2022 Speakers

Dr Gavin Macgregor-Skinner BVSc, MSc, MPH, CFO, CBFRS, MRCVS
Senior Director of Global Biorisk Advisory Council, a Division of ISSA
Certified Forensic Operator®, Certified Bio-Forensic Restoration Specialist®
Associate Professor, Penn State College of Medicine

Dr Gavin Macgregor-Skinner is the Senior Director of the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC), a Division of ISSA, and has more than 30 years of technical experience in responding to infectious disease outbreaks and emergency management. For the COVID-19 pandemic, he conducted onsite biological risk assessments and provided “just-in-time” training on infection prevention and control, cleaning and disinfection, and safe working practices for frontline workers in 16 US States and Hong Kong in hospital emergency departments, assisted-living and nursing homes, convention centers, airports, stadiums, public transport workers, and hotel staff and other essential employees. He has served on COVID-19 medical advisory committees for American Airlines, Port Authority Of New York and New Jersey, Hyatt Hotels, International Association of Venue Managers, American Association of Airport Executives, NFL and NBA teams including Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, and Los Angeles Lakers.

He is an Associate Professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences at Penn State College of Medicine and teaches three 15-week graduate courses on Public Health Preparedness for Disasters and Terrorist Emergencies. In 2014 he received the Dean’s Award for Excellence in teaching.

He has appeared on CNN, Fox News, BBC, Canada CTV, Australia ABC, C-SPAN, and other news outlets to share his expertise on High Consequence Pathogens such as Coronavirus, Ebola, Influenza, Measles, Cholera, Zika and other global health threats. He served 12-years as an Officer in the Australian and British militaries and was an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer at the U.S. CDC in Atlanta, Georgia, and a Global Health Fellow with the United States Agency for International Development in Washington DC.

Dr Greg Whiteley is an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney, and also is an adjunct Fellow in the School of Medicine at Western Sydney University. Greg is the Executive Chairman of Whiteley Corporation, a manufacturer of Therapeutic Goods based in the Hunter Region of New South Wales. His expertise is in the development and manufacture of cleaning solutions, disinfectants, antiseptics, sterilants and other human therapeutic goods. He is recognised as a global expert in the measurement of cleanliness, particularly based on rapid ATP testing where he is internationally published and is a regular conference speaker. Dr Whiteley is also widely known for the seminal work on bacterial biofilms in the spread of superbugs within healthcare settings, including the challenges of removing these bio-organic growths from reusable medical devices and high touch surfaces throughout hospitals. Dr Whiteley has previously served on HE 023 with Standards Australia and is a consultant to the National Infection Control Committee of the Australian Dental Association.

Carey Vermeulen has been a volunteer with the IICRC since 1991 and has served 17 of those years as a Board member, five years as Vice President, and three years as President. Carey has been involved in the development of IICRC/ANSI S500 Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Water Damage Restoration, IICRC/ANSI S520 Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Mould Remediation, IICRC/ANSI S100 Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Carpet Cleaning and was the Chair of the IICRC S300 Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Upholstery Cleaning. Today Carey is among the busiest IICRC instructors averaging over 70 classes a year primarily for the restoration and insurance industries and maintains among the highest student pass rate. Carey continues to volunteer as a public speaker at industry-related events, writes technical articles, and provides consulting services to the restoration, cleaning, and insurance industries.

Joe Dobbins has a long tenure with the IICRC having been in educational training since the mid-1980s in hands-on training seminars for the cleaning and restoration industry, and later in the early 1990s as an approved instructor of IICRC courses in 7 different subject fields in cleaning and restoration divisions. His love of teaching started in high school and as a Music Education and trumpet major at Jacksonville State University (Alabama) in the early 1970s. He is married to Janet and has two children, Alyson and David.

In the late 1990s, Joe became Certification Council Vice-Chair (now Education and Examinations Committee) and became the Chair in 2002-2008 as an IICRC Executive Committee Officer. He has been Chairman over 8 different IICRC courses (Technical Advisory Committee Chairman) and for 2 different Divisions. In addition, he has served as an Officer, as IICRC Treasurer, Education and Examinations Chair, and as Vice-Chair. His term as Executive Committee or IICRC Board member has been at 4 different term tenures.

Joe owned a cleaning, restoration, and inspection business for 25 years from 1982 to 2007, with the company performing work in cleaning (upholstery, carpets, rugs), water and fire damage restoration, packouts, and full-service reconstruction. As well, he owned a three-location distributorship for the cleaning and restoration industry. Upon retirement, Joe served as a property claims adjuster from 2007 to 2008 with a major insurance company fulfilling a complete circle to help better train a multi-faceted educational experiences to students. He still teaches today about 46 weeks each year in IICRC certification courses while serving in other capacities of leadership.

Brad Prezant is a public health and occupational health scientist, with an epidemiology and public health focus and perspective. He works primarily as a consultant, with additional experience as a University-based research scientist. Mr. Prezant has functioned over many decades as an independent expert/expert witness in Australia, New Zealand, and the U.S. Brad holds degrees in Public and Environmental Health (MSPH) with a focus on occupational health and epidemiology, and General Administration (MBA), both from the University of Washington (UW) School of Public & Environmental Health, and UW School of Business, respectively. He served as Affiliate Associate Professor at the UW School of Public Health for 15 years. Brad is a Certified Occupational Hygienist (COH, CIH, sub-specialty Indoor Environmental Quality), Certified Air Quality Professional (CAQP),and previously maintained certification as a Certified Professional Ergonomist (CPE). Brad is the current Vice-President of the International Society of Indoor Air Quality & Climate (ISIAQ). He is also an accredited WELL Building professional and a WELL Advisor Board Member.

Dr Allan Heckenberg is the Chief Scientist at Biosafety International. His qualifications from the University of New South Wales include a Bachelor Degree in Chemistry/Biochemistry, an Honours Degree in Analytical Chemistry, and a PhD in Analytical Chemistry. Allan has decades of international experience in applied chemistry, biochemistry and HVAC/Filtration. He also has extensive experience in HVAC and Filtration standards, research, marketing, technical service and sales.

Jeremy Stamkos is the Managing Director and Principal Consultant of Restoration Industry Consultants and since 2001, has been a highly influential participant in the Indoor Air Quality and HVAC Hygiene industries in Australia. Having built a national HVAC hygiene and specialist decontamination service business in the 2000s, Jeremy has since sold out of that business and turned his hand to consulting, education and advocacy for Indoor Air Quality, insurance property repair (restoration) and HVAC hygiene industries. Jeremy was the convenor of the AIRAH HVAC Hygiene Best Practice Guidelines published in 2009 and currently serves as AIRAH Associate Director for the Indoor Air Quality Special Technical Group. He is also an Accredited Instructor for various Industry organisations including the National Air Duct Cleaners Association USA. The most significant and recent IAQ initiative that Jeremy is involved with is the writing and submission of a proposal to Standards Australia for the development of an Indoor Air Quality Standard for Selected IAQ Parameters on behalf of the Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air-Conditioning & Heating (AIRAH).

Professor Gilles Guillemin has been working in the fields of Neuroimmunology, infectious diseases and tryptophan metabolism for more than 25 years. He is the Co-founder of the MND and Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Centre; the Co-founder of the Macquarie University MND Biobank and the Head of the Neuroinflammation group at Macquarie University. Professor Guillemin’s team is one of the world’s leading research groups working on the involvement of the tryptophan catabolism (via the kynurenine pathway) in human neurodegenerative and infectious diseases, and cancers. He demonstrated the roles of this pathway in multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, cancers, suicide, and how the kynurenine pathway metabolites can be used as prognostic biomarkers for disease progression, severity and response to treatments. He has published more than 300 peer reviewed scientific articles. His current h-index is currently 77 and has more than 22.000 citations.

Associate Professor Tony Kenna is teaching and research academic at Queensland University of Technology and an immunologist with expertise in autoimmune disease and how the immune system influences health and disease. Tony completed undergraduate and postgraduate training in Ireland before migrating to Brisbane to pursue his passion for biomedical research. He has published ground-breaking research on basic immunology and has defined critical elements of inflammation in autoimmune disorders. Through his research, Tony has come to understand some ways in which environments can influence how the immune system works and how how is a very fine balancing act that can be easily tipped in the wrong direction by seemingly innocuous circumstances. Tony is also the current President of the Australian Society for Medical Research and Academic Lead Research at QUT’s School of Biomedical Sciences.

Dr Claire Bird is a former environmental microbiology and chemistry research scientist and commercial consultant turned business owner. Today she operates a commercial and research laboratory employing advanced analytical techniques to better understand and describe mould conditions in relation to remediation and to health. Claire completed a Doctoral degree in airborne microorganism detection and characterisation in 2004 before moving to Australia to establish the Environmental Biotechnology laboratory at Flinders University. She has acted as peer reviewer for leading scientific publications and conference submissions in the field of bioaerosols and mould. Claire has since led Hygienist and IEP teams for some of Australia’s largest building contamination projects, uniquely positioning her at the junction of scientific research and real-world application in the dampness and mould space. Claire volunteers extensively as a technical subject matter expert and liaison point on microbial contamination of buildings. Her broader indoor air quality involvement spans a speciality and geographically diverse range of indoor air quality-associated National and International professional bodies and organisations such as IAQA Australia, AIRAH, AIOH and NABERS. Former inaugural President of the Indoor Air Quality Association Australia, Claire operates as Executive Secretary of the global-based Integrated Biosciences and Built Environment Consortium (IBEC).

Tim Law (PhD) is an architectural scientist, principal at Archsciences. He is also a Building Surveying lecturer and course chair of the Building Surveying programs at Victoria University. His research over recent years has been into the occurrence of condensation in new code-compliant buildings in Tasmania and Victoria, and the study of mould and its impact on occupant health. He has found the problem to be very widespread, very serious, and as a nation Australia is very far behind under countries in construction quality and legal recourse. He has completed reports for the Victorian Building Authority, Tasmanian building regulator, the Australian Building Codes Board, the federal parliamentary inquiry into mould, and the inclusion of more robust condensation stipulations into the National Construction Code. He thrives on complex interdisciplinary work involving architectural science, environmental microbiology and public health.

Dr Melissa Marot is a clinical neuropsychologist and organisational psychologist with a keen interest in neurosciences. She has a particular interest in the effects of indoor air quality and mould on brain function, mental health and wellbeing. Melissa has experience working with a range of psychological needs – the challenge of growth and success, transitions and change, leadership, team effectiveness, building resilience, complex and high stress workplaces and other issues. Melissa has expertise in wellbeing and performance at work, including 25 years of experience working with people and organisations such as the United Nations, International Disaster Recovery, Emergency Services in Australia and overseas, Australian/UK Defence Forces, Federal Public Sector, Commercial Organisations and Not for Profits. She also sits on various local and international scientific advisory boards. Melissa enjoys connections and collaborations with a diverse range of people, approaches and cultures – which extends from her professional life through to travelling adventures.

Tony Powell is an accredited ATFA inspector and assesses many insurance-related claims where timber floors have been damaged. He assists Hurford Hardwood, liaising and providing technical assistance to those installers using Hurford product. Each year he also provides valuable industry training for ATFA members and member companies, both online and face-to-face, throughout Australia and New Zealand. For many years, Tony ran his own flooring company in Canberra—Floors by Powell—and soon had a reputation for doing high quality work. Products included vinyl, solid strip timber and parquetry, as well as engineered and laminate flooring. He has been associated with ATFA from its inception more than 16 years ago, and although he has now sold his Canberra business, he still remains very active in the industry.

Sarah Ryan is a Field Sales Representative whose current Senior Sales Specialist role at 3M Australia (Personal Safety Division) focuses on providing technical end-user guidance and advice around selecting, using and maintaining respiratory protective equipment. This is backed by her Certificate IV in Work Health & Safety and five years in the industrial and safety equipment industry. She is passionate about the use, care and maintenance of personal protective equipment to ensure that workers’ health is not compromised by workplace exposures and practices.

Jason Green is a Certified Occupational Hygienist (COH)® and Full Member of the Australian Institute of Occupational Hygienists (AIOH). He is also a Certified Water Damage Restoration Technician with the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC), and he holds a Master’s degree in Occupational Hygiene Practice (OHP) from the University of Wollongong. Jason has over 29 years of experience in the fields of occupational hygiene, indoor air and environmental air quality (IAQ/IEQ), chemical exposure, hazardous materials, workplace health and safety (WHS) and environmental consulting. He has conducted a diverse range occupational hygiene, IAQ, IEQ risk assessments for a wide range of government, commercial, residential and industrial projects.

Jason is a board member with the Indoor Air Quality Association (IAQA) in Australia, and he is the President of the Workplace Health Without Borders (WHWB) in Australia. He is a member of the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA), the British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS) and the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH). Jason has acted as Lead Occupational Hygienist, project manager and provided onsite supervision on multiple large projects covering multi-site assets. He has particular experience in the areas of occupational exposure monitoring; occupational noise assessments; qualitative and quantitative health risk assessments for occupational/community exposures; and hazardous chemicals investigations.