Session Speakers

Paul C. Beatley, Director; Enhesa S.A.

Paul Beatley is a co-founder and director of Enhesa and its wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary. Based in Washington, D.C., he has more than 25 years of professional experience in EHS management and regulatory consulting, including ten years based in France and Belgium. Mr. Beatley also has led consulting assignments, including compliance audits, due diligence assessments, and management and organizational studies for companies around the world.

Prior to starting Enhesa, he was a senior consultant at Booz-Allen & Hamilton, based in Paris, and before that, a manager with A.T. Kearney in Washington. Paul holds a Master of Science degree in Economics from the London School of Economics and a Bachelor of Arts from University College, Dublin.

Don Bezek, Corporate Environmental, Health and Safety Manager; Donaldson Company Inc.

Don Bezek is a leading Environmental, Health and Safety professional with more than 15 years of experience in leading multi-site manufacturing, government services and multi-business environmental, health and safety programs. He also has experience in safety and environmental management systems and auditing experience both internationally and in the U.S.

James A. Bilgo, Supervisor of EHS Program Management; Kohler Co.

As the Supervisor of EHS Program Management for Kohler Co. James A. Bilgo is responsible for Global EHS Compliance at the company’s more than 70 manufacturing locations.   He supervises a team of EHS professionals with responsibility for getting global alignment on EHS initiatives through project development, implementation of best practices, acquisitions and Greenfield due diligence. He also directs key initiatives across Kohler’s highly diverse manufacturing operations.  

Mr. Bilgo has a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, and is a Certified Hazardous Material Manager.

He was a recipient of the Water Environment Federation’s “Willem Rudolfs Medal” for outstanding contribution in industrial waste control and was recognized by the Plumbing Manufacturers Institute for his outstanding and deducted service to his industry.  He is also a Past President of the Federation of Environmental Technologists and the Wisconsin CHMM Chapter.

Connie Deford, Director, U.S. Chemicals Management Policy; The Dow Chemical Co.

Connie Deford, a Dow employee of 27 years, is the Director of U.S. Chemicals Management Policy, based in Midland, Mich.  In this role, assumed in Aug. 2010, she is responsible for leading the development and implementation of Dow's U.S. Chemical Management strategy.  This includes advocating for Dow positions within the federal and state legislative and regulatory arenas, and promoting the company’s leadership in chemical management as part of Dow's 2015 Sustainability goals.

Most recently, she was the Director of Dow's Global EH&S Regulatory organization (experts in chemicals management and environmental regulations), where she oversaw development of Dow's European REACH Program Management Organization.  Ms. Deford holds a bachelor’s degree in Microbiology from Oklahoma State University.

Mark Duvall, Principal, Beveridge & Diamond PC

Mark Duvall joined Beveridge & Diamond, P.C. in 2008 as a Principal with more than two decades of experience working in-house at large chemical companies.  His focus has been on product regulation at the federal, state and international levels across a wide range of programs, including worker health and safety.
He heads the firm’s Toxic and Harmful Substances/Toxic Substances Control Act (“TSCA”) practice, and also chairs the TSCA Dialogue Group, an informal group of companies that manufacture, import, distribute, and/or sell chemicals, and related trade associations, that address possible legislation to amend TSCA and alternatives to legislation. 

He is Vice Chair of the Committee on Pesticides, Chemical Regulation, and Right-to-Know of the American Bar Association’s Section on Environment, Energy and Resources.

Christopher M. England, Regional Manager, ES, ITT Corp.

Chris England has been in the ESH field since 1996 with experiences in the areas of plating, boiler and pump manufacturing, chemical manufacturing and distribution and the wastewater industry. He led the ESH portion of integration for a number small to large acquisitions with ITT Corp., including domestic and international firms. Mr. England also worked on the initial and ongoing team at ITT to develop an internal ESH Management System that combines ISO14001, OHSAS18001, and ANSI Z.10.

He has presented most recently at the 2011 AIHce Conference in Portland, Ore. and many times at the annual ITT ESH Americas, European, and Asia Pacific conferences on topics such as management systems, auditing, acquisition integration, root cause analysis and training.

Billy Grayson, Director of Corporate Sustainability, WESCO International Inc.

Billy Grayson is the Director of Corporate Sustainability at WESCO, responsible for driving WESCO's sustainability strategy and goals, overseeing sustainability reporting, and managing sustainability communication for WESCO operations. WESCO was one of the first global distribution companies to complete a greenhouse gas inventory, and since 2008 has been working closely with both suppliers and customers on improving supply chain sustainability, especially in the areas of energy and water efficiency and greenhouse gas reporting and mitigation.

Prior to joining WESCO, Mr. Grayson was a senior associate at ICF International, supporting both private and public clients in sustainability planning, greenhouse gas inventories and mitigation strategies, and energy efficiency programs. He earned a Master of Business Administration and a master’s of Environmental Policy from the University of Maryland, and is also a LEED AP.

Dave Hadzinsky, Director of EHS; PCC Airfoils LLC

Dave Hadzinsky has been with PCC Airfoils for 21 years and is responsible for the EHS compliance and sustainability programs within the Airfoils Division of Precision Castparts Corp.  He is a member of the Corporate Environmental Auditing Team.

Prior to his role with PCC, he was the Corporate EHS Auditor for Eagle-Picher Industries and an OSHA Industrial Hygiene Compliance Officer.  In his various roles he has performed inspections and EHS audits at over 300 facilities across North America and Europe. Mr. Hadzinsky holds a bachelor’s degree in Biology from the College of Wooster in Ohio.

Thomas Hawkinson, Corporate Manager, EHS; The Toro Co.

Mr. Hawkinson is Certified in the Comprehensive practice of Industrial Hygiene and is a Certified Safety Professional in Comprehensive Practice. He has worked in various environmental, health and safety assignments for Medtronic, Seagate and General Mills and is currently the Corporate Manager of EHS for The Toro Co. in Bloomington, Minn.

He has served in leadership roles in the local and national American Industrial Hygiene Association, is currently on the leadership team of the Upper Midwest Chapter of NAEM. He also chairs the Upper Midwest section of the Auditing Roundtable, and has served as a member of the Board of the Minnesota Safety Council. He holds a Six Sigma Black Belt and has served as adjunct faculty in the graduate and undergraduate programs teaching mathematics and statistics. He has presented research results at both local and national conferences, and is on the faculty of the Midwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety.

Mr. Hawkinson has a Master of Science degree in Public Health from the University of Minnesota.

Marc Juaire, Corporate Process Safety Manager; The Valspar Corp.

Marc Juaire is the Corporate Process Safety Manager for Valspar, headquartered in Minneapolis.  Valspar is the sixth largest global paint and coatings company with operations in 19 countries.  He has 17 years of experience as a Health, Safety, and Environmental professional.  Currently, he is responsible for the global implementation of Process Safety Management.

As a corporate liaison, Mr. Juaire supports the HSE integration for a recent acquisition in Brazil.  He is a Lean Six Sigma Greenbelt and leads a cross-functional team focusing on Material Efficiency.  In addition, he is a founding member of Valspar’s Sustainability Team.

Prior to joining Valspar, Marc spent nine years as an environmental consultant.  Marc has a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Minnesota and a Master of Business Administration from Carlson School of Management.

Mark Manninen, Environmental Permitting Supervisor; 3M Co

Mark Manninen is an Environmental Permitting Manger within 3M’s Corporate Environmental Operations. In his current role, he leads a group of environmental engineers and scientists responsible for environmental permitting for all of 3M’s U.S. manufacturing and R&D operations.  Prior to joining 3M, he worked as an air quality consultant working on permitting and compliance for a wide variety of industrial and municipal clients.

Mark has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn. and a Master of Science degree from Michigan Tech University.

Jeff McComas, Advanced Environmental Specialist; 3M Co.

Jeff McComas is an advanced environmental engineering specialist with 3M Co. In the 3M corporate environmental operations department, he is responsible for system development and ensuring compliance with U.S. regulations. He is a chemical engineer, and has worked in the EHS space for about 20 years.

Michael Miller, Global Director, Risk Management & EHS; Apex Tool Group LLC

Michael Miller has been Global Director, Risk Management for Apex Tool Group since July 2010. Apex Tool Group is a joint venture between Cooper Industries PLC and Danaher Corp., the largest worldwide producer of industrial hand and power tools, tool storage, drill chucks, chain and electronic soldering products.

Mr. Miller is responsible for leading all Risk Management, Product Liability, and EHS activities globally. Apex Tool Group has manufacturing and service locations in 30 countries globally with more than 7500 employees. Prior to his role at ATG, Mike was Global EHS Director for Danaher’s Tools & Components segment where he led the implementation and execution of a global EHS program aligned with lean manufacturing.

Previously, he has held progressively responsible roles in EHS at both Textron and Texas Instruments. Mike has a degree from Clark University in Environmental Science and Policy and has done graduate study at Clark University, Columbia University and Bryant University.

Tony Shea, Sr. Manager, Environmental Business; NRG Energy Inc.

Tony Shea is Sr. Manager for Environmental Business at NRG, where he manages environmental compliance programs for the company’s fleet of fossil-fueled and renewable power generation facilities. These include policies and procedures, performance metrics and audits. Mr. Shea has more than 16 years experience in environmental compliance and the power generation industry.

Prior to joining NRG in 2006, he managed environmental issues during the development of power generation facilities around the world at ABB Energy Ventures and worked as an environmental consultant with ENVIRON International Corp.

John Sullivan, Director, Environment, Health, and Safety News; The Bureau of National Affairs Inc.

John Sullivan has been with BNA for 17 years, serving most of that time in the Environment, Health & Safety Division. From 2001-2007 he was a senior editor directing a team of six editors and a dozen reporters covering environmental news for Daily Environment Report and other environmental publications at BNA. He was assistant managing editor for environmental news from 2008-2010. In January of this year, he was named director of EHS News and managing editor of Daily Environment Report. He is responsible for overall editorial policy for Daily Environment Report, Environment Reporter, Chemical Regulation Reporter, International Environment Reporter, World Climate Change Report, and Occupational Safety & Health Reporter.

Mary Joann “Majo” Thurman, Director Environmental, Health and Safety; Rockwell Automation Inc.

Majo Thurman is responsible for EHS management systems, performance and global compliance for Rockwell Automation. The headquarters department provides leadership, strategy and technical resources to drive continual improvement of the company’s EHS performance and conducts compliance audits globally to ensure compliance.

She began her career with Rockwell Automation as an environmental engineer, supporting the Milwaukee manufacturing location. In 1996, Ms. Thurman was among the initial team that created the headquarters’ environmental and safety organization, and she has held positions of increasing responsibility. She has a strong background in management systems and has been instrumental in achieving and maintaining certification to ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001. Additionally, she is the project lead for producing the Rockwell Automation Corporate Responsibility Report.

Ms. Thurman earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame, and a Master of Science degree in Environmental Engineering from the Milwaukee School of Engineering.

Karen Yeadon, Manager, Environment, Health & Safety; Emerson Process Management, Rosemount Inc.

Karen Yeadon has more than 25 years of experience in the EHS field. She has held a variety of positions with the private and public sector, growing from EHS compliance for facilities and processes within the United States to global oversight of environmental programs at all manufacturing locations. In her current position, which she has held for 11 years, her responsibilities include managing programs for the company’s 17 manufacturing locations, on 4 continents. Her role has expanded in recent years to include global regulations and directives, targeting the substances used in the production of finished goods.

Ms. Yeadon is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, with Bachelor of Science degrees in Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering. In addition, she is a 1997 graduate of the University of Minnesota’s Technological Leadership Institute with a Master of Science degree in Management of Technology.