Water Filtration, Point of Use, Drinking Water and Carbon Block Filtration Expert

Expertise

• Water filtration and water treatment particularly point-of-use (POU) drinking water filtration and support for product innovation, research and development, creative material analysis, material characterization, structure-property elucidation, specification development, and quality assurance management.
• Carbon block filtration (chemical adsorption, mechanical filtration).
• Product certifications (NSF and WQA; Standards-Protocols 42, 53, 61, 401, P231, emerging and developing).
• Product development, product design, formats, requirements, and voiding pitfalls.
• Troubleshooting (raw materials, manufacturing, certification testing failures, field - customer complaints).
• Create specifications for alternative raw materials in manufacturing (reduced material blending; increased manufacturing efficiency), improved product performance (increased contaminant reduction performance at faster flow rate), and decreased product rejection rate (up to 100% for some products).
• Select and approve alternate raw material suppliers, through testing, develop and specify improved material characteristics while reducing costs.
• Create creative corporate "Kaizen" continuous improvement program, identify issues with products or manufacturing, giving immeasurable benefit to company reputation by correcting in-house.
• Specify and procure analytical instrumentation to offset cost of outsourcing testing.
• Manage research and development and IP portfolio including resulting in multiple patents.
• Qualified de-foaming additives that are significantly more effective (
• 90% decrease in concentration, large cost savings),
• 50% increase in fill rate (increase in manufacturing rate/efficiency), and less "clean-out" time (caused by instability and residue generation of previous materials).
• Reformulated and improve ice prevention formulation. Previously, contained "reactive" chemistry that was creating persistent, opaque residue on windows, however, new formula is just as effective and contains "passive" technology, eliminating the undesirable, tenacious residue.
• Oversee; Chemists, Microbiologists, QA Manager, QA Specialist, QA Technicians, and Material Samplers.

Experience

Undisclosed Company, Owner, Present

• Provide water filtration and treatment, principally point-of-use drinking water filtration.

Projects

• Carbon block filtration (chemical adsorption, mechanical filtration).
• Product design, engineering and formats.
• Product certifications (NSF and WQA; Standards and Protocols 42, 53, 401, P231, emerging-developing).
• Regulatory requirements (California Prop 65 compliance).
• Manufacturing quality control and quality assurance.
• Troubleshooting (manufacturing, raw materials, certification testing failures, field and customer issues).
• Analytical, environmental, water chemistry and materials testing.
• University and other research collaborations.
• Water treatment and filtration market (appropriate technologies, performance tiers, embodiments).

Celanese Corporation, Las Vegas, NV, Account Manager, 2017 - 2018

• Fortune 500 global chemical and engineered materials company.
• Account management for engineered materials and specialty applications.
• Primary point of contact for assigned customers.
• General account management including customer visits, call reports, and customer service.
• Maintenance of SFDC data for accounts.

Multipure International - Carbon Block Technology, Las Vegas, NV, 2010 - 2017

Vice President of Technical Services, 2011 - 2017

Director, Lab Services, 2010 - 2011

• Manufacturer of drinking water filters, elements, and systems, primarily for OEM customers.
• Managed the laboratory and quality assurance teams; primary technical expert for customers and suppliers.
• Managed the operations of Quality Assurance and Company Laboratories (Chemistry, Microbiology, Quality Assurance). Instrumentation - GC-MS, GFAA, PSA, TOC, Porometer, various MSE.
• Primary technical contact and resource for both customers and suppliers.
• Developed raw material specifications for suppliers.
• Developed finished product specifications and control plans for customers.
• Hired and trained laboratory staff in analytical techniques and practices.
• Hired and trained quality assurance staff to maintain corporate quality standards.
• Interfaced with all departments within the company to maintain the Corporate Quality Program.

Vigo Coal Company-CarboPrill, Evansville, IN, 2007 - 2010

Vice President of Research and Development

• Manufacturer of coal-based additive for bulk explosives used in surface mine blasting
• Lead research and development activities, including performing and contracting advanced product analyses (e.g. composition, porosity, thermal behavior).
• Newly formed position to determine properties responsible for the high reactivity of a unique coal.
• Developed external contacts and programs to meet research and development goals within budget constraints.
• Created and managed a collaboration with the Deptartment of Chemistry, University of Southern Indiana.
• Developed performance mechanism of product in explosives; prepared and filed patent applications.
• Managed Intellectual Property portfolio, including multiple patent and trademark applications.

Honeywell CPG - Prestone, Danbury, CT, Research Scientist, 2005 - 2007

• Manufacturer of formulated products for the car care industry.
• Performed formulation development for Prestone global product line (e.g. ice fighters and cleaning products).
• Developed and reformulated products to meet market needs, enhance performance, ensure regulatory compliance, and reduced cost.
• Identified emerging technologies for potential use in car care products.
• Managed chemists and laboratory technicians.

University of Windsor, ON, Canada, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, 2004 - 2005

Postdoctoral Associate, Inorganic Chemistry

• Synthesis of Group 4 phosphinimide compounds for use as olefin polymerization catalysts.

RCMP Forensic Laboratory Services, Regina, SK, Canada, Analytical and Forensics Lab, 1999

• Forensic testing laboratory for Royal Canadian Mounted Police and other police agencies
• Generated GC/MS library of background volatiles present in fire debris for training arson investigators

AgrEvo Canada, Inc., Regina, SK, Canada, 1998

• Laboratory Co-op (Formulation Development-crop science).
• Global company specializing in crop protection, seeds, biotechnology and pest control.
• Formulated, analyzed, and evaluated crop protection formulations.

Consumers' Co-operative Refineries Ltd., Regina, SK, Canada, 1997

• Laboratory Co-op (Analytical and Quality Assurance).
• Refiner of crude oil into saleable petroleum products.
• Collected, prepared, and analyzed petrochemical products.

Accolades

• Recipient of Inaugural Water Quality Association Award - industry professionals demonstrating commitment to the water treatment.
• Created specifications for alternative raw materials that are more effective in manufacturing (reduced material blending; increased manufacturing efficiency), improved product performance (increased contaminant reduction performance at faster flow rate), and decreased product rejection rate (up to 100% for some products).
• Approved alternate raw material suppliers, through battery of tests, created, developed and specified, with improved material characteristics and lower price.
• Specified and procured analytical instrument to offset cost of outsourcing.
• Created and managed the Research and Development group-function for startup company. Managed IP portfolio including my inventorship on multiple patents.
• Qualified new de-foaming additive that was significantly more effective, increased manufacturing rate/efficiency, reduced "clean-out" time (caused by instability/ residue generation of previous materials).
• Reformulated and improved ice prevention formulation. With previous "reactive" producing opaque residue on windows. New formula was proven just as effective and contained "passive" technology.

Honors & Publications

Academic and Professional Affiliations

• NSF International - Participation in DWTU Industry Forum and Joint Committee meetings (DWTU Joint Committee, Voting Member, Industry Forum Chair, Numerous Task Group Appointments)
• Water Quality Association-WQA, (Numerous Committees and Task Force Appointments, roles have included: Chair, Vice Chair, Member, and Observer; Gold Seal Steering Committee, Product Certification Advisory Council, Voting Member)
• American Chemical Society-ACS
• International Society of Explosives Engineers
• Phi Lambda Upsilon Honorary Chemical Society, Nu Chapter (President, Treasurer, Secretary)

Awards

• Recipient of Inaugural Water Quality Association (WQA) "Next Gen Award" (awarded to industry professionals demonstrating commitment to the water treatment industry for its betterment).

Publications and Patents

• Author and Co-Author of higher educational text.
• Inventor-Co-Inventor of numerous patents.

Education

• Ph.D. Chemistry (Organometallic), Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
• B.Sc. Chemistry (with honors), University of Regina, Regina, SK, Canada