Chemicals Management for Electronics USA 2024

Nidia Mariana Calvo Mendez joined Enhesa Product Intelligence's Expert Services team as Managing Analyst almost 3 years ago. She oversees regulatory content and service relating to products in the Americas, and coordinates the global analyst team from her base in Guadalajara, Mexico. Prior to joining Enhesa Product Intelligence, Nidia spent her career in industries conducting regulatory analysis and risk management mainly for Latin America. She also has experience in TSCA, GHS, performing audits, and obtaining ISO 140001 certification

Rachel leads projects to develop criteria for GEC’s EPEAT ecolabel, the premiere global ecolabel for the IT sector. Her current focus is a new set of criteria promoting the reduction of chemicals of concern that will apply to all EPEAT product categories. Dedicated to creating a world where only sustainable technology is bought and sold, she researches new technology areas, analyzes the impacts of products, and develops new resources that support the procurement of sustainable electronic products and services.

Kelly Scanlon leads Evolve, the Global Electronics Association's sustainability program. In this role, Dr. Scanlon develops results-oriented solutions that can be rapidly implemented and lead to demonstrable, positive change for the industry. She brings more than 25 years of experience as a public health scientist supporting industry, academia, and government in sustainability matters. Her expertise spans circularity and life cycle impact assessment, with a focus on translating complex environmental science into actionable industry strategies.

Catherine Rudisill, MS, PMP is the Founder & Principal of Safer Chemistry Advisory LLC. For 19 years she has worked in contracting and consulting, supporting the agencies at the federal and state levels as well as outreach organizations across multiple industry sectors. As a multi-disciplinary chemical assessor, she specializes in the assessment of data poor chemicals with the aim to identify safer, functional alternatives and has been working towards the integration of safer chemical strategies into public and corporate policy. She is an active member of the Association for the Advancement of Alternatives Assessment (A4) Executive Council, and is a long-time member of the Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC). 

Bill Walsh is the Director of the Safer Chemistry Impact Fund, which is dedicated to advancing science-based, data-driven solutions to systematically eliminate hazardous chemicals and replace them with verified safer alternatives. Immediately before this position, he served as Executive Director of the Passport Foundation, where he oversaw approximately $3.5m in annual grant-making in the field of environmental health and chemical hazard reduction. Previously, he founded the Healthy Building Network (HBN) which has, since 2000, defined the leading edge of healthy building practices to increase transparency in the building products industry, reduce human exposures to chemicals in building materials, and create market incentives for healthier innovations in manufacturing.  At HBN he oversaw the development of the Pharos Chemical Hazard database. He holds a J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law and LLM in Public Interest Advocacy from Georgetown University.

Dr. Cassandra Zentner is the Vice President of Technology and Sustainability at actnano, Inc. actnano develops innovative protective solutions for the electronics industry, primarily focused on coatings for corrosion protection. She and her team are responsible for the implementation of actnano products globally and the technical service activities in direct support of customers. Cassandra is also responsible for the sustainability strategy and execution of various initiatives at actnano, including the promotion and adoption of safer alternatives.  

Martha Marrapese is a sought-out legal and policy advisor on matters where technological advancement, environmental protection and governance intersect. Her clients are solving today’s major environmental security issues including climate change, PFAS, and ocean plastics. Martha frequently consults on plastics, electronic waste and battery recycling, and extended producer responsibility. She is a leading expert on chemical control under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), as well as initiatives that advance biobased, sustainable products.

Based in Washington D.C., Melanie Rybar supports Enhesa Product Intelligence as the expert on North America regulatory content. She has spent her career in the chemical manufacturing industry, conducting regulatory analysis, risk management reviews, developing new products and processes for companies making surfactants, functional polymers and other specialty chemicals intended for use in consumer products.

Thaianne is currently Director, in execution, of the Quality Department Environmental/SQA of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. She is an Environmental Analyst since 2014, where she works in the elaboration and analysis of Public Policies in the area of environmental quality, with a focus on water, air quality and chemical safety (Convention of Stockholm, Minamata, Rotterdam, SAICM and environmental emergency with dangerous products). Graduated in Biological Sciences, MBA in Project Management, and is Master in National Network in Management and Regulation of Water Resources (Profagua).

Steven assists companies with their understanding of environmental regulations and how they are enforced. He is an internationally recognized expert, with more than 20 years of experience in EU policy development focusing on sustainability, product, waste and recycling legislation.

Mike is a product environmental compliance and sustainability expert providing advice and knowledge to manufacturers, governments and others. Mike helps manufacturers understand, monitor and comply with environmental and health-related regulations and market requirements around the world that impact product design and the supply chain.

Stacey has been part of Enhesa's Expert Services Team since November 2023, but within the wider global product compliance industry for over 20 years. A librarian by training, she has a Master of Information and Library Science and considerable experience delivering bespoke research and analysis to the world's biggest companies, as well as launching compliance products geared towards a wide range of sectors.

Nhat Nguyen is a US licensed attorney with over 9 years of global regulatory compliance. He currently serves as the Chief Analyst for Enhesa Product Intelligence and leads a new department which provides further insights and solutions to Enhesa Product Intelligence's customers on regulatory compliance, technology and scientific data regarding chemical and chemical products. 

Randy has over 25 years working in product certification and compliance and holds a BSEE from ITT Technical Institute as well as a certificate in Electromagnetic Compatibility from the University of Missouri-Rolla.

Pamela has over twenty-five years of program management and multi-stakeholder facilitation experience, with the last 15 years focused on promoting environmental and corporate social responsibility in the electronics industry via standards development and stakeholder processes. She is currently the Director of Clean Electronic Production Network (CEPN) – a multi-stakeholder, cross-industry collaboration that launched in 2016.

Bob is a subject matter expert in globally restricted substances (RoHS, REACH and Prop 65) with over 10 years of experience servicing all sizes of organisations.

Susan Bernard joined Battery Council International (BCI) in August 2022, where she advocates for industry on federal and state-level legislation and regulatory matters affecting industry and oversees BCI’s technical program. Prior to joining BCI, Susan built her career as an analyst at Wiley Rein LLP, where she provided expertise on regulatory and legislative matters to BCI and other clients regarding the manufacturing, disposal, and transportation of lead and lithium batteries and other electronic wastes. Susan also serves as the Director of the Women in the Global Battery Industry (WGBI), a multi-chemistry group open to professionals in the battery industry with a mission to bring women in similar industries together to derive benefit for themselves and their companies through relationship building, education, and shared knowledge.

Holly Evans is the Responsible Business Alliance’s Senior Vice President of Environmental Policy and Legal Affairs.  Holly comes to the RBA after serving as Microsoft’s Senior Corporate Counsel for Devices where she provided strategic advice and counsel on legal and market requirements covering environmental compliance, sustainability, design for the environment, circular economy, right to repair, responsible sourcing, human rights supply chain due diligence and ESG reporting. Prior to joining Microsoft, Holly founded and ran an environmental law and policy consulting firm for high-tech clients.  Holly also led the environmental programs of both the Electronic Industries Alliance and the IPC – two leading DC-based industry trade associations, representing the electronics industry value chain.  Holly served in both the US Congress as a congressional staffer and in the US Environmental Protection Agency as a policy intern. 

Dr. Rae has worked in the electronics, ceramics, nanotechnology and “clean tech” industries for over 40 years in the USA and UK, managing global businesses and technology development at startup, operating company, and corporate levels. He is currently Director of the NYS Centers of Excellence and Advanced Technology at SUNY Buffalo (Materials Informatics, Bioinformatics and the Center for Bioinformatics and Life Sciences) and is a Board member at IncubatorWorks in Painted Post and Alfred NY, having previously been Executive Director and Co-Director.

Stephen Tisdale is currently the president of Tisdale Environmental Consulting LLC. He has been involved in the electronics industry for 40+ years and involved in standards development for most of his career. He is a seasoned Engineering Manager with an MBA and a Masters in Program Management.  

Part of Clean Production Action since 2004, Mark has the unique ability to bring together diverse groups and achieve innovative outcomes. In 2006, he founded BizNGO, a unique collaboration of businesses and NGOs working together to advance safer chemicals and sustainable materials. In 2007, Mark co-developed GreenScreen for Safer Chemicals, now the gold standard in hazard assessment tools. And in 2014, he co-founded the Chemical Footprint Project, the first of its kind initiative to benchmark corporations on their overall chemical management performance. His doctorate is in Environmental Policy from MIT.