Staff and Board of Directors

NPPR Staff

Jeffrey Burke, Executive Director, jeff@p2.org 

Additional Inquiries and Support, e-mail staff@p2.org or phone (202)299-9701

Board of Directors

Click on a name to view biographical information

Jeffrey Burke - Executive Director

Jeffrey J. Burke has been the Executive Director of the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable (NPPR) since August 2003. He is responsible for oversight of NPPR’s budget, grant activities, workgroup coordination, and promoting pollution prevention (P2). He retired from EPA in January 2004 after twenty-four years of service, the last ten as the Regional P2 Coordinator. He was responsible for P2 grants, the National Environmental Performance Track program, development of the Region’s Environmental Management System, and International P2 training. He has conducted P2 training workshops throughout the US as well as Poland, South Africa, China, Thailand, Dubai and Oman.

Cindy McComas - Chairperson



Cindy McComas has served as Director of the Minnesota Technical Assistance program (MnTAP) at the University of Minnesota since 1985. MnTAP is funded by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and offers free, nonregulatory technical assistance in the area of pollution prevention and industrial waste management to Minnesota’s manufacturing and service industries. During 1980-1985, Ms. McComas worked as a program manager with the Gas Research Institute in Chicago, on technologies to convert biomass and wastes to methane. Ms. McComas graduated from the University of Minnesota with a M.S. in Civil Engineering and from TexasChristianUniversity with a B.S. and M.S. in Environmental Sciences. Ms. McComas has been active with the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable (NPPR) since 1985, and is the current NPPR Board Chair. She also served a brief time on the Board in the early 1990s, then as Chair of the Research and Technology Transfer Workgroup for 6 years. Other professional organization involvement includes the Air and Waste Management Association Upper Midwest Section as Past Chair and Membership Chair.

Hugh O'Neill - Vice Chair

Hugh O'Neill grew up near the un-fishable, un-swimmable Onondaga in CentralNew YorkState, near Syracuse. He has worked in a steel mill, a plastics factory, and for non-profit groups. He has a Bachelors degree in Geology and a Masters in Environmental Studies. He has worked on pollution prevention & hazardous waste reduction issues at WashingtonState’s Department of Ecology since 1988. He currently supervises the Toxics Reduction Unit in Ecology's Southwest Region and contributes to environmental problems and solutions in and around Olympia.

Sara Johnson - Region 1

Sara Johnson has served as the Pollution Prevention Program Manager for the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services since 2000.  The NHPPP provides confidential P2 and compliance assistance to businesses, institutions, municipalities, and agencies. Sara manages the EPA grant outreach efforts, Governor’s Award for P2, the Wastelines newsletter, P2 Internship Program with University of New Hampshire, and www.des.nh.gov/nhppp.  She is a member of the Northeast Pollution Prevention Roundtable and serves on the Steering Committee.

 Sara grew up in northern Illinois, obtained her Bachelor of Science in Marine Science from CoastalCarolinaUniversity in Conway, S.C. and a Master of Science in Resource Management and Administration from Antioch University New England in Keene, N.H.  To continue her education, Sara became a Certified Public Supervisor in 2002. Prior to her work in pollution prevention she was an environmental laboratory manager and chemist specializing in wastewater and TCLP testing in Charlotte, NC. 

She is a 15-year member of Girl Scouts and is the leader of a Brownie troop and a Junior troop, a trainer for new leaders, and coordinates the service area leader meetings.

Michael DiGiore - Region 2

Michael DiGiore is the Bureau Chief of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s (NJDEP's) Office of Pollution Prevention and Right to Know, formerly the Office of Pollution Prevention.  This office consists of the Community Right to Know, Pollution Prevention Planning, Permit Coordination and Environmental Review and Small Business Assistance Programs.   Mr. DiGiore began is tenure with the Pollution Prevention program as a member of the NJDEP's Facility-Wide Permitting team.  Mr. DiGiore holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Environmental Engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology and is a Certified Public Manager.  In addition to his current position, he has a background in air pollution control and site remediation, and has been with the NJDEP for over 16 years.  

Greg Adolfson - Region 3

Greg currently serves as Public Outreach Specialist and Pollution Prevention Coordinator for the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s Public Information Office.  He plays an intricate role in disseminating information and works to increase public awareness, stimulate internal and external communication, educate present and future generations, and encourage citizen participation.

 Greg’s reputation as an environmental steward, convener, and facilitator of community-based partnerships and stakeholder groups stem from a litany of successful projects and programs he has created over the past fourteen years:

·  Governor’s Stream Restoration Program providing for the restoration and protection of the ecological integrity of rivers and water resources degraded by pollution;

·  Stream Partners Program providing community-based watershed associations with financial, human, and technical resources to perform watershed improvement projects that restore and protect natural resources; and,

·  Environmental Excellence Program promoting, rewarding, and encouraging superior environmental performance that exceeds existing regulatory standards for health and environment resulting in continual improvement in environment, economy, society, and overall quality of life.

 During his tenure with the WVDEP, Greg’s accomplishments included:

·   PennStateUniversity’s Executive Management Program for Natural Resources Managers;

·   Governor’s Center at DukeUniversity’s Strategic Leadership for State Executives Program;

·   Office of Surface Mining’s Appalachian Clean Streams Initiative Clean Streams Team Award;

·   ISO 14001 Environmental Management System Lead Auditor;

·   ISO 9001 Internal Quality Systems Auditor Certification;

·   Implementing and Auditing an Integrated Management System;

·   Implementing and Auditing a Health and Safety Management System;

·   GREEN GLOBE 21 Assessor from GREEN GLOBE 21; and,

·   Environmental Compliance Boot Camp Train-The-Trainer.

 Greg currently resides in Charleston, West Virginia, and is actively involved in community-based capacity-building efforts throughout West Virginia having extensive experience working and collaborating with the public; academia; local, state, and federal government agencies along with businesses and industry.  He is a 1984 graduate of West VirginiaUniversity with a Bachelor of Science in Geology with emphasis in business administration and computer science.  Greg’s primary career objective is “to make a difference and have fun doing it.”

Gregory Copley - Region 4

Greg Copley is the Director for the Kentucky Business Environmental Assistance Program (KBEAP).  KBEAP provides small businesses with free and confidential assistance on air quality issues.  Greg has been the director since the program’s inception in October 1994. KBEAP is affiliated with the KentuckySmallBusinessDevelopmentCenter located in the Gatton College of Business and Economics at the University of Kentucky (UK).

Prior to KBEAP, Greg worked at the Kentucky Division for Air Quality as an inspector, asbestos coordinator, and a supervisor in the Program Planning Branch.  As an inspector he was also a member of the Environmental Response Team that dealt with hazardous material incidents.

In addition to serving on the NPPR board he also participates on a committee for environmental issues of the Association of Small Business Development Centers and is; a member of the UK Sustainability Task Force, on the steering committee of the Bluegrass Partnership for a Green Community.  The Bluegrass Partnership is a sustainability consortium between the University, the Lexington Fayette Urban County Government and the FayetteCountyPublicSchools. Greg was recently appointed a member of the UK Tracey Farmer Center for the Environment Scientific Advisory Board.  He is an adjunct faculty at LexingtonCommunityCollege’s Environmental Science and Technology Program.  

Greg holds a Biology degree from CentreCollege and a Masters in Business Administration from MoreheadState.    

Robert Jackson - Region 5

Robert Jackson is Chief of Pollution Prevention (P2) Programs Unit for the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) and has over 15 years of experience in managing statewide pollution prevention services.  He has a degree in Chemical Engineering.  He currently oversees the MDEQ’s P2 technical assistance and multi-sector incentive programs including three that have won the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable’s Most Valuable P2 Program Award. Mr. Jackson developed and secured permanent funding for Michigan’s Retired Engineer and Technical Assistance Program (RETAP), which has provided on-site assistance to over 1,000 facilities.  He is responsible for carrying-out Michigan’s Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know (a.k.a. SARA Title III) functions such as coordinating the MDEQ’s State Emergency Response Commission activities and all environmental reporting under SARA Title III (i.e. Toxic Chemical Release Inventory).  Prior to his current position, he worked as a chemical engineer for the Michigan Department of Public Health as an Area Engineer overseeing Type I water supplies in Southeast Michigan.  He also served as a chemical engineer for the City of Detroit’s Water and Wastewater Department in the Processing Engineering workgroup on cryogenics and chlorination.

He has served as a member of the Forum on State and Tribal Toxics Action (FOSTTA) TRI workgroup, an alternate on Environmental Protection Agency’s National Pollution Prevention and Toxics Advisory Committee, and participated in NPPR’s Materials Accounting Project.  He is a nationally recognized expert at the application of information technology to collect and exchange environmental and pollution prevention data with states and Environmental Protection Agency through the Central Data Exchange Network.

Dianne Wilkins - Region 6

Dianne Wilkins is the Manager of the OK Pollution Prevention Program (P2P) at the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). She has been the program manager since its establishment in 1993. The P2P provides businesses, industry and local governments with free and confidential technical and compliance assistance with support for incorporating waste reduction strategies and improving efficiency. She was trained as Hazardous Waste Inspector and has participated in inspections at refineries, federal facilities and manufacturing facilities. She develops and delivers training for compliance and technical assistance and pollution prevention.

In 2000 she became a member of the Oklahoma Sustainability Network and provides training for building sustainable communities. Dianne has served as a member of the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council Pollution Prevention Workgroup and International Sub-Committee. She has traveled to South Africa, China, Thailand, the Philippines and Mexico to deliver training on the Principles of Pollution Prevention & Cleaner Production and Using Internet Resources for Pollution Prevention & Cleaner Production.

Before joining the DEQ Dianne was employed as a petroleum engineer for an independent oil and gas exploration and production company in Oklahoma and also for the government of Trinidad and Tobago. She was employed as a social worker for several years.

Currently Dianne is a Board Member for the Girl Scout– Sooner Council that serves 24 OK counties; the Women Services and Family Resource Center for Grady and Canadian counties; the Boys and Girls Club of Chickasha; and Keep Oklahoma Beautiful. She also served as a Member of City of Chickasha Human Relations Committee for 12 years.

Barbara Johnson - Region 7

Barbara Johnson is a P2 Specialist for the Pollution Prevention Institute at KansasStateUniversity. She has a B.S. degree in geological engineering from University of Missouri-Rolla and has been working in the environmental field for more than 20 years. She began her career in environmental consulting and has worked since January, 2000 in outreach programs at KansasStateUniversity. For more than one year, Barb was with the Center for Hazardous Substance Research and the rest of the time has been with the Pollution Prevention Institute. At PPI, she mainly provides environmental compliance and pollution prevention assistance to small businesses. She is a licensed professional engineer and geologist.

Brian Spangler - Region 8



Brian Spangler is the Business and Community Assistance Program Manager for the Air, Energy and Pollution Prevention Bureau at the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). He is a graduate of the University of Idaho with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and was an Army Officer (ROTC) distinguished Military Graduate.

Brian has over twenty years of experience in sales, marketing, operations and management with the US Army as an officer and an employee of a Fortune 100 company before working at the DEQ. He has received numerous awards from the Army and Corporate America. Most recently, Brian has been awarded the "Recycling Innovation" award from RecycleMT at "2003 Under the Big Sky Greening Conference" for developing a local market for glass cullet as the Montana Department of Transportation changed their road base specification to allow glass cullet. In September 2004, he received the “Top Performer” award at the DEQ and the Governor’s “Performance Excellence” award for his efforts in business development of recycling.

Ed Gonzalez- Region 9

Steve Brachman - At Large



Mr. Brachman currently serves as the Waste Reduction and Management Specialist and Distinguished Lecturer for the University of Wisconsin-Extension Solid & Hazardous Waste Education Center.  He is primarily responsible for providing technical assistance and educational programs for pollution prevention, energy conservation, and solid and hazardous waste management projects for consumers, business and local governments in Wisconsin. Key current projects include:

• Dental Amalgam Management in Wisconsin – an EPA sponsored program to reduce and eliminate dental mercury discharges throughout Wisconsin;
•  Wisconsin Wood Waste Reduction Program – UW- Extension Solid & Hazardous Waste Education Center (SHWEC) identified wood waste as both a large waste stream currently going to landfill and a potential renewable energy source. This project identifies the sources of wood waste in the seven counties of Southeast Wisconsin and determines the feasibility of utilizing wood waste as a renewable input fuel to a utility boiler located in Southeast Wisconsin.
• Milwaukee Energy Group – a university led initiative to a partner with business, industry, and community-based organizations to provide outreach, research, and educational technical assistance to improve the efficiency and functionality of residential and commercial buildings and to promote the wise usage of our energy resources.

Prior to joining the UW-Extension, Mr. Brachman was employed as the Resource Recovery Manager for the City of Milwaukee’s Department of Public Works, as an Environmental Specialist for the engineering consulting firm Howard Needles Tammen and Bergendoff, and as a Community Resource Development Agent for the University of Wisconsin-Extension in Milwaukee County.  Mr. Brachman is also a director on the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable board, the Citizens Utility Board, 3RTech (a computer recycling non-profit), and the Friends of Hank Aaron State Trail board.

Gary Miller, Ph.D. - At Large



Since 1985 Dr. Gary D. Miller has been the Assistant Director of the Illinois Waste Management and ResearchCenter.  For the past 10 years Dr. Miller has served as Director of the Printers' NationalEnvironmentalAssistanceCenter which is one of 10 national Compliance Assistance Centers funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 

Some of Dr. Miller's main accomplishments are directing the WMRC’s involvement in the Greater Chicago Pollution Prevention Alliance, Clean Air Counts program in the Chicago area, the Illinois Brownfields Alliance, Illinois/USEPA Waste Reduction Innovative Technology Evaluation Program, serving on the Illinois Great Printers Project steering committee, developing information resources on pollution prevention, and consulting on environmental issues for various businesses.  He is also subject Editor for the Journal of Cleaner Production and was recently elected to the Board of Directors for the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable.

Prior to joining the Center, Dr. Miller was Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science at the University of Oklahoma.  From 1979 to 1985 he was also Assistant Co-Director of the NationalCenter for Groundwater Research at the University of Oklahoma.

In 1974 Dr. Miller received an M.S. degree in Environmental Science and in 1980 a Ph.D. in Engineering both from the University of Oklahoma.  His undergraduate degree was a B.S. in Biology from OralRobertsUniversity.

Dr. Miller is the co-author of four books on energy, environmental policy, and groundwater protection; has published over 40 other papers and reports; and has made numerous presentations to businesses, professional organizations and university classes.

Thomas Vinson-Peng- At Large

Ken Zarker - Emeritus

Ken Zarker has been actively involved with hazardous waste, pollution prevention and toxics reduction programs for over twenty years. Ken has been responsible for managing state environmental programs in Texas and WashingtonState on hazardous waste permitting, policy, toxics reduction, and sustainability. Ken has served in a leadership capacity at the national and international levels as Chairman of the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable, Delegate to the North American Pollution Prevention Partnership, the U.S. EPA Forum on State and Tribal Toxics Action (FOSTTA) and the Environmental Council of the States (ECOS) Cross Media Committee/Innovations Workgroup. Ken holds a B.S. in Environmental Management from the University of Houston at ClearLakeCity.