Air Quality and Climate Division Contact Information

Heidi Hales, PhD- Director

Manages the Divisions programs, including permitting, compliance, monitoring, mobile sources and planning. Implements state and federal clean air laws and works with federal, regional, state and local agencies and organizations to address air pollution and climate change. Responsible for setting the overall direction of the air quality and greenhouse gas reduction programs in the State of Vermont

Rachel Stevens, Esq - Associate General Counsel

Provides legal support to the Director and Staff of the Air Quality and Climate Division.

Jay Hollingsworth - Section Chief

Supervises Permitting & Engineering Section of Air Quality & Climate Division. Administers the state and federal Air Quality Permits to Construct and Permits to Operate programs for Vermont. Provides technical and program management assistance to AQCD on air pollution emissions from stationary sources. Reviews permit applications for Air Quality Permits to Construct and Permits to Operate. Provides technical assistance to applicants on permitting and air pollution emissions from stationary sources.

Tony Mathis - Environmental Engineer

Member of Permitting & Engineering Section of Air Quality & Climate Division. Reviews permit applications for Air Quality Permits to Construct and Permits to Operate. Provides technical assistance to AQCD and applicants on permitting and air pollution emissions from stationary sources.

Phil Cannata - Environmental Engineer

Member of Permitting & Engineering Section of Air Quality & Climate Division. Reviews permit applications for Air Quality Permits to Construct and Permits to Operate. Provides technical assistance to AQCD and applicants on permitting and air pollution emissions from stationary sources.

Jenny Berschling - Environmental Engineer

Member of Permitting & Engineering Section of Air Quality & Climate Division. Reviews permit applications for Air Quality Permits to Construct and Permits to Operate. Provides technical assistance to AQCD and applicants on permitting and air pollution emissions from stationary sources.

John Wakefield - Section Chief

Supervises Compliance Section. Division lead on enforcement related legal actions. Enforcement liaison for USEPA and for internal Agency work.

David Shepard - Environmental Analyst

Investigates air pollution related complaints and conducts compliance inspections at sources of air pollution including industrial facilities, gasoline dispensing facilities and perchloroethylene dry cleaners. Oversees Vermont’s outdoor wood boiler certification program. Issues open burning permits.

Brian Monroe - Environmental Analyst

Conducts compliance inspections at industrial sources of air pollution. Section lead for Continuous Emissions Monitoring System Relative Accuracy Test Audits and stationary source compliance stack testing. Oversees Fire Training Notification program. Compliance outreach coordinator.

James Gorham - Environmental Analyst  

Conducts compliance inspections at sources of air pollution. Compliance and enforcement data manager. 

Deirdra Ritzer - Section Chief

Supervises Mobile Sources Section. Division lead on programs and strategies for controlling on-road and non-road mobile sources of air pollution, including Vermont's Low Emission and Zero Emission Vehicle, Diesel Emissions Reduction, Vehicle Emissions Inspection and Maintenance, and Automotive Technician Training Programs.

Leigh Martin - Environmental Analyst

Manages Vermont's Diesel Emissions Reduction Program, which provides technical support and incentive funding for diesel emission reduction projects. Provides technical support for Vehicle Emissions Inspection and Maintenance and Low Emissions Vehicle Programs. Provides mobile sources technical support, research and outreach and education.

Alexander Newman - Environmental Analyst

Technical support for Vehicle Emissions Inspection and Maintenance Program, which ensures that vehicle emissions controls systems are tested and repaired as needed to minimize vehicle emissions. Supports the Automotive Emissions Repair Assistance Program, tracks compliance with Low Emission and Zero Emission Vehicle program for heavy-duty vehicles, and is the lead mobile source emissions modeler.

Bennet Leon - Section Chief

Supervises AQCD Planning Section staff. Leads development and maintenance of Vermont’s State Implementation Plan (SIP). Performs data analyses associated with ambient air quality, emissions inventory, and atmospheric deposition data.

Daniel Riley - Environmental Analyst

Provides air quality forecasts using meteorological data and computer modeling. Implements the annual Point Source Registration Program.

Benjamin Dilauro - Environmental Analyst

Conducts air pollution emissions inventories, computer modeling, emissions reduction strategy evaluations and other technical analyses.

Ellen Parr Doering - Environmental Analyst

Coordinates the State Air Toxics Program.

David Ruby - Section Chief

Supervises Air Monitoring Section staff. Division lead for the ambient air monitoring network, providing data to inform AQI and public notifications related to ambient air quality. Ensures compliance with EPA 40 CFR Parts 50, 53 & 58. 

Timothy Pricer - Environmental Analyst

Develops Quality Assurance Project Plans and Standard Operating Procedures. Also performs quality assurance activities for the monitoring network, providing an independent assessment of operations relative to federal requirements and guidance. Conducts internal system audits to insure SOPs are followed. Submits ambient air data to the EPA AQS database. Contact person for EPA AQS.

Amy Shedrick - Environmental Analyst

Supports field operations for the Air Monitoring Section including the preparation of particulate filter samples for field deployment, processing of air quality data, oversight of EPA Contractor performing the gravimetric weighing program for the PM 2.5 and PM10 network, coordination of sample shipping and receiving with multiple EPA contractor labs, and supporting the field network operations including the collection of ambient air samples, continuous air concentration data and meteorological parameter QA results from Vermont’s multi-site air monitoring network.

Hannah Zambri - Environmental Analyst

Oversees all aspects of field operation, maintenance and sample collection for Vermont’s multi-site Air Monitoring Network established for the measurement of EPA Criteria pollutants, air toxics compounds (Volatile organic compounds (VOC), carbonyl compounds, semi-volatile compounds and PM10 metals) and multiple meteorological parameters.  Also responsible for overall review, validation, management and reporting of results for all meteorological parameters measured at all Air Monitoring Network sites.

Samuel Williams - Environmental Analyst

Oversees all aspects of field operation, maintenance and sample collection for Vermont’s multi-site Air Monitoring Network established for the measurement of EPA Criteria pollutants, air toxics compounds (VOC, carbonyl, semi-volatile and metals) and multiple meteorological parameters.  Also responsible for review, validation and reporting of EPA Method TO-15 VOC sample analytical results from Vermont’s Air Toxics and EPA’s National Air Toxics Trends Stations (NATTS) network. Contact person for the National Air Toxic Trends Station (NATTS) network.

Jean Woodward - Environmental Analyst

Provides initial and quarterly review, validation as well as data management and reporting of all EPA Criteria air pollutant data, including gaseous and particulate matter results.  Also responsible for review, validation and reporting of EPA Method TO-11A carbonyl compound sample analytical results from Vermont’s Air Toxics and EPA’s National Air Toxics Trends Stations (NATTS) network.  Also supports the field network operations including the collection of ambient air samples and continuous air concentration data from Vermont’s multi-site air monitoring network. 

Bryan Maxham - Environmental Analyst

Oversees all aspects of field operation, maintenance and sample collection for Vermont’s multi-site Air Monitoring Network established for the measurement of EPA Criteria pollutants, air toxics compounds (VOC, carbonyl, semi-volatile and metals) and multiple meteorological parameters.