2025 Chesapeake AIHA & ASSP Educational Seminar: Current Topics in Safety, Health And Environmental Issues

Adele L. Abrams is an attorney, Associate Safety Professional (ASP) and Certified Mine Safety Professional (CMSP) who is Senior Counsel  with Littler Mendelson P.C., a national employment and occupational safety and health law firm . She is affiliated with their Washington, DC. Office. She represents employers in OSHA and MSHA litigation nationwide. Prior to joining Littler, Abrams was president of the national Law Office of Adele L Abrams for 25 years.

She is a member of the Maryland, D.C., and PA Bars; the U.S. District Courts of Maryland, D.C., and TN; the U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit 3rd Circuit, and 4th Circuit; and the United States Supreme Court. She also serves on the adjunct faculty of the University of Colorado-Boulder, where she teaches on employment, labor and occupational safety law.

Abrams is a professional member of ASSP and is an active member of the National Safety Council, where she was awarded the Distinguished Service to Safety Award (DSSA) in 2017. She is also an Avetta Fellow. Abrams has coauthored several textbooks on employment law, occupational and mine safety and health, and is a regular columnist on safety law issues for multiple magazines.

Her contact information is: safetylawyer@gmail.com or 301-613-7498.

Dan Barnett, MD, MPH is a Professor in the Department of Environmental Health & Engineering at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (JHSPH), where he holds joint appointments in the Department of Health Policy and Management and the Department of Health, Behavior and Society.  His work focuses on leveraging applied research to examining and enhancing public health preparedness systems’ readiness for disasters across the all-hazards continuum and across the disaster lifecycle. He directs the Preparedness Certificate program at JHSPH, where he is on the Core Practice Faculty, and conducts preparedness and other trainings for the public health workforce as PI for the HRSA-funded Mid-Atlantic Regional Public Health Training Center - Johns Hopkins Local Performance Site. 

Elizabeth Bramhall, M.P.H., is a dedicated expert in biosafety, industrial hygiene, occupational safety, and public health, with over a decade of experience supporting critical Army operations. She has served at the Pentagon, the Army Research Laboratory (ARL), and now the U.S. Army DEVCOM Chemical Biological Center, where she plays a vital role in advancing biodefense research. As the incoming President of the Chesapeake Area Biological Safety Association (ChABSA), she champions collaboration in the biosafety, industrial hygiene, and public health communities.

Currently pursuing her Doctor of Public Health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Elizabeth’s dissertation explores bioaerosols in the workplace and their potential impact on global health risks and regulatory policy. Her contributions to Army safety have earned her several honors, including the Army Civilian Service Commendation Medal and multiple Army Civilian Service Achievement Medals.

Outside of her professional and academic pursuits, Elizabeth thrives on adventure and curiosity. She’s an avid traveler working toward her goal of visiting every continent and enjoys spending time outdoors, reading, and exploring new cuisines. 
 

Cristina has been an industrial hygienist with Maryland Occupational Safety and Health for the past 18 years as an inspector, instructor, speaker, supervisor, and manager. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Clinical Laboratory Science, a Master’s degree in Health Science, and is a Certified Industrial Hygienist. 

Marianne Cloeren is a physician and public health expert specializing in occupational and environmental medicine, who is Board-Certified in both Occupational Medicine and Internal Medicine. An Associate Professor of Medicine at University of Maryland School of Medicine,  she has extensive experience addressing complex workplace health challenges, including substance use disorders, workplace safety, and preventive health strategies. She has been collaborating with colleagues in other professions and with Maryland state agencies since 2019 to build programs that partner with businesses to reduce the risk of opioids. In her most recent project, Workplace PROSPER (Partnering to Reduce Opioid Stigma and Promote Employment in Recovery), she leads a workplace naloxone training project and collaborates with the state’s Recovery Friendly Workplace pilot program.

Dr. Dopart is anoccupational andenvironmental health scientist and CIH who specializes inexposure assessment methods to inform health riskassessments. She has experiencemeasuring, modeling, and evaluating exposures in occupational and environmental settings andfrom consumer products.Dr. Dopart also has experience developing and evaluating targetedhuman health risk evaluations in accordance with EPA TSCA guidance and has served as astudy coordinator on TSCA Section 4 Test Orders for occupational monitoring studies andconsumer product emission testing.

Dr. Jodi J. Frey, PhD, LCSW-C, CEAP is a full Professor with tenure at University of Maryland, School of Social Work. She also serves as Associate Dean for Research and she is the Founder and Faculty Executive Director of the Center for Behavioral Health and Well-Being Research (BHWell). For almost 20 years, Dr. Frey chaired the SSW’s Workplace and Employee Assistance Sub-specialization and for 10 years she chaired the Financial Social Work Initiative. Dr. Frey’s research focuses on adult and emerging adult behavioral health and well-being with an emphasis on suicide prevention, mental health, substance use, the workplace, and social determinants of health. She has published over 100 articles, books and book chapters, in addition to presenting research at international conferences and receiving numerous awards for her research and teaching. Dr. Frey co-chairs the Workplace Suicide Prevention and Postvention Committee where she is working with the committee to disseminate the National Guidelines for Workplace Suicide Prevention. In spring 2023, she was honored to receive two awards from her students: Exemplary Faculty Award from UMSSW MSW students and the Dr. Donna Harrington Exemplary Faculty Mentor Award from UMSSW PhD students. You can follow Dr. Frey on LinkedIn at /jodijacobsonfrey.

Ryan Hines is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering in the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University, where his research is focused on occupational exposure modeling and assessment strategies.

Ryan is a CIH, CHMM, and has 15 years of work experience as an Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) consultant, primarily focusing on the aerospace, precision optics, and metal finishing manufacturing sectors.

He is the President of the AIHA Student Chapter at the Johns Hopkins and the Secretary of the Chesapeake Local Section of AIHA. He has a Bachelor's degree in Environmental Systems Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, a Master of Science degree in Occupational and Environment al Hygiene from the Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering, along with Graduate Certificates in Environmental and Occupational Health and Risk Sciences and Public Policy from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Matthew P. Koss is the Director of Corporate Safety at ECS Corporate Services LLC., a leader in geotechnical, construction materials, environmental and facilities engineering located in Chantilly, VA. He is a published author and the Vice President of the American Society of Safety Professional's Chesapeake Chapter. He's currently pursuing his Masters in Engineering (Advanced Safety Engineering and Management) at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and earned a Bachelor of Science in Safety Management from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. Koss has over 15 years of hands - on, occupational health and safety experience, and is the owner of Capitol Safety Professionals LLC., a safety consulting company. 

Mrs. Caroline Lee is a highly skilled Safety, Health, and Environment (SH&E) Manager based in the Greater Pennsylvania Area, with extensive experience in environmental and occupational regulatory compliance, industrial hygiene and noise sampling, oversight of remedial and demolition activities, accident investigation, risk management, and hazardous waste management. Mrs. Lee focuses on risk management of field personnel and mitigating environmental and biological hazards from a variety of field environments and hazards across the East Coast. She is particularly passionate about training and has personally taught hundreds of classes. Known for her enthusiastic approach, exceptional attention to detail, and strong critical thinking skills, Mrs. Lee consistently ensures high satisfaction with those she works with.

Eric is the EHS Director for New York and New Jersey at Triumvirate Environmental and has over 12 years of experience in EHS. In his role as an EHS Director, Eric runs a team of over 20 Consultants engaged at over 3 dozen life science, healthcare, and higher education facilities across New York and New Jersey. Eric also served 11 years with the Delaware Army National Guard as an Air Ambulance Crew Chief. In addition to his breadth of experience, Eric holds multiple degrees and safety credentials including an MS in Occupational Safety and Health/Environmental Management, a BA in Emergency and Disaster Management, and is a Certified Safety Professional and Registered Environmental Professional. Eric lives in New Jersey with his wife and three children.Cristina has been an industrial hygienist with Maryland Occupational Safety and Health for the past 18 years as an inspector, instructor, speaker, supervisor, and manager. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Clinical Laboratory Science, a Master’s degree in Health Science, and is a Certified Industrial Hygienist. 

Craig Lowry is a Certified Safety Professional and has spoken on a wide variety of safety, health and environmental topics locally and nationally. Back in the last Century Craig was the Chief Inspector for Maryland OSHA program where he reviewed and supervised the investigation of more than 250 fatalities in Maryland. It is for this reason that Craig is uniquely qualified to discuss how the lack of effective communication and planning stole the lives of many Maryland workers.

Dr. Clifford S. Mitchell is the Director of the Environmental Health Bureau in the Maryland Department of Health’s Prevention and Health Promotion Administration.  He directs Bureau activities, which include food protection; asthma, lead and healthy homes epidemiology and home visiting programs; violence and injury epidemiology and prevention programs; occupational health surveillance; and regulatory programs for pools, youth camps, and community housing settings.  Dr. Mitchell joined the Department in 2006, after 14 years on the faculty of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.  He has a Bachelor’s degree from Williams College, a Master’s of Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a medical degree from the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, and a Master of Public Health from the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health.   Dr. Mitchell is the Chair of Environmental/Occupational Health for the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists’ Program & Policy Committee, and has previously sat on or chaired a number of state and national committees dealing with environmental/occupational health.  His research, practice, and publications focus on occupational health and opioids management, indoor environments, climate and health, environmental/occupational surveillance, and environmental health workforce development.  

Jerry E. Rivera is the Director of Safety for the Washington, DC Chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association. He has co-authored numerous research papers and articles on electrical safety. Mr. Rivera has served on several prominent committees, including the Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health, the NFPA 70E Committee, and the ANSI/ASSP A10 Committee, among others.

In addition to his contributions to the field of electrical safety, Mr. Rivera has a distinguished military background, having served as a Sergeant in an artillery unit with Echo Battery, 7th Field Artillery at Fort Drum, New York.

Steven Stewart, Vice President of Safety for Structural Group Inc. is a trusted advocate for the development and implementation of safety culture within the construction industry.  Early in his career as a new first responder, Steven quickly realized that the safety profession was an area where he could leverage his passion for helping people to ensure they went home safe each day. Through several decades of service within the petrochemical and then construction industries, Steven has combined his firsthand experiences, and many lessons learned to develop and implement the company’s Safety 24/7 safety culture. 

Casey Tiefenwerth is the Director of the Maryland Recovery Friendly Workplace Program at the Maryland Department of Labor. In this role, she manages state and federal funding for initiatives that support job seekers impacted by substance use and/or homelessness. Drawing on her experience in the nonprofit sector, private sector, and state government, Casey specializes in workforce development programming for individuals with substance use and co-occurring disorders. Her subject matter expertise includes supported employment, homelessness, peer support, and recovery.

Daniel Timco is the Founder of IntelliSafe Analytics. IntelliSafe Analytics develops human-centered safety systems that use AI and Wearable Technology to identify safety incidents and risks to predict and prevent accidents, real-time. 

Daniel is an entrepreneur, inventor, company owner and senior leader. For 27 years Daniel has been involved in New Product Development, Operations and Business Development at some of the largest corporations in the world. His extensive background in new product development, research, engineering, operational leadership and business startups has been instrumental in the companies he has been a part of, led and owned. He has more than 20 years of experience in leadership positions at safety companies leading the manufacturing and development of safety products.

James Woodward, Sr. is the Safety Director for McLean Contracting , a heavy civil and marine contracting company, based in the mid-atlantic region. Mr. Woodward has been responsible for simultaneously overseeing safety on multiple 50MM+ projects, over the last ten years. He also manages multiple site safety coordinators and is responsible for developing and implementing training to the entire McLean team. Mr. Woodward has successfully incorporated elements of energy-based safety, behavior-based safety, and human and organizational performance to improve upon the pre-planning process and prevent injuries to the hand and fingers.  Mr. Woodward has developed a thorough training program for workers of all levels from laborers and craft workers to project management and the executive team. Mr. Woodward holds Bachelor's and Master's Degrees from the University of Baltimore.