Assistance Persistence: SBEAP Annual Training 2022
The 2022 Annual Training was hosted virtually Thursdays in May (5th, 12th, 19th and 26th) from 1 to 4 p.m. Eastern. The sessions were recorded and are linked, along with any associated session resources below. Thanks to the Nevada SBEAP team for coordinating our themed sessions. 

Speaker Bios

May 26, 2022

Paula Hoag: Paula Zampieri Hoag accepted the position as EPA’s Asbestos and Small Business Ombudsman (ASBO) in February 2020 and has worked within the ASBO program since 2008. During her tenure within EPA, Paula has dedicated her career to advocating for and assisting the small business community in regulatory and environmental compliance initiatives.

Rhonda Wright: Rhonda Wright is an Environmental Protection Specialist for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS), Community and Tribal Program Group. She serves as OAQPS’ Small Business Liaison, as well as assist with addressing issues and concerns within environmental justice and tribal communities. Prior to that, Rhonda worked as a National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) designations rule-writer in the OAQPS Air Quality Policy Division. She led designations for Lead (Pb) and Sulfur Dioxide (SO2), identifying areas within the country who are meeting or not meeting the NAAQS. Rhonda has a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Information Systems, a Master’s in Public Administration, and a Doctorate in Ministry.

Donovan Grimwood: Donovan Grimwood started with the Small Business Environmental Assistance Program (SBEAP) in 1999 and has stayed with that program through about 5 different division changes. In 2014, he was named the Small Business Environmental Ombudsman, though he still mostly does technical work in the SBEAP. He is active in the National network of other state SBEAPs. Currently he is Vice Chair of the NSC, co-chair of the Technical Subcommittee and part of the Website Advisory Committee of the National SBEAP network. Outside of the office, he is a volunteer instructor in the sport of fencing through the Nashville Community Education program. He holds a BS in Chemistry from Tennessee Technological University.

Jennifer Collins is the Pollution Prevention and Compliance Assistance Manager at the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.

May 19, 2022

Jon Monger: Jon Monger serves as the Assistant Deputy Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, where he oversees agency policy, management, and operational priorities. 

Jon has been working on environmental issues throughout his career, which has included service as Counsel to a presidential commission formed to investigate the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, as EPA’s White House Liaison under President Barack Obama, as a policy advisor in EPA’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality, and as Oversight Counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce. Jon has also worked as an advisor to the Association of State Democratic Chairs, Democratic National Committee, and Michigan Democratic Party.

Jon received his B.A. from the University of Michigan and graduated magna cum laude from the Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law. During law school, he clerked for the U.S. Department of Justice Environment and Natural Resources Division and the Honorable James J. Brady of the Middle District of Louisiana.

Jon is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio and lives in Washington, DC.

Marci Kinter: Marci Kinter is the Vice President – Government & Regulatory Affairs for PRINTING United Alliance, the most comprehensive member-based printing and graphic arts association in the United States.  For over 30 years, Ms. Kinter has worked to help the printing industry understand its regulatory compliance obligations, both environmental and safety.  Through the years, Ms. Kinter has been fortunate to work with representatives from many of the Small Business Environmental Assistance programs to develop and offer programs for and about the printing industry.

Dale Kaplan: Small Business Owner, Kaplan’s Careful Cleaners, Chair of Pennsylvania’s small Business Compliance Advisory Committee

Chris Lynch: Chris is a nationally recognized expert on small business environmental and energy issues. Prior to joining UNR’s BEP in January 2011, he launched and managed a similar program for 13 years at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.  He has served as an adviser to organizations including the Center for the Small Business and the Environment, Environmental Defense Fund, and the Pew Center on Global Climate Change. Chris also worked at the National Defense Center for Environmental Excellence where he educated defense facilities and contractors on environmental compliance requirements and pollution prevention strategies for meeting those requirements. Chris provides overall management direction for the Business Environmental Program and its pollution prevention activities.

Kaitlin Urso: Kaitlin Urso is an environmental consultant with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment that specializes in helping small businesses reduce their environmental impacts and comply with regulations. She has 11 years of technical environmental experience and a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Colorado. Kaitlin's work has been featured in Wall Street Journal, Forbes, CNN, NPR, Science Magazine, and countless other media publications.

Tony Pendola: Tony is the SBO/SBEAP for NC. He is a past-chair of the NSC and still serves on it and the board of his local chapter of A&WMA. Before joining the SBEAP, he was an air quality permit engineer and a consultant. He and his wife also run a wedding venue and the nation’s largest children’s consignment store.

Troy Johnson: Small Business Environmental Assistance Program Coordinator, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Jennifer Wittenburg: Jennifer Wittenburg is the program manager for the Iowa Air Emissions Assistance Program (IAEAP) which serves as the SBEAP for the state of Iowa. She has been in this role since 2016 but has been working with the SBEAP program since 2007. As program manager, Jennifer works closely with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and IAEAP staff to ensure requirements of the program are not only met, but that the program continues to provide resourceful assistance and tools for Iowa small businesses’ air emission needs.  

Jenifer Dixon: Jenifer is a graduate of the Lyman Briggs College at Michigan State University. She served the State of Michigan as an air quality inspector for over 15 years before transitioning to the Small Business Environmental Assistance Program. This program provides non-regulatory assistance to businesses. Jenifer provides one-on-one assistance as well as supporting EGLE's Air Quality Division in a variety of roles, including communication, training and outreach, public meetings, and working closely with EGLE’s diverse stakeholders.  

May 12, 2022

Alejandra Nunez: Alejandra Nunez is the Deputy Assistant Administrator for Mobile Sources, Office of Air and Radiation at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Prior to being appointed to her current position at the EPA, she served as a senior attorney at the Sierra Club’s Environmental Law Program, where her work focused on litigation and regulatory advocacy on federal greenhouse gas and corporate average fuel economy standards for light- and heavy-duty vehicles, carbon dioxide standards for new and existing power plants, state transportation and clean energy policies, and the integration of environmental justice in climate policy. 

Before the Sierra Club, Deputy Assistant Administrator Nunez worked as associate counsel at the World Bank’s Legal Vice Presidency, advising on public-private partnerships in the energy and water infrastructure sectors. She was also an associate at Morrison & Foerster, representing clients on public trust issues, carbon sequestration projects, and conservation easements, and she taught a seminar on Advanced Energy Law at the Washington College of Law at the American University in Washington, D.C.

David Cozad: Dave Cozad’s permanent position is the first Director of newly created Enforcement and Compliance Division in EPA Region 7 in Kansas City.  He is currently on detail to EPA Headquarters, serving as Acting Deputy Associate Administrator in the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, a role he is filling until a political appointee for OECA is confirmed by the Senate.  Dave was previously Regional Counsel for EPA Region 7 for 10 years and has been with the Agency for 32 years.  

Jenifer Dixon:  Jenifer is a graduate of the Lyman Briggs College at Michigan State University. She served the State of Michigan as an air quality inspector for over 15 years before transitioning to the Small Business Environmental Assistance Program. This program provides non-regulatory assistance to businesses.  Jenifer provides one-on-one assistance as well as supporting EGLE's Air Quality Division in a variety of roles, including communication, training and outreach, public meetings, and working closely with EGLE’s diverse stakeholders.  

Tony Pendola: Tony is the SBO/SBEAP for NC. He is a past-chair of the NSC and still serves on it and the board of his local chapter of A&WMA. Before joining the SBEAP, he was an air quality permit engineer and a consultant. He and his wife also run a wedding venue and the nation’s largest children’s consignment store.

May 5, 2022

Josh Prigge, the Founder & CEO of Sustridge Consulting, is a sustainability consultant, college professor, published author, and public speaker with over eleven years of experience managing sustainability programs and initiatives for large organizations. In 2017 and 2019, Josh was recognized as a top environmental leader in the business sector receiving the Environmental Leader 50 award and Environment and Energy Leader 100 award respectively.

Sara Johnson is the Small Business Technical Assistance Program Manager and Ombudsman at the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services with over 14 years of SBEAP experience.  Previously, Sarah worked as the P2 manager for 8 years and also as a laboratory manager for environmental testing.

Eleanor Divver is the SBEAP Coordinator and Ombudsman at the Utah Department of Environmental Quality providing multiprogram assistance.  Eleanor has also worked as a generalist for the local health department, taught environmental science and coordinated the radon program.

Belinda Fowler is the Environmental Assistance Coordinator at the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality.  She has more than 20 years of environmental related experience during her career including EHSS, lab/field work, consulting and compliance and education.

Dan Sowry is the Assistance Environmental Administrator at Ohio EPA and oversees Ohio’s sustainability program, recycling and litter, P2 and environmental compliance.

Jennifer Collins is the Pollution Prevention and Compliance Assistance Manager at the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.

Jeremy Hancher is the EMAP Program Manager for the Pennsylvania Small Business Development Centers overseeing a statewide program providing multi-media assistance.

Nancy Larson is the Director of the Pollution Prevention Institute (PPI) at Kansas State University. Nancy and the PPI team operated the KS SBEAP and the Pollution Prevention  program serving hundreds of businesses and industry partners annually. PPI also hosts the NSBEAP website and provide communication support for the NSBEAP.

Renee Bashel is the Environmental Assistance Coordinator at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.