Environmental Data Quality and Quality Systems Consultant

Technical Consultant #2249

Environmental data validation.
Preparation and review of EPA Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) and other environmental quality documents.
Environmental laboratory audits.
Laboratory fraud investigation.
Preparation for ISO 17025 certification.
Assistance in preparing for NELAC (National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Conference) or DOD ELAP (Department of Defense Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program certification).

Undisclosed Company, President, 1992 - Present

Environmental data quality

Data validation and data review.
Laboratory assessment, (project-specific or ISO 17025, NELAC and DOD ELAP).
QAPP and other quality documentation review and preparation.
Development and implementation of Quality Assurance and Total Quality programs.
Laboratory fraud investigations.
Development of ISO 9001-compliant quality systems and ISO 14001:
Compliant environmental management systems for a wide range of industries, including assistance in obtaining ISO certification.

Projects

Validated data from over 700 samples of various matrices against USEPA Region I functional guidelines. The samples had been analyzed for a wide range of parameters, including:
Volatile organics by GC/MS.
Semi-volatile organics by GC/MS.
Dioxins and furans by GC/MS.
Chlorinated pesticides and PCBs by GC/ECD.
Non-halogenated volatile organics by GC/FID.
Chlorinated herbicides by GC/ECD.
Organophosphorus pesticides by GC/FPD.
Metals by ICP.
Metals by GFAA.
Mercury by CVAA.
Assorted anions and other conventional analyses.
Petroleum hydrocarbons (diesel) by GC/FID.
Acid volatile sulfides/simultaneously extractable metals.

Selected Accomplishments

Performed laboratory pre-qualification audits for the USEPA Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation (SITE) program.
Included validation of a portion of preliminary project data, evaluation of the laboratory's performance against requirements documented in a project-specific Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP), general review of good laboratory practices, and recommendation of corrective actions required to address problems identified during the evaluation.
Assisted an airline parts supplier to develop, document and implement an ISO 9000 compliant quality system, obtain certification, and maintain conformance with FAA requirements.
Assisted an Asia-based bulk and container shipping company to develop, document and implement quality systems that conform to ISO 9000 and the Ford Q1 program, and obtain certification in both.
Reviewed and recommended improvements to the Quality Management Plan for USEPA's Office of Water, to help ensure that its programs meet the Agency's quality objectives.

National Medical Services, Willow Grove, PA, Assistant Director, 2002 - 2005

Responsible for managing forensic and clinical toxicological testing of human specimens.
Areas of specific responsibility included GC/MS testing, immunoassay and other screening, processing of clinical and forensic specimens and enterprise-wide Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS).
Served as the primary operational interface for design and implementation of company-wide LIMS system, including electronic chain-of-custody.
Reduced rerun rate for GC/MS analyses by approximately 50% and improved use of existing data processing capacity to streamline review and approval of GC/MS data.
Completely revised clinical and forensic specimen processing and storage procedures resulting in improved tracking and reduced processing time.

National Environmental Testing, Cherry Hill, NJ, VP Quality and Technical Service, 1989 - 1992

Responsible for development, implementation and oversight of the company's technical systems and Total Quality Management (TQM) effort in 20 operating laboratories across the U.S.
Introduced and trained the company's senior management in the principles of TQM.
Oversaw progress of quality activities of 650 employees in 20 operating laboratories.
Designed and coordinated quality training programs with the company's Corporate Human Resources Department.
Served as the Company's interface with the Quality Management System of its parent company, Ocean Group, plc, in London, England.
Led the effort to design the company's laboratory information management system.
Managed Corporate QA Director and Corporate Health and Safety Director.
Established and managed national agreements with major technical vendors.
Maintained current knowledge of federal regulations affecting environmental testing requirements and ensured that appropriate personnel throughout the company were informed of such regulations.

NET MidAtlantic, NJ, President/General Manager, 1987 - 1989

Responsible for establishment, management and growth of one of four regional subsidiary corporations of National Environmental Testing, Inc.
Full P/L responsibility for the region.
Recruited and managed a regional corporate staff consisting of marketing and financial managers as well as the manager of the laboratory in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Century Laboratories, Thorofare, NJ, Laboratory Manager, 1986 - 1987

Hired to expand and improve an environmental laboratory with a staff of 50, which was wholly owned by National Environmental Testing, Inc.
Improved the laboratory's operations and managed its entry into the USEPA Contract Laboratory Program (CLP) for organics analyses.
Significantly improved the laboratory's performance on certification and other performance evaluation audits.

United States Testing Company, Hoboken, NJ, Assist. VP Environmental Chem., 1984 - 1986

Responsible for managing laboratory operations.
Managed the laboratory's performance on both organic and inorganic CLP contracts for analysis by ICP, AA, GC, GC/MS and a range of autoanalyzers.
Designed and instituted a sample and data management system.
Oversaw performance on EPA contracts for isotope dilution GC/MS analysis of industrial effluents in support of development of pretreatment regulations.
Oversaw performance on government and private sector contracts for analysis of dioxins and furans in environmental samples.

Academic and Professional Affiliations

Publications

Peer reviewed articles: American Chemical Society, Environmental Laboratories, and Environmental Testing and Analysis.
Author of educational HAZMAT text, author of materials for Applied and Environmental Spectroscopy conference, and the Eastern Analytical Symposium.