Master Exercise Practitioner.

Johnny Raisinger is the Emergency Management Specialist Lead for the Oil Spill Exercise Branch. He is responsible for developing, conducting, and evaluating a variety of preparedness and readiness exercises and leading PHMSA's participation in the Onshore Oil Pipeline Response Plan Program (OOPRPP) exercises, and security exercises. In addition, Johnny is a team leader for Evaluating Operator - Sponsored Oil Spill Response Plan Exercises, and developing and implementing oil spill, national level, and continuity exercises for PHMSA preparedness activities and PHMSA readiness activities.

Mr. Raisinger also serves in the USCG Reserves going on 25 years with extensive knowledge in navigation and navigable waterways (33CFR), protection of the environment (40CFR), shipping (46CFR), and transportation (49CFR).

Adriano Ranieri has 18 years of professional experience in the oil and gas sector. Adriano Ranieri has worked in emergency management and crisis, petroleum engineering, environmental and safety aspects of the E & P industry, risk assessment, Brazilian regulatory aspects, waste management, environmental education, social communication and operational safety protocols. In 2011, Adriano Ranieri was invited to assist the formation process of the joint venture of the company O\'Brien\'s do Brasil, where he remains until the current date as Operational Director. At Witt O\'Brien\'s he planned, designed, coordinated and conducted training and simulated emergencies, reactive and proactive and crisis. He has acted and worked in several real events of emergencies and crises, including the biggest accidental events in Brazil. Specialist in the use of the Incident Command System (ICS) as an emergency management and crisis management tool, having specialized in the MIT course in Cambridge in 2017, assisted in the creation and implementation of emergency management culture and crisis in several Oil and Gas companies. Since 2015, Adriano has been leading the Witt O\'Brien\'s team in the Petrobras Project for the implementation of ICS for the entire Upstream area, which involves dozens of training and exercises for hundreds of employees. In response to emergencies, Adriano has previously served as Planning Chief, Chief Operating Officer, Deputy Incident Commander and non-specific Advisor.

Mike Rockel is a finance and economics professional with more than ten years of experience in environmental economics consulting, management, and financial services. He is currently project manager for a variety of conservation easement, NRDA, and other habitat valuation work spanning the globe. His fields of expertise include Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA); Discounted Cash Flow Analysis; Return on Investment Analysis; Benefit-Cost Analysis; Benefit Transfer Analysis; Habitat Equivalency Analysis (HEA); Net Environmental Benefit Analysis (NEBA); Project Management, Strategy, and Planning; EPA BEN Model; USEPA EIO-LCA Clear Air Act Model; and Economic Databases such as TEEB, GecoServ and EVRI.

Captain Nicole Rodriguez assumed command of MSU Lake Charles in June 2021 where she serves as Field Commander representing MSU Port Arthur in execution of Captain of the Port, Officer in Charge of Marine Inspection, Federal On-Scene Coordinator, and Federal Maritime Security Coordinator authorities. Captain Rodriguez oversees maritime operations over an 8,400 square mile area of responsibility in Southwest Louisiana including Cameron Parish Port, Harbor & Terminal District, West Calcasieu Port, and the Port of the Lake Charles, the 11th busiest tonnage port in the nation.

Prior to assuming command of Marine Safety Unit Lake Charles, Captain Rodriguez served as Chief of Prevention for Sector Houston-Galveston where she oversaw foreign and domestic vessel compliance, port facility safety and security, ports and waterways management, aids to navigation, and marine causality investigations for the largest petro-chemical port in the United States.

Other tours include: Commanding Officer of Marine Safety Unit Baton Rouge; Chief of Inspections and Investigations for the Eighth Coast Guard District headquartered in New Orleans; Program Reviewer for the Coast Guard’s Human Resources directorate, the Offices of Shore and Boat Forces, and Search and Rescue Directorate while assigned to the Office of Budget and Programs at Coast Guard Headquarters; Chief of the Investigations Division for Sector Baltimore; and, as a marine inspector and port operations officer for Group/Marine Safety Office Los Angeles-Long Beach.

Captain Rodriguez is a prior recipient of the Congressman James Sener Award for Excellence in Marine Investigations and is certified as a Maritime Port Executive. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from James Madison University and a Masters in Public Administration from The George Washington University.

Doug Salik joined the Alaska Chadux̂ Network as Preparedness & Compliance Manager in 2026, where he oversees member relations, preparedness, and compliance programs. A retired U.S. Coast Guard Commander with nearly 25 years of service, Doug brings extensive leadership experience in Alaska and the maritime industry. His final Coast Guard assignment was overseeing marine inspections and investigations throughout the Alaska region. During his career, he also served as a Senior Marine Inspector, Marine Casualty Investigator, and Waterways Manager, balancing the needs of maritime commerce, environmental protection, and public safety. Doug has additional Alaska experience through his service with Congressman Don Young and the Alaska State Legislature. He also led and supported complex incident response and preparedness efforts, including serving as Operations Section Chief during major natural disasters in southern Louisiana, where he helped restore critical waterways and prevention missions. Doug earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Alaska Anchorage and a Master of Public Administration from Liberty University.

Alex Simpson is a project manager and technical lead at Arcadis with extensive experience in remediation, site characterization, and incident response.

Gordon Staples is a Senior Radar Applications Scientist and Project Manager with MDA Space. In this role he is a technical director for development of radar applications, manages projects, delivers radar training, and provides scientific expertise for business development. He has extensive experience in radar polarimetry and the development of maritime and terrestrial radar applications. He holds a M.Sc. in ocean physics and a B.Sc. in honours physics and oceanography from the University of British Columbia

Mark "Steady" Steadman is a highly respected leader with more than 25 years of expertise in battery recycling, hazardous and solid waste management, and commodities recycling. His extensive career spans business development, sales, marketing, and operational support, making him a trusted advisor in the industry. Recognized for his ability to forge meaningful, long-term relationships, Mark provides invaluable insights and solutions to customers navigating the complex logistical challenges in battery recycling. From the C-suite to the production floor, he delivers strategic guidance on collection and transportation, end-site recycling, and sustainability initiatives—helping businesses optimize efficiency while driving environmental responsibility. Beyond his professional achievements, Mark is deeply committed to his community. A proud advocate for Detroit, he actively mentors and leads various outreach programs, dedicating his time to fostering growth and positive change.

Shannon Straube serves as General Manager, Planning & Corporate Affairs at Marine Well Containment Company (MWCC), where she leads commercial activities, external affairs, project management of key business workstreams, and budget development, and also serves as Planning Section Leader for MWCC’s Response Team. She joined MWCC in 2012 after working in Capgemini Consulting’s Strategy and Transformation practice, advising energy, financial, and manufacturing clients on planning and operations in changing business environments. Shannon began her career in the Alaska State Legislature, supporting Senate leadership and managing operating budgets, legislative analysis, and trade initiatives in coordination with Alaska’s Congressional delegation. She holds an MBA from Vanderbilt University, a Bachelor of Business from the University of Alaska, and professional certifications in Strategic Decision and Risk Management from Stanford University and Project Management Professional (PMP).

KC Sullivan is the Senior Crisis & Emergency Management Advisor with the Woodside Security & Emergency Management Team. She has a master’s degree in Environmental Science and brings over 24 years of oil spill response and emergency management experience. She started in spill response as a Response Officer with the Texas General Land Office. She then moved to O’Brien’s as a consultant and Manager of Response Services. KC transitioned to industry, joining Shell then bp in similar emergency management roles.

Chad Tameling is Executive Vice President, of SET Environmental, Inc. Over his career at SET, Chad held various roles including Applications Chemist in SET’s forensic laboratory, Compressed Gas Cylinder Technician, High hazard remediation team (on site decommissioning of high energy compounds and explosives), Director of Operations for Technical Field Services Division, Emergency Response Coordinator/Manager. Chad is a graduate of Indiana University, where he obtained a BS in Environmental Science from Indiana's School of Public and Environmental Affairs in Bloomington, IN.

Chad was a fire fighter with the Itasca Fire Protection District and a member of the MABAS Division 12 Hazardous Materials Team, published contributing author, “Handbook of Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Agent Exposures” (CRC Press), and contributing author, “Toxico-terrorism, Emergency Response and Clinical Approach to Chemical, Biological, and Radiological Agents” (McGraw Hill).

Paulo Tristão is the Communications Coordinator at OceanPact, with over 10 years of experience in corporate communications and crisis management within high-complexity sectors. He has extensive practical experience in integrating communication workflows into the Incident Command System (ICS), frequently serving as a Public Information Officer (PIO) in large-scale emergency simulations for the maritime and energy industries. Throughout his career, Paulo has established a proven track record of strategic collaboration with executive leadership to consolidate corporate reputation and ensure brand consistency across multiple channels. As a speaker and communication mentor with over 300 hours of impact, he is recognized for his strategic vision and his ability to transform operational data into clear and transparent narratives. His work focuses on building reputational resilience by bridging the gap between technical emergency response and stakeholder expectations.

Mr. Trottier is a licensed attorney and serves as the Compliance and Sustainability Manager at Apex Oil Company. He began his career as an environmental scientist working as a consultant before transitioning into business management and administration. While maintaining his full-time responsibilities at Apex, he pursued his legal education by attending law school at night.

In his role as an attorney, Mr. Trottier continues to manage and support Apex’s Environmental, Health, and Safety (EH&S) compliance team, while also working with in-house counsel to provide guidance on contracts, transactions, and litigation matters. Although he has experience across a broad range of disciplines, his primary focus has consistently been environmental compliance and remediation.

In 2025, Mr. Trottier served as Incident Commander at the Chicago Shipping and Sanitary Canal, where he worked closely with response teams to develop dynamic strategies addressing sunken and submerged oil in a complex waterway environment.

Mike Walker, MSRC Vice-President, Gulf Region has 31-years’ experience in supporting and managing spill response and emergency activities. 25 of these 31 years have been with MSRC. Prior to MSRC, Mike held response and marketing positions with the following companies:

Riedel-Peterson Environmental Services Garner Environmental EmTech Environmental Oil Mop Inc.

Mike began his MSRC career in 1997 as the Galveston, Texas Site Supervisor and was promoted to Area Response Manager in 1999, which included responsibility for 5 response sites in the Gulf Region.

In 2000, Mike assumed responsibility for MSRC’s Atlantic Region as the Regional Response Manager and remained in the New York area for 6 years. In 2006, Mike transferred back to the Gulf Region to assume responsibility for all response activities as the Regional Response Manager. In 2007, Mike was promoted to Regional Vice-President, Gulf Region.

Mike is a 1989 graduate from McNeese State University and resides in Montgomery, Texas with his wife Deborah and has one grown child; Stephen.

Dr. Walker is a professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering at Texas Tech University, and he serves as the Director of the Water and the Environment Research (WATER) Center. Dr. Walker teaches courses such as physical/chemical treatment processes and design of advanced water treatment systems, and his research focuses on advanced water treatment, especially high recovery inland desalination, potable reuse, and treatment of produced water for beneficial uses. Dr. Walker received a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Texas Tech University, and he received M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Environmental & Water Resource Engineering (Civil Engineering) from the University of Texas at Austin. He was previously a professor at The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and Director of the Center for Inland Desalination Systems (CIDS). Dr. Walker is the proud husband of his high school sweetheart and the proud father of their four children.

Crosley Welch is a State On-Scene Coordinators (SOSC) and 24-hour Emergency Spill line Duty Officer with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MODNR). Crosley received a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources and Environmental Soil Science from Missouri State University. As a SOSC Crosley routinely responds to tractor-trailer accidents where hazardous materials are damaged or released. Crosley’s primary responsibly is to assess the site and ensure all environmental impacts are successfully remediated by the responsible party. Crosley is a certified Hazmat Technician and undergoes many hazmat training hours annually. He has been with MODNR for six years and has prior experience in the Water Protection Program as a wastewater inspector, Soil Waste Program as a solid waste inspector, and in the Hazardous Waste Program as a RCRA Hazardous waste inspector.

Prior to founding his LLC, Craig served as the Director of Crisis Management and Response for a midstream pipeline company for 7 years managing a preparedness and response program and led the company through significant incident responses including a ransomware attack in 2021. Craig also served the oil and gas industry as a COO & Senior Emergency Management Consultant for 6 years providing emergency preparedness services to assist clients manage company preparedness programs worldwide. Craig also stood alongside clients in support of emergency response incidents providing response expertise/coaching, filling critical IMT positions and managing responding organization relationships. As a veteran of the United States Coast Guard, Craig served a 27 year career developing subject matter expertise in emergency management and disaster preparedness. He gained extensive response experience in managing oil and hazardous chemical spills, vessel collisions/groundings, and business continuity events in seven major ports across the United States. He has filled multiple roles in many national level events including natural disasters, major oil/hazardous chemical spills, political conventions, and sporting events. Craig earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from Thomas Edison State University and holds certifications from United States Coast Guard, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the Federal Aviation Administration.

Dalan Zartman is a co-founder and CEO of the Energy Security Agency. With over twenty-five years of experience as a career metropolitan firefighter and rescue specialist. His Lithium-ion battery foundation is rooted in a decade of destructive testing of large-scale BESS and EV research. That foundation is translated into vetted and field-tested solutions for managing the risks associated with lithium-ion batteries in all industry sectors. The ESA recently completed the NFPA/FPRF EV suppression research project with FRA and ESRG. This two-year project was the most robust operational analysis of EV suppression tactics done to date and has provided tremendous breakthroughs on effective approaches to tackling battery based challenges with foundational approaches and straightforward fire science. Dalan is responsible for directing all ESA operations associated with education, incident response, testing and consultation. The ESA is staffed by career firefighter/rescue specialists, engineers and electricians with specialized training in Li Ion batteries and the systems that they are associated with. The ESA operates in all industry sectors and transport including Maritime Response, Aviation Response, Roadway Transport, EV and Mobile Incidents, and Large-Scale Stationary Sites. The ESA manages approximately 500,000 pounds of damaged lithium-ion batteries annually through emergent and coordinated response and decommissioning operations.

Michael Ziccardi DVM MPVM PhD Hon ACZM

Dr. Ziccardi is currently the Director of the Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center, Associate Director of Global Programs for the Oiled Wildlife Care Network, Director of the California Veterinary Emergency Team, and Health Science Clinical Professor for the School of Veterinary Medicine, UC Davis. He received his DVM, MPVM, and PhD in epidemiology from UC Davis, emphasizing free-ranging wildlife health and the effects of petroleum exposure in wildlife. He has been an oil spill response veterinarian and coordinator since 1996, responding to more than 90 spills in the US and abroad, including as Marine Mammal/Sea Turtle lead for NOAA during the Macondo/Deepwater Horizon incident in 2010. He has also worked as a contract veterinarian for California Department of Fish and Game, a wildlife epidemiologist at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, Executive Director of the One Health Institute, Chair of the Global Oiled Wildlife Response System project, Chair of NOAA’s Working Group on Marine Mammal Unusual Mortality Events, and Director of the OWCN.