The Phylmar Group Client Advisor Team

Mark Katchen is the Managing Principal for The Phylmar Group, Inc. with expertise in industrial hygiene, toxicology, occupational health, risk communication and sustainable supply chain practices. His consulting expertise includes helping organizations optimize the EHS/Sustainability function by focusing on mission alignment, resource allocation and utilization, business process improvement, and demonstrating the value of EHS/Sustainability to the organization. Mr. Katchen has more than 30 years of experience in occupational and environmental exposure assessment in such industries as petrochemical, agriculture, mining, utilities and automotive. Additionally, he is a Certified Industrial Hygienist. Mr. Katchen has taught at the University of California, Los Angeles and Irvine campuses. He also serves on the California State University, Northridge Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Advisory Board. Mr. Katchen is a past chair of the American Industrial Hygiene Association’s International Affairs Committee. He is a frequent lecturer to business and academic groups on environmental risk assessment, management, communication, ethics and sustainable business practices and is the author of several published technical and business-related articles. He received his B.A. in Psychobiology from UCLA, M.S. in Environmental and Occupational Health from California State University, Northridge, and M.B.A. from Loyola Marymount University.

Nathaniel Sponsler is a product chemical regulatory specialist and attorney with expertise in supply chain management, product regulatory compliance, and sustainable chemicals management policy. He received his JD from the University of San Francisco School of Law, B.A. in Psychology from Amherst College, and has studied general and organic chemistry at U.C. Berkeley. He has over nine years’ experience overseeing chemicals management for Gap Inc. and has led multiple industry collaborative initiatives to address hazardous chemical issues in apparel and footwear manufacturing, including serving as the inaugural Chair of the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) Foundation.

Nathaniel serves as Director of the Apparel and Footwear International RSL Management (AFIRM_®) Working Group, a group of companies whose mission is to reduce the use and impact of harmful substances in the apparel and footwear supply chain – www.afirm-group.com.

Helen Cleary is the director of the Phylmar Regulatory Roundtable®. She is a safety and regulatory compliance professional with more than 15 years of industry experience. She has spent her career improving the compliance and safety of employees and customers of highly regulated industries and has extensive experience working with regulatory agencies. Much of her success comes from being able to analyze and navigate complex regulatory processes and requirements (e.g., ADA, Cal/OSHA, DOT, FAA, Fed-OSHA, TSA), build strong safety cultures, and establish trust with regulators. Helen is passionate about effective public policy that balances the needs of industry with the safety of employees and customers. She also thrives at bridging the gap between technology and traditional regulatory approaches.

Helen has a bachelor’s degree in Communications from the University of California, Davis.

Cass Ben-Levi, is the Director of the Phylmar Academy.  She is the former Director of Continuing Education and Outreach for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Southern California Education and Research Center, located in the Fielding School of Public Health at UCLA.  The center provided courses on workplace safety and health to occupational health and safety professionals and workers.  She expanded the delivery of courses from in-person only to include webinars and asynchronous online courses.  In 2017 she developed the First Annual Mental Health in the Workplace Symposium at UCLA.

Cass is also an Associate Producer for a documentary film in development, “Working in Empty,” which seeks to inform the public about the dangers and control strategies regarding workplace stress (such as hypertension and cardiovascular disease).

She received her BA from Michigan State University and her MA from California State University, Los Angeles.  She also completed the Management and Administration of Healthcare Organizations certificate program at UCLA Extension.

Joyce Kristiansson is a Certified Environmental Professional (CEP) and Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM) with 30 years of experience in the environmental field. Located in the Energy Corridor near Houston, Texas, Joyce provides environmental support to domestic and international oil and gas exploration and production companies and the engineering and oilfield services companies that serve them. Services include regulatory compliance and environmental management systems (EMS) support, including auditing, as well as advising on waste management, water quality, air quality, spill prevention and response, and hazardous chemicals issues. Joyce routinely provides EMS development support to companies seeking ISO 14001 certification.

Neha Prasad is a Certified Industrial Hygienist with 15 years of experience and leads Phylmar’s Production Safety Services. Her experience spans television, features, and stage productions. Neha has provided crew training, regulatory compliance consulting, preparing health and safety plans, performing risk assessments and accident investigations. Neha has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biological Sciences from UC Irvine and a Master’s Degree in Public Health (Environmental and Occupational Health) from Loma Linda University.

As a former senior EPA enforcement official, Doug has extensive experience and a unique perspective on the enforcement of our nation’s environmental laws. His experience as a special agent with EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division (CID) for 24 years, including the last four years as CID’s Director, provides a unique lens and series of insights for companies addressing their internal operations or who may be facing scrutiny from the government, NGOs or the public.

While overseeing criminal cases ranging from the Deepwater Horizon investigation to the recent Volkswagen defeat device case, as well as the agency’s enforcement initiatives in the renewable fuels sector, Doug worked extensively with EPA’s civil enforcement program and the Department of Justice to set and execute national enforcement policy.  He also served as EPA’s primary spokesperson on criminal matters with the media and Capitol Hill.  This experience allows him to deliver exceptional understanding of the federal government and environmental policy space for companies seeking to navigate this area of public policy or for those seeking subject matter expertise in the environment and natural resource policy area.

Kathryn Lintner has over 24 years of account management, performance improvement, sales and environmental and sustainability experience for companies of all sizes, including multi-national Fortune 500 companies. She has worked at manufacturing sites and within corporate functions, both as a direct employee and as a consultant/coach. Her extensive expertise in engaging cross-functional stakeholders coupled with a wide variety of environmental and sustainability technical knowledge guarantees practical, business-oriented solutions to performance challenges. Kathryn builds teams and forges relationships to effectively drive execution of business and environmental excellence through performance improvement initiatives and by using a systems approach to create sustainable programs and solutions.

Dave Johnson is principal of Dave Johnson’s Writing Shop LLC, and formerly the Chief Editor of Industrial Safety & Hygiene News (ISHN) magazine from 1980 to 2020. Dave is now the Phylmar Monthly Newsletter Update Editor, Editor-at-Large for ISHN, and works with clients as a writer, reporter, ghostwriter, editor, researcher, and public speaker / meeting-forum facilitator.

Dave has co-written a book on patient safety in healthcare and edited books on organizational psychology, behavioral psychology, safety for supervisors, and humanistic behaviorism.