2026 Spring Speakers
Mike Abraczinskas
Director
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Division of Air Quality
Mike Abraczinskas currently serves as the Director of the North Carolina Division of Air Quality (DAQ), bringing over 26.5 years of experience to the role. In this capacity as Director, Mike sits at the intersection leadership, operations, and technical and policy issues. He focuses on creating clarity around priorities, aligning leadership teams, and establishing conditions for consistent execution as the agency evolves.
Throughout his career at DAQ, Mike has built a broad and deep foundation in air quality management. His expertise spans emissions and air quality modeling, mobile source modeling, regulatory development, planning, compliance and enforcement, and quality management. He was named Deputy Director in 2010 and became Director in 2017.
Mike is recognized as a leader in the air quality field and actively contributes to national and regional organizations representing state and local air agencies. He has held leadership roles in the Association of Air Pollution Control Agencies (AAPCA), the Carolinas Air Pollution Control Association (CAPCA), the Mid-Atlantic Regional Air Management Association (MARAMA), and the Southeastern States Air Resource Managers Association (SESARM).
He holds a Bachelor of Science in Meteorology with a Minor in Environmental Science from North Carolina State University. He is certified as an Engineer-In-Training (EIT) and is a graduate of the North Carolina Public Managers Program.
Melissa Bamford
Melissa is a Senior Consultant at the Trinity Consultants Charlotte, North Carolina office. She has over 20 years of experience in both consulting and industry. Melissa began her consulting career primarily supporting air quality compliance, but also has extensive experience supporting EPCRA reporting and water compliance projects. Melissa works with a wide variety of industries including aerospace, rubber manufacturing, power generation, chemical manufacturing, terminals, and general manufacturing. She has provided support for clients in several of states including North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Texas, and Oregon. In addition to her consulting experience, Melissa also worked for industry within automotive parts design and manufacture and aircraft manufacture sectors. Melissa resides in Cornelius, North Carolina with her husband, three kids (16, 14, 10), and boxer Gracie.
Nathan Daniel
Mr. Daniel is a Senior Engineer and Environmental Compliance Service Leader at Bunnell Lammons Engineering, Inc. (BLE), where he has been a licensed engineer for seven years. He brings unique perspective from his prior roles in industrial operations, including experience with specialty chemical manufacturers in the upstream oil & gas sector and a nylon 6,6 production facility. Mr. Daniel holds a B.S. in Environmental Engineering and an M.S. in Systems Engineering from Southern Methodist University. His leadership extends beyond BLE through his role as Chair of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce's Solid & Hazardous Waste Subcommittee and participation in BLE's internal AI and Innovation Subcommittees, where he helps shape both industry standards and innovative engineering practices. He currently resides in Greenville, South Carolina with his wife, four-year-old daughter and one-year-old son.
Katie Drennan
Katie serves as a consulting engineer and project manager at TRC Companies. She has over 10 years of experience in providing air quality consulting and compliance services. Katie holds a B.S. in Environmental Engineering from Clemson University and is a licensed engineer in NC. Her experience includes new source reviews, Title V permitting, emission calculations, and applicability studies. She also assists with EPCRA reporting and water compliance for a variety of industrial sources. Katie lives in Asheville, NC with her husband and six-month-old son.
Gena Driscoll
Ms. Gena Driscoll serves as the Manager of Chemical Sector Services providing NESHAP, NSPS and LDAR expertise to the SOCMI industry. Ms. Driscoll has substantial experience with 40 CFR 63, Subparts F, G (HON), Subpart YY (Generic MACT), and Subpart FFFF (MON), VVVVVV (CMAS) as well as with 40 CFR 63, Subpart H and UU and 40 CFR 60, Subpart VV and VVa LDAR Program implementation and management.
Ms. Driscoll’s early career included positions within both State RCRA and Air Quality Programs before switching to General Manufacturing and then to the SOCMI Industry. Prior to joining Trinity, she spent the previous 18 years working within the SOCMI industry and has a total of almost 30 years of experience in “hands-on” multi-media environmental permitting and compliance. Ms. Driscoll was responsible for several NESHAP, NSPS and LDAR program implementations and had ongoing oversight of said programs for more than a decade. Additionally, she has shepherded numerous manufacturing and SOCMI capital projects through the phases of conceptual and detailed engineering, construction permitting, startup and multimedia compliance implementation, and Title V permitting and compliance.
At Trinity, Mrs. Driscoll combines her years of “hands‐on” technical expertise in environmental regulations with her skill and knowledge of SOCMI and manufacturing operations to assist clients with permitting and compliance strategies that ensure compliance.
Jimmy Graves
Jimmy Graves is a senior consulting engineer and project manager with expertise in Clean Air Act (CAA), Clean Water Act (CWA), and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) permitting and compliance. He has 20 years of in-depth experience working on a broad range of environmental permitting and compliance projects in many different industries, including chemicals, plastics, forest products, pharmaceuticals, minerals, automotive, textiles, packaging, and many others. Before joining TRC, he worked in the chemicals and plastics manufacturing industry with Eastman Chemical Company where he served as a process improvement engineer for multiple operations in Tennessee and Texas. Given his broad depth of experience and expertise, Jimmy is routinely called upon by TRC’s clients to participate in audits for regulatory compliance across all environmental media. He acts as the project manager and lead auditor for multiple corporate environmental audit programs that TRC supports in the United States and internationally. Jimmy is a licensed professional engineer in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Florida.
Rich Hamel
Rich has over 20 years’ experience in providing air quality consulting services, especially air dispersion modeling, permitting, and litigation support to projects in the power, oil & gas, chemical, metals, and manufacturing sectors. He has performed dozens of air modeling analyses and has worked closely with many state agencies and U.S. EPA in negotiating complex modeling approaches on behalf of clients in support of major capital projects. Rich also leads ALL4's power sector team in helping clients navigate the siting and permitting challenges across the whole gamut of electricity generation projects.
Matthew Hieshetter
Matthew A Hieshetter, is an operations environmental manager with Louisiana-Pacific Corporation supporting multiple wood products manufacturing facilities throughout the US and Canada. His career spans over 20 years of experience as an engineering consultant and as environmental and safety leadership in both the wood products industry and in the battery industry. Outside of work, I am passionate about family, surfing, fishing, boating, and coaching youth sports. Matthew graduated from Michigan Technological University with a degree in Chemical Engineering.
Kathryn MacCormick
Kathryn “Katie” MacCormick is Manager of the Environmental Justice team for Dominion Energy; since coming onboard with Dominion Energy as the company’s first dedicated EJ employee in 2019 she has implemented environmental justice reviews for over 350 major projects, including new and rebuild electric and gas transmission work, new solar and battery storage builds, one very large offshore wind project – and most recently, several new natural gas fired generation projects. Educated as a biologist with spatial modeling expertise, Katie has prior work experience as an educator and community health program specialist. She is also an enrolled member of the Pamunkey Indian Tribe of Virginia. Her advocacy for Virginia’s Native American communities includes representing the Pamunkey Tribe on the Mid-Atlantic Regional Ocean Planning Body from 2015-2017, sitting on the Virginia Health Commissioner’s Advisory Council on Health Disparity & Health Equity from 2016-2019, and an appointment to the Virginia Council for Environmental Justice from 2020-2023.
Mark McIntire
Mark McIntire serves as Environmental Policy and Affairs Director for North Carolina. Prior to joining the Regulatory Affairs team, Mark held several roles at Duke Energy, including Director of Government and Environmental Affairs, Stakeholder Strategy, Energy and Environmental Affairs Director, Strategic Water Engineer and Air Quality Engineer. Before arriving at Duke Energy, Mark worked as a consulting engineer focused on infrastructure and sustainability, managing large projects in the US and the Middle East.Mark has 30 years of engineering, government affairs and stakeholder engagement experience in Raleigh, having spent the first 10 years of his career as an environmental engineer and manager with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality. He has deep relationships within the energy industry and the executive branch of government in North Carolina.Mark previously served as President of the Board of Directors of the Friends of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, is a member of the board of the Carolinas Air Pollution Control Association and serves on the Industrial Advisory Board of the NCSU College of Engineering’s Department of Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering. He is a licensed Professional Engineer, a member of the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and a Carbon Reduction Manager through the Association of Energy Engineers. He is also a member of Class XXVI of Leadership North Carolina.Mark spent his teenage years in the Republic of Panama and came to Raleigh for college, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering and Master of Civil Engineer from North Carolina State University.
Kevin McOmber
EPA Region 4 Regional Administrator
Kevin’s impressive 37-year career is distinguished by his dedication to community service and a deep commitment to environmental and municipal development. As a Professional Engineer (PE), he has led the design and execution of numerous large-scale public works projects across Georgia and the Southeast, focusing on sustainability, quality control, and cross-disciplinary collaboration. Notably, Kevin has been a trusted partner to local and state agencies, navigating complex permitting processes and fostering collaborative relationships that drive impactful outcomes. Prior to joining the EPA, Kevin served as Executive Vice President and National Community Practice Leader at CPL Architecture, Engineering, and Planning. Since joining the EPA Southeast Region in February 2025, Kevin has advanced EPA’s Powering the Great American Comeback initiative across its five pillars by aligning regional program delivery; strengthening state, Tribal, and local partnerships; sharpening compliance and enforcement; improving efficient and transparent permitting; and directing community-centered investments to protect air, water, and land across the Southeast.
Greg S. Mitchell, P.E.
Greg Mitchell, P.E., is a veteran Environmental, Safety, Health & Sustainability (ESH&S) leader with more than two decades of experience strengthening environmental compliance programs and driving proactive safety performance in manufacturing environments. Holding both B.S. and M.S. degrees in Biosystems Engineering from Clemson University, he is a licensed Professional Engineer in South Carolina and Virginia and a certified lead auditor in RC 14001, ISO 14001, and ISO 9001 systems. Greg’s technical foundation spans air permitting, wastewater treatment, hazardous waste management, industrial hygiene, and environmental risk reduction.
As ESH&S Manager at Mitsubishi Polyester Film, Greg leads the site’s comprehensive safety strategy, championing a strong safety culture focused on injury prevention, employee engagement, and risk mitigation. His safety leadership includes overseeing incident investigations and root-cause analysis, managing safety procedures and training, conducting daily safety walkthroughs, developing site safety objectives, directing the Safety Leadership Team, and evaluating site practices for regulatory adherence and hazard elimination. Greg excels in building trust across all levels of the organization, communicating safety expectations clearly, and motivating teams to take ownership of safe work practices. Known for his strong organizational skills, data-driven approach, and ability to lead change, he fosters a workplace where safety, compliance, and continuous improvement are embedded into daily operations.
Brandon Mogan
Brandon Mogan has over 20 years of experience providing strategic air quality advisory services to clients in a variety of industries across the United States. Brandon founded Tora Consulting in 2018 and served as its President until Tora’s recent acquisition by ALL4. Mr. Mogan is excited to be serving as a Directing Consulting with ALL4 over its Columbia, South Carolina (CSC) business unit. Brandon resides in Gilbert, SC with his wife and two daughters. In his free time, he enjoys playing guitar at church and spending time on the lake with his girls!
Corey Morrow
Corey began his career in the poultry industry in 2000 before joining Nucor in 2014. Since then, he’s had the opportunity to work across five product groups within Nucor. Most of Corey’s career has centered on operational and environmental compliance, and he brings more than 25 years of permitting and compliance experience working with several different state agencies.
He holds a B.S. in Biology from Jacksonville State University. Corey and his wife, Angie, have been married for 26 years and have two children, Austin (24) and Kendyl (20).
Jim Musilek
Jim Musilek serves as the Vice President of Innovation and Business Development for the North Carolina Electric Cooperatives. His team’s responsibilities include supporting North Carolina’s electric cooperatives in meeting their Brighter Future goals by investigating, testing, and deploying innovative technologies and business models that promote beneficial electrification and sustainable technologies.
He has over 30 years of utility experience working in engineering, planning, operations, rates, and portfolio management. Jim received his bachelor’s degree from the California State University at Northridge and received an MBA from Campbell University.
Dana W. Norvell, PE
Dana Norvell has over 30 years of environmental experience principally dealing with air quality permitting and compliance issues as an environmental consultant.
Ms. Norvell is currently employed with Trinity Consultants as a Managing Consultant and is the Raleigh Office Manager. She serves as a senior technical lead for providing air quality permitting and compliance services to the industrial sector in NC and SC.
Ms. Norvell is a 1995 graduate of NC State University with a BS in Chemical Engineering and is a registered PE in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.
Myra Reece
Myra serves as Director of the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services
(SCDES), overseeing bureaus of Air Quality, Coastal Management, Land and Waste
Management, Regional and Laboratory Services, and Water. As Director, Myra works
collaboratively with state and federal agencies, local governments, businesses and
communities to ensure protection of South Carolina’s natural resources while balancing the state’s economic and environmental interests.
Myra served in leadership roles with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) for more than 30 years. She was Regional Office Director and Chief of the Bureau of Air Quality prior to becoming DHEC’s Director of Environmental Affairs. She currently serves as the Chair of WaterSC, as SCDES is the lead coordinating agency for that statewide water planning initiative. In the summer of 2022, Myra was named president of the Environmental Council of States (ECOS), the national non-profit, non-partisan association of state and territorial environmental agency leaders. ECOS plays a critical role in facilitating a quality relationship among federal and state agencies across the country. Myra previously served in leadership roles with ECOS as Planning Committee Chair, Secretary-Treasurer, and Vice President. As “past-president” of ECOS, she continues to be a part of important national conversations about successes and challenges of protecting human health and the environment.
Myra received a bachelor's degree in microbiology from Clemson University and a master's degree
in public health from the University of South Carolina. She is also a graduate of the Management Academy for Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a graduate of the Southern Center of Excellence in Environmental Health at Emory University and has obtained professional certification as a Certified Hazardous Materials Manager
Thomas I. Sullivan, P.E. (Texas)
Thomas I. Sullivan, P.E., serves as a corporate Director of Environmental Services at Martin Marietta in Raleigh, NC. Prior to joining Martin Marietta, he was a Client Services Manager in the Environmental Division of POWER Engineers and officed in Austin, TX. Mr. Sullivan has over 30 years of environmental consulting and industry experience with primary areas of expertise in developing air permitting strategies, coordinating the permitting process, developing compliance strategies, and auditing for compliance.
His air quality experience includes state and federal New Source Review (NSR) permitting, Title V Operating Permits, Greenhouse Gas Permitting, New Source Performance Standard (NSPS) compliance, Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) compliance, Standard Permits, Permits by Rule, and Greenhouse Gas Reporting compliance.
His industry experience includes cement production, aggregate and ready-mix operations, oil and gas production, midstream, and refining facilities, petrochemical, plastic resin and specialty chemical manufacturing facilities, electricity generation, wood products manufacturing, and aerospace manufacturing and testing facilities. Mr. Sullivan earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Rice University and is a Registered Professional Engineer in Texas.
Rhonda Banks Thompson, P.E.
Chief, Bureau of Air Quality
South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (DES)
Columbia, SC
Rhonda Thompson has been with the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (formally DHEC) for over 35 years. She has been the Chief of the Bureau of Air Quality since 2016. Prior to becoming Bureau Chief, she served as Assistant Bureau Chief, director of the permitting division, manager of the air toxics section, and a permit writer.
At the regional and national level, Rhonda is the newly elected Chair of the Southeastern States Air Resource Managers (SESARM), Board member of the Association of Air Pollution Control Agencies (AAPCA), and a past President of the Carolinas Air Pollution Control Association (CAPCA) Board of Directors.
Rhonda has a B.S. Degree in Engineering from the University of South Carolina, and she is a Registered Professional Engineer (P.E.) in South Carolina.
Erin E. Wallace
Erin has 20 years of expertise in air permitting and compliance. She began her career with a focus on air dispersion modeling in a consulting role before advancing to managing permitting projects for the wood products, utilities, and chemical sectors. In 2015, Erin joined Duke Energy as a subject matter expert in permitting and compliance, providing comprehensive support across all areas of the company. She currently leads a team of air permitting and compliance professionals serving Florida, the Carolinas, and the Midwest.
Reid Wilson
D. Reid Wilson was appointed by Governor Josh Stein to serve as Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), and he assumed the role in January 2025. From 2021-2024, Wilson served as Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR), a position he held since January 2021. He brings a wealth of experience in environmental protection, land conservation, and government and nonprofit leadership to DEQ.
From 2017-2020, Wilson was DNCR’s chief deputy secretary, responsible for the agency's natural resource divisions. Prior to joining DNCR, Wilson was the executive director of the Conservation Trust for North Carolina, a statewide nonprofit that advances land conservation and connects people to the outdoors.
In 2001 and 2002, he was a public affairs consultant to national environmental groups as senior vice president with M & R Strategic Services in Washington, DC. Prior to that, he served for nearly eight years at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a political appointee in the Clinton administration, first as the agency’s public liaison director, then deputy chief of staff, and finally chief of staff under administrator Carol M. Browner.
Wilson was national political director of the Sierra Club from 1989-1993, managing the nation’s largest environmental political action committee, and before that he was an environmental advocate for the U.S. Public Interest Research Group in Washington.
Wilson has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Biology from Grinnell College in Iowa. He and his wife, Karen Rindge, live in Raleigh, and their two children are graduates of fine North Carolina public universities.