Jerry Wade brings 27 years of hazardous waste management and emergency response experience, with more than 25 years of deep regulatory
expertise across CERCLA, RCRA, TSCA, OPA, and DOT frameworks. Since 1995, he has served as an approved Senior Response Manager under the
U.S. EPA ERRS/ERCS program, providing trusted leadership in high-risk, compliance-critical environments across the continental United States
and the Islands of Micronesia.
Jerry has successfully managed 1,000+ task orders, including waste characterization, consolidation, profiling, and disposal; development
and execution of Health & Safety Plans; facility decontamination and demolition; mine tailings stabilization; and large-scale excavation
projects. His work consistently balances regulatory rigor with practical execution, minimizing client risk, cost exposure, and operational
disruption.
Recognized for his disciplined, solutions-oriented approach, Jerry excels at navigating complex regulatory landscapes, coordinating
multi-stakeholder response efforts, and delivering technically sound outcomes under demanding conditions. He also brings extensive
experience in onsite treatment technologies and biomass (waste-to-energy) systems, with a particular focus on digester efficiency and
wastewater treatment performance.
Jerry’s depth of experience makes him a critical advisor for organizations operating in regulated environmental, industrial, and
emergency response settings.
Jeff Hibner is a senior operations and logistics executive with more than 25 years of leadership experience across energy infrastructure, marine logistics, terminal operations, and large-scale industrial project management. He has held senior leadership roles with major energy organizations including NuStar Energy, Par Hawaii, Kinder Morgan, and Chevron, managing complex, high-risk operations across the West Coast, Hawaii, and the Pacific Northwest.
Jeff’s expertise includes multimillion-dollar P&L oversight, capital project execution, regulatory compliance improvement, and the stewardship of mission-critical assets such as marine terminals, petroleum pipelines, storage facilities, and statewide distribution networks. He is widely recognized for transforming safety cultures and strengthening operational reliability. Under his leadership, NuStar’s Vancouver Terminal achieved Washington L&I’s VPP recognition within two years after a decade-long effort.
As Owner of Cougar Creek Enterprises LLC and Associate Consultant with Stillwater Associates, Jeff advises downstream petroleum clients on operational performance, safety management systems, leadership development, and process optimization. His governance experience includes board service with the Clean Rivers Association and the Merchants Exchange, contributing to environmental stewardship, maritime safety, and industry standards.
Jeff is a frequent speaker at OSHA SHARPS Alliance and VPP conferences and holds numerous industry certifications, including OSHA 30, ICS leadership coursework, TWIC, HAZWOPER, and Responsible Officer credentials. He is based in Vancouver, Washington.
Michael Richardson brings 15+ years of project management experience within the biomass waste and emergency response sectors, with
specialized expertise in marine salvage, commercial diving operations, and pollution mitigation. He has led complex response efforts
involving distressed vessels, integrating technical execution with regulatory compliance in high-risk, time-sensitive environments.
Michael has extensive experience operating within OPA and DOT regulatory frameworks, ensuring response activities meet stringent
environmental, safety, and compliance requirements while maintaining operational efficiency. His leadership bridges field execution and
strategic oversight, allowing teams to perform effectively under pressure.
In addition to his project leadership capabilities, Michael is highly proficient in heavy equipment operation, marine response logistics,
and offshore coordination. His technical background includes training as an ROV Operator and Dive Tender, enabling seamless integration
between hands-on field operations and management oversight. He also possesses strong working knowledge of biomass and waste-to-energy
systems, supporting sustainable waste management and alternative energy initiatives.
Michael holds comprehensive incident command, safety, and emergency response certifications, including FEMA Incident Command System
training, OSHA 40-Hour HAZWOPER (with annual refreshers), commercial diving safety certifications, DOT hazardous materials training, and
CPR/First Aid.
His combination of technical depth, operational discipline, and leadership experience makes him a key asset in complex environmental
response, remediation, and marine operations.
Harry L. Allen, III, PhD, is a Principal Environmental Scientist with over 40 years of experience in hazardous waste management, emergency
response, and applied bioremediation. He earned his doctorate from Rutgers University Graduate School (New Brunswick, NJ), where his research
focused on benthic decomposition of adsorbed hydrocarbons, establishing a foundation in the biological treatment of contaminated soil and
sediment.
From 1980 through July 2011, Dr. Allen served with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Response Team (ERT) in Edison, New
Jersey, where he was recognized as a national technical expert in hazardous waste and emergency response. His specialization includes the
biological treatment of soils and sediments contaminated with oil and persistent organic pollutants at emergency response actions, Superfund
removal sites, and long-term remedial projects.
Dr. Allen served as Scientific Support Coordinator for major spill responses, including the Ashland Oil and PEPCO oil spills, and provided
scientific and technical support during the Exxon Valdez, BP Deepwater Horizon, and Enbridge pipeline incidents. He has directly participated
in bioremediation efforts at more than 17 oil spill and oil-contaminated sites.
His applied remediation work includes implementation of aerobic bioremediation (landfarming) at 13 pentachlorophenol (PCP) sites, 12
creosote sites, and 32 pesticide-contaminated sites, primarily involving toxaphene and DDT. Dr. Allen also brings extensive international
experience across 17 countries, providing technical leadership in emergency response, environmental troubleshooting, and remediation
strategy development.
Following his retirement from the EPA, Dr. Allen founded HLA3 Environmental, where he continues to provide scientific consulting and technical
review services. He remains actively engaged in international remediation initiatives, including ongoing technical support to the Government
of Vietnam for the remediation of Agent Orange and dioxin-contaminated soils. In May 2010, he completed a pilot bioremediation study in Da
Nang, Vietnam, in partnership with the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, demonstrating the feasibility of biological treatment for
heavily contaminated soil and sediment.
Eric Shanks is a senior executive with more than three decades of experience across public and private sectors, specializing in community and economic development, workforce strategy, and stakeholder-driven program design. He has worked extensively with policymakers at the municipal, state, and federal levels, alongside contractors, school districts, community organizations, funders, and industry partners to create sustainable career pathways aligned with long-term economic outcomes.
Eric previously served as Executive Director and CEO of Cypress Mandela Training Center in Oakland, California — an internationally recognized workforce development organization known for pioneering economic and community development models centered on emerging green technologies and climate initiatives in underserved communities. Under his leadership, Cypress Mandela developed and implemented innovative training programs addressing critical workforce needs across transportation, utilities, building trades, environmental health and safety, energy efficiency, and infrastructure development sectors.
Earlier in his career, Eric contributed to environmental litigation support efforts under DOJ and EPA oversight related to the Exxon Valdez oil spill, then the largest oil spill in U.S. history. This formative experience shaped his long-standing commitment to environmental justice, health and safety training, and brownfield redevelopment. He has since worked to help communities restore contaminated properties by partnering with developers, remediation specialists, and public agencies.
Eric’s work reflects a holistic approach to building economically resilient and environmentally sustainable communities — integrating workforce development, environmental responsibility, and policy alignment to deliver lasting social and economic impact.
Rozaliya Ripa is a strategic operations and organizational architect specializing in systems design, governance strategy, and decision-making frameworks for complex businesses and emerging industries. With experience spanning mergers, crypto-based enterprises, investment structures, and multi-stakeholder organizations, she focuses on how businesses function, communicate, and scale effectively.
As the creator of Strategic Alchemy, Rose has developed a proprietary methodology that integrates strategy, operational flow, archetypal decision-making, and organizational psychology. Her work helps leadership teams align structure, culture, and execution — translating abstract vision into repeatable, functional systems that drive clarity, accountability, and long-term value creation.
Her background includes building and integrating organizations, advising on investment logic and capital flow, and guiding leadership teams through periods of transition, growth, or realignment. She is known for her ability to synthesize strategy, operations, communication, and human dynamics into cohesive operating models that support resilient decision-making.
Bringing a systems-level perspective to boards and executive teams, Rose serves as a strategic integrator — connecting people, processes, and purpose to ensure organizations move with coherence, discipline, and intention.
Philip Hughes is a senior executive specializing in rural property, agriculture, animal health, and renewable energy, with a strong track record of developing and scaling commercially successful enterprises. His work sits at the intersection of land management, sustainable energy, and agricultural innovation, where he partners closely with clients and stakeholders to deliver practical, time-sensitive solutions.
Philip holds a BSc (Hons) in Rural Enterprise and Land Management and is a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rural), a Fellow of the Association of Agricultural Valuers, and a Nuffield Farming Scholar. These credentials underpin his ability to balance technical rigor with commercial insight, ensuring projects deliver both operational performance and long-term value.
In 2017, Philip led the development of Ekogea UK’s flagship demonstration project — a 200kW anaerobic digestion plant at his family farm, Hendwr — established to validate the effectiveness of BioComplex in a real-world agricultural environment. The project’s success demonstrated measurable performance improvements and laid the foundation for Ekogea’s expansion within the UK AD and biogas market.
Philip is recognized for his collaborative leadership style, commercial acumen, and commitment to advancing sustainable agricultural and renewable energy systems.
Ian Sawle serves as the technical lead for Ekogea UK and is widely regarded as the team’s technical authority in anaerobic digestion, biogas, and renewable energy systems. With a career grounded in thermal insulation, fluid mechanics, and mechanical and electrical design, Ian brings deep expertise in dynamic thermal performance, system modeling, and integrated plant design.
Over the past decade, Ian has designed and commissioned renewable energy solutions across the biomass, combined heat and power (CHP), and anaerobic digestion sectors. His engineering approach blends rigorous technical analysis with practical, field-tested solutions, enabling rapid resolution of complex design and performance challenges.
A qualified Mechanical Engineer, Ian is a member of several professional bodies, including ASHRA, CSA, and CIBSE. His forward-thinking design philosophy and systems-level perspective led him to identify Ekogea as a natural partner for advancing AD and waste-to-energy technologies.
As head of technical design for Ekogea UK, Ian is responsible for ensuring Ekogea’s solutions integrate seamlessly with both existing and new plants, delivering reliable performance, operational efficiency, and long-term system resilience.
