FALL 2026 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.
James W. Boylan, Ph.D.
Chief, Air Protection Branch
Environmental Protection Division
Jim Boylan has 33 years of experience working on local and national air quality issues. Currently, he serves as the Chief of the Air Protection Branch at the Georgia Environmental Protection Division. He has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame, M.S. in Chemical Engineering from Auburn University, and M.S. and Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from Georgia Tech. He served on the chartered Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) from 2017-2023 and was actively involved in the 2020 review of the PM and ozone standards as well as the recent PM and ozone reconsiderations. In 2025, he testified at the U.S. House Committee on Energy & Commerce subcommittee hearing on the national ambient air quality standards and exceptional events. He was elected president of the Association of Air Pollution Control Agencies (AAPCA) for 2025-2026 and was recently selected for the Air & Waste Management Association’s 2026 S. Smith Griswold Outstanding Air Pollution Official Award.
E. Stefan Coutoulakis
Hazardous Materials Coordinator/ EPCRA
North Carolina Department of Public Safety
Division of Emergency Management
With over four decades of unwavering commitment to emergency response and planning, he has become a respected leader and innovator in his field. He began his journey as a Volunteer Firefighter and Rescue Officer, later advancing through roles as a Fire Dispatcher, Emergency Medical Technician-Cardiac, Deputy EMA Director, and ultimately a career firefighter, achieving the rank of Captain. Appointed as the Hazardous Materials Officer for his fire department and Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) in 1987, he continued to serve Rhode Island as the state coordinator for the EPA/NOAA CAMEO Suite. In 2010, he took on the pivotal role of Emergency Management Director for Exeter, R.I., and in 2014, he was named Chairman of LEPC 4, guiding emergency preparedness across southern Rhode Island.
Throughout his distinguished career, he has earned numerous instructor certifications, including first aid/CPR, Hazardous Materials, ACAMs, and EPA/NOAA CAMEO. His passion for training is evident in his work with the National Center for Biomedical Research and Training (NCBRT/LSU), where he empowered first responders and planners to develop comprehensive strategies for all-hazards incidents. By leveraging cutting-edge tools like the CAMEO Suite and OSHA-approved emergency contingency planning programs, he has also helped integrate critical school assessments into emergency protocols.
His expertise has garnered international recognition, with his work aiding response efforts after the Japanese earthquake and the Haitian relief mission. Domestically, he supported emergency teams during Hurricane Katrina and contributed to building robust response and planning databases across 35 states, Puerto Rico, and St. Croix. Locally, his datadriven insights have shaped critical studies on emergency response and fire station relocation.
In 2012, he was invited to join the NSA’s National Domestic Preparedness Coalition as a Program Coordinator, where he led nationwide training in threat, risk, and vulnerability assessment. His leadership extended to course development and spearheading the Coalition’s emergency response and planning initiative for the Washington County Fair in Richmond, R.I.As a forward-thinking innovator, he contributed to the development of MARPLOT 5, the flagship mapping project for the CAMEO Software Suite, and played a key role in updating the ICAMEO 229 and 229-1 training programs with NCBRT. Representing EPA Region 1 at a national conference in Mobile, AL, he helped lay the groundwork for the President’s Executive Order 13650 and future Tier 2 reporting standards. He continues to share his expertise as an instructor for advanced emergency preparedness and community food emergency courses.
His diverse portfolio of projects spans the nation, from participating in Urban Shield TTX in Alameda County, CA, to providing specialized HAZMAT training for the Massachusetts State Police and revitalizing pre-incident planning for the New Bedford Fire Department. He has delivered critical logistical support during Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, contributed to national and international studies, and advanced response planning for organizations as varied as Providence College, Pomona Child Migration Project, the Afghan Reunification Project, and the DOD Iraqi Defense Ministry.In 2023, he embraced a new chapter as Hazardous Materials Coordinator for the North Carolina Emergency Management Agency, overseeing the EPCRA program and continuing his lifelong dedication to public safety. He currently resides in Raleigh, N.C., with his wife, where his commitment to community and service remains as strong as ever
Chris Giusto, PE
National Director – Combustible Dust Safety
Chris Giusto is the National Director of Combustible Dust Safety at Hallam-ICS and has more than 20 years of experience in mechanical and process engineering. A licensed Professional Engineer in 31 states, he specializes in managing combustible dust hazards and NFPA-compliant system design. Chris founded Hallam-ICS’s Combustible Dust Safety Services in 2018 and has been an instructor for the North Carolina Industrial Ventilation Course since 2021. He and his team bring a practical, solutions-focused approach to helping organizations improve safety and achieve regulatory compliance.
Amy Marshall, PE
Air Quality Practice Director
ALL4
Amy Marshall is ALL4's Air Quality Practice Director, located in Raleigh, NC, and has 30 years of experience in air quality permitting and compliance. She graduated from NC State University with a degree in chemical engineering and is a professional engineer. She provides strategic air quality regulatory support to industrial clients and also works with various industry associations to evaluate impacts and provide technical comments to EPA and state agencies on air quality policies and rules that impact industrial emissions sources.
Brandon Mogan, PE / Directing Consultant
ALL4
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 now serves as a Directing Consulting with ALL4. 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!
Kelley Spence
Senior Director, Air Quality Programs, American Forest & Paper Association
Kelley Spence is the Senior Director of Air Quality Programs at the American Forest & Paper Association. She leads strategic initiatives to advance science-based air quality policy and to support industry-wide environmental stewardship, particularly as it relates to EPA clean air regulations and policies. Kelley collaborates with member companies, policymakers, and technical experts to advocate for the development of sustainable air regulations.Prior to joining AF&PA in late 2025, Kelley worked for the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) in the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) as the regulatory lead for conventional and renewable energy regulations. Kelley also worked for 12 years in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Sector Policies and Programs Division on clean air regulations for the forest products sector. While a federal employee, she received multiple awards, including the DOI’s Unit Award for Excellence of Service, EPA’s National Honor Award for Outstanding Performance Management, and the EPA Administrator’s Award for Excellence.Kelley received her PhD in Forest Biomaterials with a focus on the development of novel bioplastics using microfibrillated cellulose from North Carolina State University (NC State). Kelley also holds undergraduate degrees in Paper Science and Engineering and Chemical Engineering from NC State.
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 36 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 currently serves as 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.
