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Waste Reduction Partners is uniquely staffed with retired engineers, scientists, and staff who share their expertise with businesses and communities across North Carolina. As a multidisciplinary team of mechanical, electrical, civil, environmental, and chemical engineers, scientists, and architects, they have had distinguished careers in a variety of industries, such as automotive, food, textile, utility, chemical, paper, construction, aerospace, electronics, and government. This remarkable group has more than 2,200 years of cumulative experience.
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Ross Akin
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Work Experience: 40 years |
| Work History: Clarke Gravely; Machining Engineer; Robert Bosch - Fuel Injection Production Engineer; Welch Allyn - Medical Instrument Engineer; INA Bearing - Bearing Production Engineer; Continental Automotive - Engineer / consultant automotive brake components and systems |
| Education: BS East Tennessee State Univ. 1967; ISO/QS9000 Lead Auditor 2001 |
| Focus: Recycling, waste reduction, renewable energy, methods improvement, micro-hydro power generation |
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Bob Gilbreath
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Work Experience: 45 years |
| Work History: Rust International Corporation, Engineering, Birmingham, AL |
| Education: BSME,MSME University of Alabama |
| Focus: Energy management |
Active Associations: ASME, ASHRAE, NSPE
Registered Engineer: North Carolina, Alabama |
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Don Hollister
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Work Experience: 22 years in aerospace industry; 20 years as co-owner of small business; 5 years as an independent contractor, taught non-credit course in technical writing, University of Akron. |
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Work History: Seven years as an aeronautical research scientist at NACA (predecessor of NASA) performing tests on jet engines and components; five years as a technical writer/editor at Goodyear Aircraft Corp. writing and editing technical proposals, technical manuals, and other documentation. Ten years at Northrop Carolina as a proposal coordinator and later as Manager, Technical Support Services Section, responsible for technical publications, print shop, configuration management, and technical library; twenty years as co-owner of small firm performing printing services as well as technical publication services, and 5 years as independent contractor performing technical publication services.
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| Education: B.E. in Mechanical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, 1948; Senior Member, Society for Technical Communication |
| Focus: Water conservation |
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Ron Miller
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Work Experience: 45 years
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| Work History: Network Engineer; Owner/Partner in RM Network Associates LLC; Plant Manager, International Minerals & Chemical; Brewing Manager, Miller Brewing Co.; QC Manager, Dow Badische Fibers; Plant Engineer, Dow Badische Fibers; Nuclear Chemist, Newport News Shipbuilding |
| Education: BS Chemistry, The College of William and Mary; MBA, SMU |
| Focus: Energy, water conservation |
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Terry Albrecht
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Work Experience: 23 years |
| Work History: Director of the Waste Reduction Partners (WRP), a technical consulting group of the Land-of-Sky Regional Council, which works in a partnership with NC DENR and the State Energy Office. The innovative team of volunteer and staff engineers provides waste reduction and energy efficiency assistance to businesses and public institutions throughout North Carolina. Since 2000, WRP has provided over 116,000 hours of technical assistance, helping businesses and municipal clients save over $22 million in utility costs - while improving their environmental performance. |
| Education: Certified Energy Manager, a Professional Engineer in North Carolina, and holds Bachelor and Master Degrees in Civil and Environmental Engineering from NCSU. |
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Beverley Fermor
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Work Experience: 30 years |
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Work History: Assistant Professor with Duke University Medical Center, Division of Orthopaedics; Research Associate with Duke University Medical Center, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Bristol University and the Royal Post Surgery Medical School; Author of more than 40 articles; and member of several professional organizations.
Education: Ph.D. University of Bristol, M.I. Biol. Physiology and Pharmacology, University of West England
Focus: All Areas
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Bruce Thoreson
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Work Experience: 35 years
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| Work History: Bruce served for 20 years in the United States Marine Corp designing data communications networks. After retiring from service, Bruce continued his career as a Principal Engineer and Program Manager for Hughes Aircraft Corporation and RNB Technologies, Inc. where he developed voice and data systems. |
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Education: M.S. Telcommunications Management, Naval Post Graduate School, B.S. Engineering, University of Wisconsin
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Focus: Energy, Process Improvement
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Bill Birdsong
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Work Experience: 35 years |
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Work History: Engineering generalist with extensive experience in manufacturing. Held corporate industrial engineering positions with O'Neal Steel, Pentair Corporation/Lincoln Automotive Division, and O'Sullivan/Gulf Stream Division.
Education: M.S. Management, Georgia Southwestern State University, B.E.T. Industrial Systems Engineering, University of South Florida
Focus: Operating Efficiencies
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John Manuel
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Work Experience: 34 years |
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Work History: Project manager with the Energy Division, NC Department of Commerce. Responsible for the NC Residential Energy Conservation Program, NC Solar Energy Bank, and the Governor's Showcase of Solar Homes. Project Manager with the NC Alternative Energy Corporation. Developed programs to assist owners of residential, commercial, and institutional buildings reduce energy consumption. Wrote technical informational brochures and handbooks on residential energy conservation and solar energy technologies.
Freelance technical writer and editor.
Education: Master of Regional Planning, UNC-Chapel Hil, B.A., Anthropology, Yale University
Focus: Energy, Technical Writing
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Soud Al-Mishwit
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Work Experience: 34 years
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Work History: Spent over 20 years as a professor at the Milwaukee School of Engineering. Taught numerous undergraduate Mechanical Engineering courses. Taught for three years at the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training, State of Kuwait – teaching undergraduate classes in thermal sciences. Worked for the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research for five years. Certified Energy Auditor.
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Education: Master of Science and Bachelor of Science Degrees in Mechanical Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
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Steve Pearce
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Work Experience: 38 years
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Work History: Steve retired from Novozymes North America after 25 years providing technical service to customers using enzymes in industry. Prior to Novozymes, he worked as technical director for a small company and in product formulation for an OTC pharmaceutical company.
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Education: Ph.D. Chemistry, University of Florida, B.S. Chemistry and B.S. Biology, University of West Florida
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Focus: Interested in continuing his career in plant and process evaluation but with regard to waste reduction. Because he believes that neither plant nor process stand alone, he is insterested in a holistic approach and wants to learn all areas of review within WRP.
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Joe Riddle
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Work Experience: 35 years |
Work History: Fourteen years in the furniture industry as a facility and environmental engineer and a year in the mining industry as a plant engineer. Also worked nine years as a plant and process engineer in the converting industry and three years as a project engineer for the textile and nuclear industries. Worked three years in sales and design to the polymer industry plus worked as a project engineer in the hydraulic hose, rope manufacture and other industries.
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Education: BET in Mechanical Engineering from UNCC, AAS from Central Piedmont Community College in mechanical drafting and design. Also have Six Sigma Lean Green Belt training.
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| Focus: Energy management |
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George F. McRae
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Work Experience: 26 years
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Work History: Managerial experience in environmental solutions, energy and electroplating including Director of Environmental Affairs for Moen Incorporated, and Manager of Plating and Pollution Control with Stanadyne Corporation.
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Education: BS Zoology, UNC - Chapel Hill
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Focus: Energy, Pollution Prevention
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Martin Ferris
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Work Experience: 41 Years in Chemical / Process Industries
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Work History: 14 years with Olin Corporation in engineering and operations. 27 years with Air Products & Chemicals as Plant / Site Manager, Corporate Safety & Environmental Director, and Manufacturing Director. Currently principal and owner of MW Ferris Group LLC and Sr. VP of The SRI Group.
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Education: B.S., Ch.E. University of Kentucky; Graduate studies University of Louisville Speed Scientific School; P.E.-KY.
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Focus: Cost Efficiency; Operations Effectiveness; Management Processes & Systems; Safety; Environmental
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Orville McKinney
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Work Experience: 32 years |
| Work History: Marketing/selling electronic components (process controls, permanent magnets, chlorination equipment, cathode ray tubes, picture tubes, semiconductors). Vapor Heating Co., Westinghouse, Fischer-Porter, Sylvania Electric, Fairchild Semiconductor. |
| Education: BSME PURDUE UNIVERSITY - 1951. GTE Senior Management Course, NYU Graduate School - 1969. |
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Waste Reduction Partners is administered by the Land-of-Sky Regional Council and the Triangle J Council of Governments. WRP is a partnership program of the NC Division of Environmental Assistance and Outreach, with sponsorship, in part, by the North Carolina State Energy Office.