Jack Novak P.E., CIH
Mr. Novak’s education was pursued with honors at Illinois Institute of Technology and De Paul University culminating in his receiving the titles Registered Professional Engineer (PE) and Certified Industrial Hygienist (ABIH CIH). His PE registration is all-encompassing, including environmental and metallurgical engineering with static and dynamic analysis. He is registered in Arizona, Michigan and California.
Mr. Novak’s professional experience includes the creation and supervision of the MI-OSHA program of comprehensive inspections in the petrochemical and chemical manufacturing industry. In the aftermath of the Bhopal, India incident, he was named to the national task force that developed the initial OSHA Special Emphasis Program that led to the 1992 Process Safety Management Standard. He enforced the occupational health standards of OSHA and MIOSHA, developed programs, was first line supervisor and personally conducted investigations of all occupational health related fatalities and catastrophes; reviewed site safety plans and inspections of hazardous waste sites; responded to hazardous chemical release incidents; audited process health and safety at facilities handling extremely hazardous chemicals; and coordinated all SARA Title III activity for MIOSHA. He conducted joint inspections with MIOSHA Safety Compliance Officers and with federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission personnel.
Mr. Novak is qualified as an expert witness and provides testimony and depositions in OSHA civil and criminal cases and third party liability lawsuits.
Rick Prince
Rick Prince, a State-certified Firefighter I and II and Emergency Medical Technician, retired from the City of Chandler Fire Department after over twenty years of service. Mr. Prince has in excess of thirteen years’ experience as a 240-hour State-certified Hazardous Materials Technician. For the past seven years, he has worked as a Technical Rescue Technician, specializing in low and high angle rescue, helicopter operations, swift water rescue, trench rescue and confined space rescue. Mr. Prince has substantial work experience with Motorola, Inc., first acting as the Mesa facility’s Emergency Response Team Coordinator and is currently working in that capacity at the Chandler location.
Mr. Prince teaches for Workplace Safety Specialists throughout the United States, including recent classes in Confined Space Rescue for the City of Escondido, CA and the City of Blythe, CA Fire Departments. Other classes he teaches include Asbestos – Concrete Piping, Chemical Hygiene for Laboratories, Chlorine Safety Awareness, Crane and Rigging Safety, all levels of HAZWOPER, Hearing Conservation, Personal Protective Equipment, Respiratory Protection, Electrical Safety and Trench and Excavation. For the last seven years, he has also participated in Industrial Fire Brigade training at the Arizona State Fire School.
Mr. Prince’s real-life rescue experience with the Chandler Fire Department complements the classes that he teaches for Workplace Safety Specialists.
Robert Burns
Mr. Burns’ background includes U.S. Naval service as an Engineman and Diver from 1964 – 1968. His Teaching Certificate for Post-Secondary Education was awarded from Northern Montana College. He also has an Associate Degree for Digital Electronic Control Systems and Computer Programming from the Montana Vocational Technical Institute. He was a Diesel and Heavy Equipment instructor at Montana Vocational Technical schools. Mr. Burns is a Certified Instructor for Caterpillar Hydrostatic Drive Loaders; Technical, Service and Operator Safety Trainer for Lift Trucks; and Diesel and Heavy Equipment Mechanic for Road Construction and Equipment Dealers. He is certified to teach Hydrostatic Drive Equipment and Train-the-Trainer Forklift Operator Safety. He created and implemented an “Open Entry – Open Exit” modular program for Diesel Truck and Equipment Mechanics.
Mr. Burns has been dedicated to instructing in Heavy Equipment and Operator Safety for Workplace Safety Specialists since 1998.
Mark Dewey
Mr. Dewey has been an instructor with Workplace Safety Specialists since 2007. He also authors safety manuals, exams and other training materials. His areas of expertise include Tactical and Medical Emergency Response Training, First Responder/Threat Assessment/ Executive Protection Consulting, First Aid/ Advanced First Aid, CPR, AED, Wilderness First Aid and Survival, Workplace Violence, MCI Response & Triage and Tactical and Medical Emergency Response.
Education credits include California State University-Long Beach and Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute
after which Mr. Dewey was a teacher for
Hayward Unified School District and the
Alameda County Office of Education. Following that, Mr. Dewey was a Police Sergeant in California for 27 years with advanced skills as a First Aid/CPR POST Instructor, Hostage Negotiator, Hostage Negotiations Supervisor, Crisis Response Team Supervisor, Arson, Auto Theft, White Collar Crimes, Special Homicide Investigation Team, School Resources Officer, Gang Unit Supervisor and Fugitive Unit Supervisor.
He also worked as a Special Deputy US Marshal in a supervisory capacity for 14 years and served as a Team Leader for Northern California Fugitive Apprehension Strike Taskforce.
Sylvia Cassella
Ms. Cassella’s education includes the State of Arizona Certificate of Completion – Four-Year Electrical Apprenticeship, Rio Salado Community College Certificate of Completion of Electrical Apprenticeship and an Associate Degree in Applied Science/Construction Electricity. She has worked as an electrician and also held management positions, including Water Facilities Supervisor for City of Phoenix/Water Services Department, Electrical Maintenance Foreman for City of Phoenix/Water Production Facilities and Lead Electrician at various water treatment facilities. Other certifications include Arizona Department of Environmental Quality Certifications – Grade 4 Water Treatment, Grade 4 Wastewater Collection, Grade 3 Wastewater Treatment and Grade 4 Water Distribution. Ms. Cassella has developed and taught all levels of electrical safety to a wide variety of employee. She has also developed and implemented electrical safety policies and procedures as well as personal protective equipment programs.
Antonio Valenzuela
Mr. Valenzuela is certified as a Paramedic, Emergency Medical Technician and Emergency Medic. He received an Associates’ Degree in Paramedicine from Paradise Valley College and is currently completing his Bachelor of Science degree in Healthcare and Paramedicine from the University of Arizona. He teaches various levels of healthcare to students in a range of topics.
Howard Campbell
Mr. Campbell brings over thirty years’ experience in a wide range of construction and mining functions to Workplace Safety Specialists. He is a highly effective trainer who has ‘walked the walk’ and clearly communicates the importance of safety in every activity. His certifications include State of Arizona Certified Welding Instructor, Certified OSHA Instructor and Certified MSHA Instructor. He was responsible for implementing the federally mandated Safety & Health Training Program for new hires and also the refresher level at an Arizona mine, facilitator of experimental mining processes and equipment, director of maintenance of underground diesel equipment, and supervisor of underground construction activities. He currently teaches all levels of MSHA and many OSHA training classes.
Jay Wicks
Mr. Wicks holds an Mr. Wicks holds the following credentials: B.S. in Electrical Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic & State University – 1983, System Protection & Power System Analysis; Professional Engineer, Arizona – 1995 to Present; Licensed Electrical Inspector, Arizona – 1998 to Present;
Certified NCCER Instructor for Instrument & Electrical – 2008 to Present.
Certified E-Hazard Instructor – Low Voltage & High Voltage Qualified w/Arc Flash based on 2012 NFPA 70E, OSHA 1910.269, and the IEEE NESC.
He is an expert in Electrical Safety, Electrical Theory and Practical Training and Power Quality and Grounding Training. He has been the Lead Instructor & Program Chairmen for WEI’s 5 –Day, Hands On Power Quality Class. He has been an Associate System Protection Specialist – Field Maintenance, troubleshooting and installation of generation, transmission, & distribution protective relaying and DC systems for a large power company. He was a Senior Engineer responsible for multiple small and large scale automation/retrofit projects mostly at hydro, gas, and coal fired generating stations for another large power company. As Principal Engineer, he was responsible for all plant electrical and control systems; designed and installed upgrades on many pneumatic systems to current electronic automation platforms; responsible for maintenance, troubleshooting and replacement of all electrical equipment, Transformers, Motors, Switchgear, DC Systems, UPS Systems, etc.; maintained electrical safety programs including the recent ARC Flash Study and new ARC Flash PPE Purchase; supervised the re-organization and digitizing of all plant electrical documentation.
Currently Mr. Wicks teaches various electrical classes and consults on technical projects for Workplace Safety Specialists.
John (Dan) Meraz
Mr. Meraz John Meraz holds an Associate in Science Degree, Mathematics and Chemistry along with many hours of specific EHS training. He has over 30 years’ experience in managing occupational safety and health programs. His particular emphasis is in environmental health, industrial hygiene, occupational safety and health, and OSHA compliance. He is qualified in general industry and construction OSHA mandatory training requirements, inspections, incident investigation, and recommendation of corrective actions. Mr. Meraz is a former Cal/OSHA High Hazard Unit Compliance Officer and State of Arizona OSHA Safety Compliance Officer (ADOSH). He is an ASU authorized Fed-OSHA Outreach Training Institute Instructor.
Additionally, Mr. Meraz has supervised underground electric construction crews, Santa Maria, CA Service Center, managed outage tool control crews, Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant (DCPP), supervised nuclear reactor cleanliness teams during outages, DCPP, and supervised unit outage overhaul Safety Programs, DCPP. He has performed all areas of overhead (OH) and underground (UG) T&D electric construction.
Currently Mr. Meraz teaches various safety classes and consults on technical projects for Workplace Safety Specialists.
Jon Cordoba
Mr. Cordoba is a bi-lingual, goal and growth oriented professional with 13 years of progressive management and operational experience in Manufacturing and Construction Environmental Health and Safety. His accomplishments include Qualified OSHA DOL Construction and General Industry Outreach Trainer; Master Safety Administrator NASP; Designated Safety Planning Specialist, NASP; Designated Safety Training Specialist, NASP; Certified American Red Cross Workplace First Aid and CPR / AED Lay Person Instructor; and member ASSE (American Society of Safety Engineers).
His areas of training expertise include OSHA 10 hour and 30 hour classes for General Industry and Construction; HAZWOPER up to 40 hour (including donning and doffing procedures with respirator fit testing); American Red Cross First Aid, CPR, AED Adults through Infants; Hazardous Materials; Confined Space Entry; Electrical Safety; Defensive Driving; Crosby, ASME Rigging & Signaling; Trenching and Shoring; Crane Safety; Forklift Safety; Backhoe Safety; Reasonable Suspicion Testing (for supervisors); Fall Arrest; Ergonomics and New Hire Safety Orientation.
Currently Mr. Cordoba teaches various safety classes and consults on technical projects for Workplace Safety Specialists.
Marc Tomeoni, ASP
(ASP Certification: Board of Certified Safety Professionals)
Mr. Tomeoni has over 15 years in the safety field during which he successfully managed and maintained all aspects of a corporate safety program for two large national organizations. He has extensive knowledge in the following: all aspects of safety including laws and regulations; Lean Six Sigma: he is Green Belt Certified and Black Belt trained: Vice President of the American Society of Safety Engineers, Arizona Chapter and a member of the NSC and RIMS. He has trained extensively in many areas including lockout/ tagout, electrical safety, emergency evacuation, powered industrial truck, workplace violence prevention and fall protection.
Currently Mr. Tomeoni teaches various safety classes and consults on technical projects for Workplace Safety Specialists.
