We are IBEC

The Integrated Bioscience and Built
Environment Consortium

Our Leadership

Kenneth F. Martinez (CAPT USPHS Ret)

President and Board founding member

Ken is an Environmental Engineer and Industrial Hygienist with experience in leading and conducting large-scale research; managing programs in occupational safety and health and emergency response; and creating and teaching professional development courses. He has more than 33 years of CDC expertise in hazardous agent exposure characterization and mitigation control practices in the manufacturing and healthcare industry. Since retiring from CDC, he served 8 years in the CBRN space as a consultant focusing on a national biodetection program. Mr. Martinez is a recognized subject matter expert in biological agents, including infectious disease and bioterrorism agents.

Claire Bird

Vice President

Claire Bird, the new Executive Secretary at IBEC, is a passionate scientist and entrepreneur, driving healthier building standards through her expertise in laboratory management, training, and consulting. Through LITMAS laboratory, she's committed to delivering both established and innovative solutions. As a dedicated advocate, Claire volunteers as an expert in indoor air quality (IAQ) across global professional bodies, emphasizing the need to protect occupants from chemical and microbiological hazards. Her mission amplifies the importance of IAQ within the industry and regulations. Moreover, she collaborates internationally, ensuring timely, relevant industry standards that align promptly with current scientific knowledge.

Stephane Bilodeau

Chief Science Officer

Stephane Bilodeau has a unique background that combines academic, regulatory, and entrepreneurial experience. He holds a Ph.D. in Fluids Mechanics and
Thermodynamics and a Master's in Applied Sciences. Currently, he works as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Bioengineering at McGill University and is the Chief Technology Officer in a Cleantech (Smart Phases).

He also serves as an Independent International Contractor for the United Nations Office of Project Services. With over 25 years of experience in research and development in clean technologies and solutions, Stephane actively contributes to various committees and task forces. He is the Chair of the Public Affairs Advisory Committee of Engineers Canada, Chair of the Covid Action Group, and Coordinator of the Indoor Air Quality Task Force at the World Health Network. Stephane is also one of the founding members of the Canadian Aerosol Transmission Coalition, where he actively contributes his expertise and knowledge.

Coby Gierke

Executive Director

Coby Gierke is a distinguished leader with vast experience in numerous sectors. Currently, as Interim Executive Director at IBEC, he advances the Commit to C.A.R.E. program, securing endorsements from the CDC, AIHA, and the White House. He's transformed educational events, introduced novel initiatives, and upheld regulatory standards. At Montana State Parks Foundation, Coby established key partnerships, managed finances, and initiated fundraising strategies, propelling the foundation to a prominent state role. Committed to personal and organizational growth, he's attended several leadership trainings. Holding dual degrees from Portland State University, Coby's leadership consistently instigates positive change, benefiting various organizations and communities.

Edward J. Cowan (CDR USN Ret)

Board founding member and Secretary

Ted has more than 30 years of experience in disaster preparedness and emergency management, strategic and operational planning, training, exercise coordination, and operational support. He brings a unique combination of analytical, lessons learned, and vulnerability experience assessment proficiency. He has a command of requirements development related to disaster response and the formulation of comprehensive mitigation strategies.

Our Science Advisory Board

Corey Boles, PhD

PhD, Senior Health Scientist & Regional Unit Manager at Cardno Chemrisk

Aaron Packman, PhD

PhD, Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering at Northwestern University

Brett Cole

Managing Director & Chief Occupational Hygienist at Biosafety Pty Ltd

Paula J. Olsiewski, PhD

PhD, Contributing Scholar at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Lucia Mullen

Senior Analyst at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and a Research Associate at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Bryon Marsh headshot

Bryon Marsh, MPH, MHS

CBRN Programs and Business Development at Idaho National Laboratory

Tonya Nichols, PhD

PhD, Senior Science Advisor at the Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response

Lidia Morawska, PhD

Polish physicist and Distinguished Professor at the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences of the Queensland University of Technology.

Don Weekes

President at Indoor Environmental Quality

Don Milton

Donald K. Milton is a professor of environmental health at the University of Maryland School of Public Health.

Jade Mitchell

Associate Professor at Michigan State University

Yair Hazi

Senior Consultant & Jurisdictional Coordinator IV at LMI

Travis McLing

Considered an expert in the fields of geologic mapping, fieldwork, carbon sequestration, geomicrobiology and hydrochemistry

Lance Becker, MD

MD, FAHA is an investigator at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research and serves as the chair and professor of emergency medicine at the Zucker School of Medicine

Monica Schoch-Spana

Medical anthropologist, is a Senior Scholar with the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and a Senior Scientist in the Department of Environmental Health

William P. Bahnfleth, PhD

Ph.D., P.E., Fellow/Presidential Member ASHRAE, is a professor in the Department of Architectural Engineering at The Pennsylvania State University—University Park, PA

Darla Goeres, PhD

Dr. Darla Goeres has over twenty years of experience researching biofilm bacteria in industrial systems

Kevin Van Den Wymelenberg, PhD

PhD, Director, Institute for Health in the Built Environment; Director, Biology & The Built Environment Center; Director, Energy Studies in Buildings Laboratory; Professor of Architecture, University of Oregon

Mathew Fields

Professor, Microbiology and Cell Biology; Director, Center for Biofilm Engineering; Biofilm Physiology & Ecology Team Leader

Sonya Stokes

Assistant professor at Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine in the division of emergency medicine and global health, a fellow at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security