A Closer Look at Our Staff
Safety Guidance Specialists consists of a large team of highly qualified professionals. Here is a closer look at our team’s experience and education.
B. Diane Stewart, CHMM, CET
As part of the SGS management staff, Mrs. Stewart is responsible for development, execution and implementation of regulatory as well as other training programs. She develops training materials including course outlines, lesson plans, student handouts, and audio visual aids. She serves as an instructor for OSHA, EPA, AHERA and DOT mandated training. Mrs. Stewart serves as an adjunct instructor for Faulkner State Community College for Environmental and OSHA courses and seminars. For the last 20 years she has been actively involved in safety management. Prior to joining Safety Guidance Specialist she was General Manager for the Occupational Health and Safety Division of Commercial Testing and Engineering.
Mrs. Stewart has an AS in Environmental Science, a BS and MS in Occupational Health and Safety combined with over twenty-five years of industry experience. She is actively involved in safety management for the last twenty years, offering consultation to guide company health, safety and environmental programs for the attainment of excellence, compliance and OSHA VPP certification. She is a member of the Academy of Certified Hazardous Materials Managers and the National Environmental Trainers Association. OSHA Outreach 10 Hour and 30 Hour certifications and has provided safety oversight on numerous long term and short-term projects.
A. Lynn Melton
As part of the SGS management Staff, Mrs. Melton is responsible for all day-to-day operations, including coordination of instructors, training courses and field activities Utilizing over twenty years experience, she assists with development and implementation of new course materials. Lynn services as SGS’s lead Industrial Hygiene and Environmental Sampling Technician She is a certified First Responder and High Angle Confined Space Rescue Team Member. For the past twelve years she has served as a lead instructor for OSHA, First Aid/CPR and Lead Management, Asbestos Abatement mandated training.
Lynn has an AS in Occupational Safety and holds instructor certifications in 40 Hour OSHA Outreach Instruction, 1st Aid/CPR and Lead Management and EPA approved Asbestos courses. Lynn is the primary lead in OSHA related investigations for clients and has served as lead safety manager on construction projects.
Ron Briley
As part of the SGS management staff, Mr. Briley is responsible for coordinating and managing client development for the Safety Guidance Specialists. He has 27 years of experience in direct sales. Mr. Briley served as lead trainer in management and marketing for a major US corporation. He is a Master Electrician and has an industrial background in shipbuilding. For the last seven years he has been part of SGS management providing OSHA consulting to Industry, Construction and Maritime. He has a BA in Marketing and holds instructor certifications for OSHA Outreach Training for both Industry and Construction. Ron is currently providing safety oversight for a fixed manufacturing facility and served as contractor safety management during COE clean up operations after both hurricanes Ivan and Katrina.
Dan A. Lessley, CIH, CSP, CHSP
Mr. Lessley is experienced in all areas of industrial hygiene and occupational health and has further training and experience in occupational safety. He has supervised health evaluation studies and audits, managed sampling and inventory of various materials including asbestos, lead, and hazardous waste. He developed training programs for supervisors and workers dealing with physical, biological and chemical hazards.
He holds a BS in Biology and an MSPH in Industrial Hygiene. Mr. Lessley is a Certified Industrial Hygienist, Certified Safety Professional, Certified Healthcare Safety Professional, Certified Asbestos Consultant, Environmental Information Association Field Instructor, Accredited Supervisory Air Monitor and an Asbestos Abatement Consultant. His professional affiliations include the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists Inc., American Academy of Industrial Hygiene, Environmental Information Association, American Society of Safety Engineers, American Biological Safety Association and National Environmental Training Association.
Julie Lessley
Ms. Lessley is experienced in the field of environmental and occupational health. She is responsible for all aspects of industrial hygiene surveys including air monitoring and sampling. Her experience includes the performance of noise surveys ands safety surveys of facilities including marine terminal operations, crane operations, welding and maintenance areas, lay down yards and crude oil refineries.
Richard Creighton
Mr. Creighton has served as a Project Safety Manager for the past three years but bring with over 10 years of safety management. His OSHA compliance oversight includes construction and maritime. As a safety manager he has overseen projects as large as 3,000 employees without lost time injuries. His certifications include HAZWOPER technician level, Asbestos Supervisor and Inspector, and OSHA Construction Safety Supervisor. He is also a Certified Instructor for Aerial lifts, Material handling and Mobile Earth Moving, Trenching Equipment and Fall Protection. He serves as SGS’s lead instructor for Maritime Safety Outreach Training.
Will Berry
Mr. Berry serves an OSHA instructor and field technician working at industrial sites monitoring safety procedures including PPE requirement, Fall Protection, Confined Space Entry, Hot Work, Scaffolding, Hazardous Chemical storage, handling and clean up. Will serves as a site safety coordinator monitoring proper safety working conditions for various projects. He has also served as lead project manager for developing Lock Out/ Tag Out procedures for an entire plant in Milledgeville, Ga. Will also served as safety coordinator working with road clean up crews to ensure proper work zone set up and fall protection for crews pruning and removing trees after Hurricanes Ivan and Dennis.
Alan F. Chafin
Mr. Chafin has over 30 years of field experience as a site safety manager for general industry and construction. This includes OSHA compliance, accident investigation, on-site safety meeting, safety audits and inspections, and recordkeeping. Alan has also developed training programs, wrote procedures and performed Job Hazard Analysis. He has a BA in Business Administration and is retired from the Alabama National Guard where is served as a Commcenter Specialist.
Dean Gahr
Mr. Gahr has fifteen years experience in both Municipal and Industrial Emergency Response Operations experience. Dean has also serviced as the Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Coordinator for a specialty chemical company and regional Health, Safety and Environmental Manager for a large oil Field Service Company. He holds instructor and field certifications in High Angle Rope Rescue, Hydrogen Sulfide Technician and OSHA Outreach Training General Industry. Dean is a Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Technician and a Fire instructor for Alabama State Fire College
Thomas G. Alsip (Bilingual)
Tom has over forty years of diversified and progressive safety management and has worked as a corporate safety director and environmental coordinator as well as a loss control manager in both Construction and Maritime Industries. Mr. Alsip serves as one of SGS’s bilingual safety instructor for Spanish/English speaking workers. He is a Professional Safety Engineer registered in California and certified as an OSHA Outreach Training Instructor in Construction, Industry and Maritime. He holds certifications as an Audiometric Technician, Miner Instructor Trainer under MSHA, Rigging Instructor and Certified Crane Inspector.
Teresa M. Peralta (Bilingual)
Ms. Peralta is fluent in Spanish and serves as a Spanish and English translator. She has held several positions as a Liaison and Coordinator for business and trade development as well as Director for Hispanic Services for Construction and Industry safety training. Ms. Peralta holds a Bilingual Instructor certification and OSHA Construction Outreach Trainer Certification.
Bascom “Nick” Craddcock
Mr. Craddcock has 12 years of construction safety experience in refinery, power generation, and general industry process safety management. This experience includes hands-on contractor orientation in the power and chemical divisions of the construction industry. He has created, implemented and evaluated company training programs to lower frequency and severity of contractor and employee injury rates. Nick has served as site safety manager including research and analysis of data pertaining to Rick Management and Loss Control. He has also been responsible for daily and weekly Loss Prevention and Safety Inspections as well as implementing correctives actions. Mr. Craddcock completed a number of safety and leadership training programs while serving in the United States Air Force and has completed a number of OSHA certified training courses including OSHA Outreach Training Instructor in Construction.
James A. Wood
Mr. Wood has over forty five years of experience in various positions for construction companies and on construction management teams including field engineering, craft supervision fleet management, material management, construction management and construction safety management. These projects included pulp and paper, fiber, pharmaceutical and chemical industries and institutional development. Mr. Wood prepared and conducted courses in first aid and personal safety, OSHA compliance for crane operators and truck drivers handling hazardous materials, and OSHA construction Safety and Health and developed safety programs for OSHA compliance for a number of construction programs. Jim is certified as an OSHA Outreach Training Instructor in Construction
Danny Atkins
As part of the SGS contract staff, Mr. Atkins has more than twenty five years in workplace safety including firefighting, construction, oil and gas production, explosive safety and confined space rescue. As part of a safety management team he has developed and managed ES& H policies and procedures for large scale projects and production facilities; enforced OSHA and other regulatory compliance issues; and, provided training of employees and management on necessary OSHA, NIOSH, MSHA and MFPA regulations.
As a contract Safety Supervisor he performed safety inspections and Job Safety Analysis, conducted safety meetings, was responsible for accident investigations and maintained jobsite safety records.
Mr. Atkins holds certifications in 40-Hour OSHA Outreach Trainer for Construction; Advanced Rope/Confined Space Rescue, Hazardous Materials Incident Commander; and Fall Protection selection, inspection and use.
Steven C. Bitowf
Steve Bitowf is responsible for Contract Acquisitions in addition to teaching courses. He retired from the Mobile Police Department after 28 years; his various assignments included Director of the Mobile Police Training Institute and In-Service Training Coordinator.
Mr. Bitowf is also a member of the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve qualified to wear the Marine Safety Insignia. His service includes tours of duty as ICS Operations Section Chief and ICS Logistics Section Chief during hurricane debris removal operations.
He serves as an adjunct instructor for Faulkner Junior College and holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Troy State University. He holds an Alabama Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission Specialized Instructor Certificate and has completed an FBI course of study in Law Enforcement Instructor Development.
James L. Small, CHMM, CET
Mr. Small is an instructor at Faulkner State Community College, University of South Alabama and Troy State University. The Alabama Department of Forensic Science previously employed him for twenty-five years. Since 1990 he has served as an Environmental Consultant -- utilizing his chemistry and toxicology background to assist with environmental audits and project management.
He is a certified AHERA Inspector, Management Planner, Project Designer, Contractor/Supervisor, and Lead Abatement Risk Assessor. He has a BS in Laboratory Technology and a MS in Toxicology. He is a member of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, Southern Association of Forensic Scientists, International Association of Arson Investigators and Academy of Certified Hazardous Material Managers.
