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.
Josh Brooks
Energy Strategy Consultant
Josh Brooks is an energy strategy consultant who works with governments and infrastructure services companies to design, finance, and deploy the distributed energy solutions utilities need to meet rising demand without sacrificing reliability. Over the past decade, he has developed utility-scale solar and gas assets, negotiated distributed energy agreements with utilities across the country, and drafted testimony and shaped strategy for expert witnesses in cases that have influenced billions of dollars in utility investment decisions. He previously served as Chief of Policy Strategy and Innovation at the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association, where he directed the organization's legislative and regulatory campaigns, and earlier as Chief of Staff to Amory Lovins at Rocky Mountain Institute. Josh studied history at Appalachian State University, a background he credits with teaching him to read the political, economic, technical, and regulatory systems that shape how energy actually gets built.
Zachary Carfley
Air Toxics Section Manager
South Carolina Department of Environmental Services Bureau of Air Quality
Zachary is the Air Toxics section manager for the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services Bureau of Air Quality. A graduate of the University of South Carolina, he has 13 years of experience in state government with over a decade in SC DES (formerly DHEC). Zachary oversees the implementation of South Carolina's Air Toxics program including NESHAP regulations and the state's Risk Management Program. Zachary also serves on the SC DES Disaster Preparedness and Response Team who aides during emergency situations throughout the state.
Heather Carter
Heather Carter received a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from UNC-Chapel Hill in 1996. She has been employed with the DEQ for 27 years and currently serves as the Regional Supervisor for the Division of Air Quality in the Fayetteville Regional Office. In her career with DAQ she has worked in the compliance program area to consistently and fairly implement and enforce state and federal air quality rules and regulations and to educate and assist industry and the public in air quality matters when possible. She currently supervises staff in implementing the permitting, compliance and ambient monitoring programs in the Fayetteville Region. Heather can be reached at Heather.Carter@deq.nc.gov at (910) 433-3361.
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
Christina D. Cress
North Carolina State Bar Board Certified Specialist in Utilities Law
Christina leads Ward and Smith’s Energy + Utilities Practice, where she focuses on guiding clients through the complexities of regulatory compliance, energy policies, and complex utility matters, including electric and natural gas rate cases and resource planning dockets. Her extensive experience includes advising on electric and water utility issues and navigating the implementation of regulatory frameworks for new energy programs in North Carolina, such as those established by House Bill 589, the “Competitive Energy Solutions for NC.” She also had a front-row seat to the legislative stakeholder process that preceded the enactment of House Bill 951 in 2021. Christina brings a wealth of experience from her prior role as a staff attorney at the North Carolina Utilities Commission (“NCUC”), where she gained invaluable insights into state energy policies and regulatory processes and was instrumental in implementing legislatively created state programs.
Christina previously served as in-house counsel to the North Carolina Board of Funeral Service, where she also served as Interim Executive Director. During her tenure, she prosecuted licensing violations, advised on regulatory compliance, and acted as the Board’s Ethics Liaison, Rulemaking Coordinator, Records Custodian, and Legislative Liaison.
Kim Fail
Sr. Process Engineer/Project Manager
TRC
Kim Fail is a Senior Process Engineer and Project Manager with TRC, Member of WSP. Kim began her professional career in environmental consulting, then spent the next 15 years in the wood products and pulp and paper manufacturing sectors focusing on industrial EHS compliance. Prior to joining TRC in 2022, she was employed as the Environmental Compliance Manager at an integrated pulp mill in southeastern NC. Kim earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and an M.S. in Environmental Systems Engineering from Clemson University. She is registered as a professional engineer in both North and South Carolina and resides in Wilmington, NC with her husband, Matt. In her spare time, she enjoys sailing, reading, and spending time on the family farm in SC.
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.
Rachel Hawkins
Director of Integration
ES Integrated and founder of Replenishield LLC
Rachel Hawkins is Director of Integration at ES Integrated and founder of Replenishield LLC. She brings more than 25 years of experience in emergency response, environmental services, and EHS across the Southeast. She began on the response-contractor side, managing environmental remediation and spill response projects and developing facility response plans. She then moved into EHS leadership at marine, rail, and truck terminals, serving as multi-terminal Planning Section Chief, Safety Officer, and Incident Command train-the-trainer while leading compliance training for more than 400 employees. At ES Integrated, she pairs her field background with an information systems degree to lead ERP, AI, training, and operations platform implementations across multiple divisions. Her credentials include FEMA ICS-100 through ICS-400, OSHA 40-hour HAZWOPER, DOT Hazmat, RCRA, and Facility Security Officer certifications; Occupational Safety and Health Professional and Trainer certifications; and a South Carolina wastewater operator license. Replenishield, LLC is a certified Woman-Owned/Economically Disadvantaged Woman-Owned Small Business with an SBA-approved Mentor-Protégé Agreement and Joint Venture in place for direct Federal Sector service focus.
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.
Ralph McGee, PG
Principal
Ralph McGee, PG, is a Principal with Hart & Hickman and has been in their Charlotte office for over fourteen years. Ralph specializes in risk management, Brownfields redevelopment, due diligence, soil and groundwater assessment, vapor intrusion, remediation, and contaminant fate and transport. He is currently working on several high-profile redevelopment projects throughout the eastern U.S., including sites impacted by polychlorinated biphenyls, chlorinated pesticides, chlorinated solvents, heavy metals, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, and other contaminants. Ralph is a cum laude graduate with Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Ralph enjoys spending quality outdoor time playing golf, tennis, kayaking, hiking, camping, fishing, and/or hunting with his two sons, who both attend App State.
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!
Sanjam Singh, PE
Associate Technical Consultant
ALL4
Sanjam Singh, PE, is an Associate Technical Consultant with ALL4, based in Columbia, South Carolina. Over the past nine years, he has coordinated more than 50 stack testing events, acting as the facility’s representative between plant operations, the test contractor, and the agency. His approach is to understand everything that shapes a test before it happens: the permit and regulatory requirements, the process, and the control device. His work spans building materials, aerospace, metal casting, rendering, chemical, LNG, and power facilities, covering emission sources and control devices that include boilers, thermal oxidizers, RTOs, scrubbers, and baghouses. He joined ALL4 in 2026 through its acquisition of Tora Consulting, where he had worked since 2018, most recently as a Professional Advisor. A licensed Professional Engineer in South Carolina, he holds an MS in environmental engineering from North Carolina State University. He is an active member of the Carolinas Air Pollution Control Association and co-chaired its Young Professionals group from 2022 to 2024.
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.
Kris Waikins
Regional Environmental Manager
West Fraser
Kris Waikins is a Regional Environmental Manager with West Fraser and resides in the Ocala, Fl area. She has 20+ years experience in the environmental field from starting in WET testing laboratories, to Environmental Consulting, to different roles in Compliance Management. She has experience in multiple industries and over 30 states across the country. Kris is currently working in the wood products field with facilities located in the southeast.