|
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.
|
|
|
Ross Akin
 |
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 |
|
Bob Gilbreath
 |
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 |
|
Don Hollister
 |
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. |
|
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.
|
| Education: B.E. in Mechanical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, 1948; Senior Member, Society for Technical Communication |
| Focus: Water conservation |
|
Ron Miller
 |
Work Experience: 45 years
|
| 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 |
|
Terry Albrecht
 |
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. |
|
Beverley Fermor
|
Work Experience: 30 years |
|
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
|
|
Bruce Thoreson
|
Work Experience: 35 years
|
| 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. |
|
Education: M.S. Telcommunications Management, Naval Post Graduate School, B.S. Engineering, University of Wisconsin
|
Focus: Energy, Process Improvement
|
|
Bill Birdsong
|
Work Experience: 35 years |
|
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
|
|
John Manuel
|
Work Experience: 34 years |
|
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
|
|
|
|
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.