IDEM Senior Staff Bios
Kent Abernathy
Title: Chief of Staff
Degree(s): Bachelor of Science from U.S. Military Academy (West Point); Master of Science in Management from Oakland City University; Master of Science in Strategic Studies from U.S. Army War College.
Special license(s): N/A
Experience: Over 15 years commercial banking experience in New York and Indiana, most recently as Vice President at two Indianapolis banks managing all aspects of the corporate banking relationships of business clients in a broad range of industries. Sole proprietor of business consulting company. Team Chief, US Army Operations Center, and Director, US Central Command Washington Liaison Office - Pentagon, Washington, D.C ; Chief of Staff, Iraq Assistance Group - Baghdad, Iraq.
Carol S. Comer
Title: Assistant Commissioner, Office of Legal Counsel and Criminal Investigations
Degree(s): Bachelor of Science in Business from Indiana University at Indianapolis; Master of Public Administration in Environmental Management from Indiana University at Indianapolis; Doctor of Jurisprudence from Indiana University School of Law at Indianapolis; Environmental Law Fellowship, Indiana University School of Law at Indianapolis.
Special license(s): N/A
Experience: Almost a decade in private practice in Indiana and Arizona representing companies on environmental and utility matters, including insurance recovery, real estate and corporate environmental due diligence, cost recovery for cleanup sites, solid waste, air and water permit appeals, hard rock mineral mining, underground storage tank upgrades and removal, cleanup oversight, and defense against agency actions. Recently served as an administrative law judge presiding over utility and tax matters.
Keith Baugues
Title: Assistant Commissioner, Office of Air Quality
Degree(s): Bachelor of Science in Biological Engineering from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Special license(s): Professional Engineer
Experience: 37 years of experience working on air pollution issues; six years with the Indiana Air Pollution Control Division; nine years with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1 year with Region VI, eight years with the Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards; twenty two years as environmental consultant in Illinois, Texas, Colorado and Indiana.
Roger Letterman
Title: Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Office of Air Quality
Degree(s): Associate of Applied Science in Agriculture, Matanuska-Susitna Community College; Bachelor of Science in Public Affairs, Indiana University
Special license(s): N/A
Experience: 22 years with IDEM; 3 years as a RCRA permit writer in the Office of Solid and Hazardous Waste Management; 19 years in the Office of Air Quality working in the Permits Branch developing Indiana’s Title V Operating Permit Program, the Programs Branch as a senior rule writer and the Compliance and Enforcement Branch including 4 years as a Section Chief.
Bruce Palin
Title: Assistant Commissioner, Office of Land Quality
Degree(s): Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Special license(s): Professional Engineer
Experience: 31 years of experience working on solid waste environmental programs; Chief of the Technical Support and Solid Waste Compliance Branch; chief of engineering; solid waste landfill permit reviewer; field inspector; served as the Indiana representative on the Midwest Low-Level Radioactive Waste Compact since 1988; two-time recipient of an IDEM Environmental Excellence Award
Peggy Dorsey
Title: Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Office of Land Quality
Degree(s): Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Science from Purdue University
Special license(s): Certified hazardous materials manager; formerly held licenses in municipal and industrial wastewater treatment, asbestos management and all five licenses for underground storage tank management
Experience: 25 years of environmental experience spent in the private sector and in city, county and state governments
Bruno Pigott
Title: Assistant Commissioner, Office of Water Quality
Degree(s): Master of Environmental Affairs from Indiana University; Bachelor of Arts from Michigan State University
Special license(s): N/A
Experience: Chief of the Permits Branch, Compliance Branch and the State Revolving Fund Section for the Office of Water Quality
Martha Clark Mettler
Title: Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Office of Water Quality
Degree(s): Master of Planning in Environmental Planning from Indiana University; Bachelor of Science in Public Affairs from Indiana University
Special license(s): N/A
Experience: At IDEM since 1995; chief of the Watershed Planning Branch; chief of the Ground Water Section
Rick Bossingham
Title: Assistant Commissioner, Office of Compliance Support
Degree(s): Bachelor of Science in Environmental Health from Purdue University; adjunct studies in Environmental Engineering at Purdue University and Colorado State University
Special license(s): N/A
Experience: 28 years of experience in the environmental field; 12 years at Wabash National Corporation as the Corporate Director of Environmental and Safety Affairs, during which the company was recognized as an industry leader in pollution prevention by IDEM and U.S. EPA; directed the source reduction and recycling technical assistance program at Purdue University; provided consulting for air permitting, environmental management systems, compliance auditing and pollution prevention; served as an environmental regulator at the state and local levels in Colorado. Currently serves as an advisor to the Division of Ecological and Environmental Engineering at Purdue University, and as Vice-Chairman of the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable.
Niles Parker
Title: Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Office of Compliance Support
Degree(s): Master of Arts in Natural Resources from Ball State University in Muncie, IN; Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Marketing from Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA.
Special license(s): N/A
Experience: 28 years of energy and environmental experience in working with the IN Department of Natural Resources in mine reclamation and grants management, the IN Department of Commerce in energy and community development and the IN Department of Environmental Management in planning and assessment, public records and compliance support.
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