2024 Convention Speakers

CONVENTION SPEAKERS

Garret Gray
KEYNOTE

Garret Gray

President,
CoreLogic Insurance Solutions

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Garret Gray Garret Gray

President
CoreLogic Insurance Solutions

Garret Gray is an executive leader who is the President of CoreLogic's Global Insurance Business Unit. Garret leads a team of industry experts focused on building market-driven solutions that drive better customer outcomes throughout the property insurance ecosystem. 

Prior to this, Garret led CoreLogic’s claims operations to drive transformative change and provide insurance carriers and contractors with solutions to enhance the claims experience.

Previously, Garret was the founder and CEO of Next Gear Solutions, acquired by CoreLogic in August 2021. Next Gear is an industry-leading source of water mitigation, job and sales management software and claim scoping and auditing solutions. Next Gear’s tools are used by 8,700-plus restoration companies across the United States and Canada and most of the top 25 U.S. insurance carriers.

Leighton Healey
KEYNOTE

Leighton T. Healey

CEO,
KnowHow

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Leighton Healey Leighton T. Healey

CEO
KnowHow

Leighton Healey is a passionate entrepreneur, deep rooted values and inspiring ambition. A workforce expert, Leighton’s domain expertise is extensive and road-tested. An active operator, Leighton has built and led companies for over 18 years in various industries including construction, franchising, real estate, technology, retail and management consulting. Leighton is the Co-Author of ‘Winning with Workers’, ‘Why Workers Quit’, and ‘Five Star Service Experiences’, all industry-leading studies on successfully navigating the biggest challenges presented by today’s labor workforce.

Today Leighton serves as the CEO at KnowHow, a leading AI workforce software with a mission to empower service providers to deliver what they promise through confident workforces.

Sonny Ahuja

Sonny Ahuja

Search Marketing Specialist,
Killit Online

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Sonny Ahuja Sonny Ahuja

Search Marketing Specialist,
Killit Online 

Sonny Ahuja is a certified Search Marketing Specialist. He's also a Google & Microsoft Advertising Partner. He is also IICRC certified, an RIA member, a speaker/presenter/writer at The Experience Event, ISSA, Cleanfax, Jon - Don, RIA and R&R Magazine. Besides helping franchisees of SERVPRO, Puro Clean, Service Master & Rainbow International acquire new customers 24/7 365, he also helps independent Cleaning, Roofing, Remodeling, Plumbing & Disaster Restoration companies consistently increase revenue & profits. Sonny also introduced AI powered lead generation to the cleaning and disaster restoration industry in April 2023. His clients have generated over $200 million dollars combined. Sonny lives with his wife, 3 kids & family dog (a Golden Doodle) in Alpharetta , Georgia.

Jake Avila

Jake Avila

Scholar-Practitioner; Former Executive Vice President,
CA Contruction

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Jake AvilaDr. Jake Avila

Scholar-Practitioner,
Middle Tenessee State University

Dr. Avila's industry experience spans over seventeen years in the construction industry where he worked primarily in general management. Prior to his transition to academia, he served as executive vice president and general manager of CA Construction, a family-owned construction firm specializing in disaster restoration and government contracting. As general manager he oversaw the business operations as well as construction and consulting services to government agencies, homeowners, property managers, law firms, AEC firms, third-party administrators, and major insurance carriers.

He is a scholar-practitioner and is committed to enhancing the work of restoration industry professionals through applied research. The underlying goal in all his work is to help disaster restoration firms build capacity by systematically advancing the understanding of industry dynamics, improving the design and application of best practices, and strengthening connections between scholarly and professional activities. His research recently examined family business dynamics in the restoration industry and, in collaboration with faculty at Purdue University, he is currently the principal investigator of a study that is examining employee burnout and engagement in the restoration industry.

Since 2008 Dr. Avila has taught in business, engineering, and construction programs at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Prior to coming to MTSU he served two other institutions as an associate professor, business department chair, MBA program director, and program director in a college of engineering.

Dr. Avila holds a bachelor's degree in industrial/organizational psychology from Pepperdine University, a master of business administration from California Baptist University, and a doctorate from the University of Southern California. As an undergraduate he studied at ITESM in Guadalajara, Mexico, and while pursuing his master’s degree he studied at Regent’s Park College of the University of Oxford in Oxford, England.

He and his wife, Becca, have been married since 2004 and they have three children: Jackson, Liv, and Jeremiah. They live in Franklin, Tennessee and love to travel, explore, hike, fish, hunt, and do many other things outdoors.

Tyler Baber

Tyler Baber

Director of Operations,
BNP Engage

Tyler Baber | Restoration & Remediation Magazine
Tyler Baber

Tyler Baber

Director of Operations
BNP Engage

Tyler Baber is the Director of Operations at BNP Engage, a digital marketing services agency and BNP Media company. Tyler brings over 15 years of digital project experience to his role, ensuring partners and clients are achieving their goals and maximizing their return on investment in digital marketing work ranging from website design and development, content marketing, SEO, and paid search. When not helping clients fulfill their digital marketing goals, Tyler nerds out over baseball, board games, and good barbecue.

Jim Bardwell

Jim Bardwell

Relationship Marketing Expert,
Phenomenal Business Coaching

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Jim Bardwell

Jim Bardwell

Ziglar Legacy Certified Trainer and DISC Certified Trainer
Phenomenal Business Coaching

He has spent the last 25 years working for and with some of the country's most successful high-end textile restoration and protection firms and is currently the Directing Partner of Sales, Marketing, and Education for Fiber ProTector America. Jim’s accomplishments in this industry have led to opportunities to share his experience both as a consultant and a speaker. Jim is proud to be a tutor for WoolSafe International and host a weekly marketing training class for Phenomenal Products. From playing an instrumental role in its development to hands-on field application, Jim has utilized this Phenomenal referral marketing system to assist some of the country's most successful high-end cleaning and restoration companies in producing $1,000,000 returns in new business referrals!

Shawn Bisaillon

Shawn Bisaillon

The Carpet Coach

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Shawn Bisaillon

Shawn Bisaillon

The Carpet Coach

Shawn currently holds positions as an approved IICRC Instructor, a Certified LEAD renovator, a Certified Natural Stone and Masonry Technician, and an Oriental Rug Specialist. He was trained at a young age and began training in advanced rug washing techniques at the age of 13 in the family cleaning business. The carpet and rug cleaning industry has stayed a passion of Shawn’s family for their entire working career. Shawn currently provides support and furthers education within the textile and floor care industry by teaching and educating others in schools, seminars, and conventions all around the world.

Brandon Buteaux

Brandon Buteaux

Managing Director,
The Baker Group

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Brandon Buteaux Brandon Buteaux

Managing Director,
The Baker Group

Brandon Buteaux is an industry expert in commercial accounts receivables management with experience handling or having overseen the recovery of over 30,000 bad debt accounts in the last decade alone. Brandon will outline the simple steps that a company, no matter how large or small, can take to make sure they secure and collect on their receivables, increase their cash flow and have less accounts become 'bad debt write offs'.

Nathan Cisney

Nathan Cisney

Partner/Consultant,
RMS Consulting

Nathan Cisney | Restoration & Remediation Magazine
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Nathan Cisney Nathan Cisney

Partner/Consultant,
RMS Consulting

18 years in the Restoration Industry has led to Nathan helping build from the ground floor of one of the largest restoration companies in Utah, create a sales and marketing team from scratch that helped lead to a multi-million dollar restoration company, and he was instrumental in the merger of 2 Restoration companies resulting in 3 different branches for the company. Nathan is actively engaged with trade, media, and supplier organizations IICRC, RIA, R&R Magazine, C&R, Cleanfax, Aramsco, JonDon. He actively worked with the largest TPA’s in the country, Contractor Connection, Alacrity, Sedgwick Claims, Lionsbridge, DKI, Codeblue, State Certified Instructor for the Division of Insurance. He has led and taught over 1000+ Insurance Agents CE courses and was recognized as top 96% customer satisfaction contractors for State Farm Vendor program. He is a Goldman Sachs Small Business 10,000 Graduate, P&C Licensed Insurance Agent, IICRC Certified, and an avid wanna be Professional Cyclist!

Barry Costa

Barry Costa

Owner and Educator,
Costa Group Education

Barry Costa | The Experience | Restoration & Remediation Magazine
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Barry Costa Barry Costa

Owner and Instructor,
Costa Group Education 

Barry Costa lives in Kingman, Arizona with, his wife, Carol. Barry has a BS degree in education from Springfield College and was a public school teacher for ten years. Barry began his career in the carpet installation, cleaning, restoration industry in the mid-1960s with Costa Carpet Company, Inc., a family business and continued as the owner of Carpet & Cleaning Craftsman, Inc. in Peterborough, NH until December 1999.

In the carpet installation industry, Barry’s certifications include C.F.I. certified Master Carpet Installer (the second to score 100% on the master’s examination.) Barry is also a F.I.T.C. certified carpet installation instructor. Barry was involved on the committee re-writing CRI 104 and 105 (Carpet Installation Standards for commercial and residential) and acted as the Vice-chair of the ANSI/IICRC S600 Carpet Installation Standards Committee.

Barry’s certifications within the cleaning and restoration industries include IICRC Certified Master Cleaner, Master Restorer, Senior Carpet Inspector. Barry was also an approved OSHA General Industry Outreach Trainer.

An IICRC approved instructor in the areas of Carpet Repair and Reinstallation; Water Damage Restoration, Barry has instructed across the United States, Canada, the U.K., and Australia. The recipient of the “John Mauciere Excellence in Education,” “George Cervenka Volunteerism Award,” “2003 CleanFax Person of the Year,” “The Ralph Bloss Humanitarian Award,” as well as other honors bestowed in this industry including “Instructor of the Year,” twice voted by his peers in the IICRC and his latest, the ‘Peoples Choice Award’ voted on by students.

Barry is a contributing author to the national water damage standard’s S500-94 and S500 2nd edition and the newly revised ANSI/IICRC S500 3rd edition as well as S100, S300, S520 and the recently approved ANSI/IICRC approved S520 2nd edition. Barry was also the vice-chair of the new S600 Carpet Installation Standard. Barry has been a key speaker at many restorative symposiums, conventions, and special events, and has written many articles in I.C.S. and CleanFax magazines.

He served and chaired many national committees’ within the cleaning and restoration industry, including the Examinations and Standards Chairman for the IICRC, responsible bringing in its current grading and test analysis process (Scantron). Barry also chaired the Standards Committee for the IICRC (2003 – 2008) and was responsible in bringing ANSI (American National Standards Institute) accreditation to the IICRC Standards Writing Process. This committee successfully brought two standards to this level of third party accreditation (S500 and S520). Barry was a member of the Board of Directors of the IICRC, past Certification Council chair, past Education Committee Vice-Chair, and past Executive Committee member of the IICRC with terms ending October 2011. Barry was on the board of CRA and in charge of the Education Committee of ICRA and has been instrumental in creating “Performance Assessments” to the Cleaning & Restoration Industry to complement the current “Cognitive” testing programs that exist.

Barry has been a motivational speaker at six Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training Program Pasta Parties (Disney, San Diego (twice), Honolulu (twice), Arizona, and Seattle). To date, Barry has raised over a Quarter of a Million Dollars ($250,000.00 plus) to help find a cure for Leukemia, Lymphoma, and other Blood -related Cancers.

As an approved instructor since 1986, Barry never works a day. His work IS his play! “Touch as many lives as you can” was a gift received from his daughter Kimberly Joy Costa. My hope, as my daughter watches me every day, is that I am not letting her down. I love what I do, and I love and care for my students and my industry!

Annissa Coya

Annissa Coy

Co-Founder and Educator,
Firehouse Education

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Annissa Coy Annissa Coy

Co-Founder and Educator,
Firehouse Education 

Annissa Coy is a well-trained and highly skilled professional in the cleaning and restoration industry with more than two decades of experience.

She is an international speaker, coach, marketer and co-creator of Firehouse Education and Mobile Clean Systems. Her passion for education in the industry shows in her articles, videos and the classes that she teaches.

She is a regular contributor to R&R Magazine and has won many awards and accolades for her contributions to the industry including being recognized as the inaugural winner of Restoration and Remediation Magazine's Best of The Best Recognizing Women in Restoration Award in 2016.

If you have a question for Annissa you can email her at annissa@firehouseeducation.com.

Kevin Coy

Kevin Coy

Co-Founder and Educator,
Firehouse Education

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Kevin Coy Kevin Coy

Co-Founder and Educator,
Firehouse Education

Kevin Coy has been in the restoration and construction industry for over 20 years. He has owned and operated along with his wife and son a full service restoration company with 26 employees that was 100% referral based.

He is co-founder of Firehouse Education and co-creator of Mobile Clean Systems. He is an international speaker, coach, teacher, consultant and marketer who creates outrageous results for his clients. Kevin was awarded Entrepreneur of the year in cleaning and restoration for his business success and innovation in the industry.

As co-creator or Mobile Clean a mobile content and structure cleaning unit and system he disrupted the market and rendered his competition irrelevant. And now thru Firehouse Education he teaches these systems to his clients world wide. If you have questions for Kevin you can email him at kevin@firehouseeducation.com.

Ed Cross

Edward H. Cross, Esq.

Founder
Restoration CrossCheck, LLC

Ed Cross - CrossCheck | Restoration & Remediation Magazine

Ed Cross

Edward H. Cross, Esq.

Founder
Restoration CrossCheck, LLC

Ed Cross is the Founder of Restoration CrossCheck, LLC, a consulting firm for restorers by restorers. Ed has dedicated his decades-long career to the helping restoration contractors grow their businesses with advanced collections strategies, cutting-edge tactics for adjuster relations, and client control, streamlined paper flow systems, and risk management.

Ed’s background comes from rich experience representing restoration contractors in court in his capacity as Managing Partner of the national law firm Law Offices of Edward H. Cross. The law firm was formed in 1997 and caters exclusively to restoration contractors with a special emphasis on contracts and collections. Ed is licensed to practice law in California, Hawaii, Texas, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Washington State. All seven offices of the firm are dedicated entirely to representing restoration contractors.

Since 2019, Ed has served in the retained position of Restoration Advocate for the Restoration Industry Association. In that role, he pursues a fair and level playing field, legally and financially, for restorers and remediation contractors nationwide. He is the host of Face the Advocate, the show where restoration industry stakeholders respond to peer reviewed positions taken by the Restoration Industry Association. He was a contributor to the IICRC standards on water and mold. He authored five books for the restoration industry, including The Book on the Assignment of Benefits and The Book on Restoration Collections, and The Restoration Collections Toolkit. In 2021, he was awarded the Martin L. King Award, the restoration industry’s most prestigious award.

Ed founded Restoration CrossCheck, LLC to serve the restoration industry with world class guidance and mentorship from many of the nation’s leading experts in restoration and property insurance claims. CrossCheck customizes price lists for restorers, trains restorers in adjuster relations and negotiations, performs appraisals and independent estimate reviews, offers expert witness services, technical training, risk management, and more.

Jeff Cross

Jeff Cross

Media Director,
ISSA

Jeff Cross | The Experience | Restoration & Remediation Magazine
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Jeff Cross Jeff Cross

Media Director
ISSA

Jeff Cross is the media director for ISSA, with flagship brands that include ISSA Today, Cleaning & Maintenance Management, and Cleanfax. He is also the host of several video/broadcast programs, including Straight Talk!, Unscripted, and Take 5 With Cleanfax. 

Les Cunningham

Les Cunningham

President and CEO,
Business Networks

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Les Cunningham Les Cunningham

President and CEO,
Business Networks

Les Cunningham, CGC, CR, CCR, CGRa is an international business consultant who works with 200+ companies on an ongoing basis. He has worked as a teacher, commercial airline pilot and owner/manager of his own remodeling business. His firm, Business Networks, specializes in helping businesses become more profitable through interaction with their industry peers.

Chuck Dewald

Chuck Dewald

E3 Drying Academy

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Chuck Dewald

Chuck Dewald

e3 Drying Academy

Chuck Dewald III was practically born into the restoration industry. He set up air movers as a child when his arms were barely strong enough to carry them. The son of Chuck Dewald Jr., the designer and architect of the world’s first hands-on drying school, Chuck Dewald III was told at an early age that he would have to work hard for everything and nothing would be given to him. He demonstrated his strong work ethic at a very early age, and when he was 9 years old he started mowing lawns for money. He asked his dad for a lawn mower, and his father drove him to the local bank and firmly told him to go inside and get a loan for the lawn mower.

Unbeknownst to the young Chuck Dewald III, his father had already called the bank’s loan officer to tell him his plans to teach his son the value of a dollar. After getting a hard time from the stern loan officer, Chuck Dewald III had a loan for his $255 lawn mower that took him all summer long to pay off, but it was his. It was a very similar story when Chuck Dewald III told his father that he wanted to be a part of his restoration company in East Tennessee. Even though Chuck Dewald III had graduated Summa Cum Laude from East Tennessee State University with an honors degree in Biology/Chemistry, took the MCAT for Medical School, and was asked by his school to apply for the Marshall, Truman, & Rhodes Scholarships, his father treated him just like everyone else who worked for the company (probably even a little tougher) telling him, “Until you learn the ins and outs of my industry, you are not worth much to me and I will pay you accordingly.” His dad allowed him start out sweeping floors and cleaning equipment at $6 an hour.

Chuck Dewald III started at the bottom working and learning every part of his father’s company–from fire and water restoration to carpet cleaning. Chuck Dewald III would eventually start and run the Mold Division of his father’s company, but his interest in water damage kept pulling him back and he could not get it out of his mind. After being in the field for a couple of years, he noticed what his father had noticed a few years back: that this industry was all over the board and there were still so many questions that our industry could not answer. Chuck Dewald III developed a great passion for knowing the science involved with the drying process and more than anything loved the interaction with the home and building owners as well as the insurance adjusters. He had thought he wanted to be a doctor so that he could help people, but he realized his true calling was to help people by restoring their most valuable and prized investments–their homes.

Chuck Dewald III started reading every book he could get his hands on from Atmospheric Chemistry & Physics to Advanced Thermodynamics trying to fully grasp the entire scope of the drying process to perhaps be able to start to answer some of the questions that the restoration industry couldn’t at that time. His goal was simple: to understand the drying process and the science of psychrometrics better than anyone else.

Chuck’s father started to notice this passion and drive in his son and had the idea to involve him in his hands-on drying school. Chuck started there, just like every place before, at the bottom. He worked his way up until one day he was standing up there with his father teaching the industry’s best and brightest at the ripe old age of 24. Chuck was often asked if he was ever nervous as a young man teaching professionals 2-3 times his age, but he knew there was nothing to make him nervous after having to teach a one-student class all by himself–his own father.

Everything after that was easy. Chuck Dewald III needed a different technique to teaching than his father. His father had earned the credibility and authority to teach restorers and tell them the major errors of their ways, but Chuck was new to this and needed a different approach. He decided to simply show the restorers what they didn’t know or what they thought they knew with math and science with just a little frankness and veracity he learned from his dad mixed in (he is his father’s son and can’t deny what is in him). He sought to earn respect by understanding the drying process and drying methods unlike anyone else.

Chuck Dewald III would soon start to make his impact in the school and industry by developing new drying ideas, techniques, and equipment. He and his father made a great team. Chuck Dewald Jr. told the restorers what to do and Chuck Dewald III explained to them why it worked and why they should do it. He soon gained the respect of an industry and–even more difficultly earned–his father. Chuck Dewald III has been in the restoration industry now for over 14 years professionally and officially but over 30 years unofficially. He still goes out into the field to lead and mitigate water losses for Midwest Remediation out of Indianapolis, IN.

Chuck Dewald III bought the drying school from his father in 2006 and ran it for 5 years before taking a break from teaching for a while. Chuck has since joined up with a partner he truly respects in Dave Sweet to start this new drying academy in Indianapolis, IN.

Chuck Dewald III has since trained over 6,000 restoration contractors and 600 insurance professionals. He has been active in management and consulting roles in hundreds of water losses (including many commercial and high profile losses). He has helped organize and initiate the IICRC ASD training class and certification test: he has helped develop and fine tune many techniques and methods that are now a part of the industry standard S500. Chuck has worked with his father to design and develop the industry’s first high efficiency axial air mover in the Gale Force as well as the two most efficient air movers still today in our industry (Phoenix Focus and Dry Air Force 9). He has solely had the idea and design for the industry’s only dehumidifier performance amplifier the Phoenix Solution. He has developed brand new industry-revolutionizing drying techniques, methods, and concepts. He has acted as a consultant and expert witness in many large losses; he has introduced the industry’s first and most accurate evaporation formula E³ (Enthalpy Evaporation Evaluation). Chuck has spoken to 50 senior engineers at ASHRAE about the science of Psychrometry and done many seminars and public speaking engagements for associations like RIA, DRC, DKI, and Connections just to name a few. He worked with his father to help develop the industry’s first Water Classifications, Dehumidifier & Air Mover Calculations, as well as Pad testing criteria that are all now widely used and accepted by the restoration industry. He helped write the curriculum that is used by all schools with flood houses today. Chuck holds 4 U.S. Patents of his own, one pertaining to a clothes dryer with desiccant wheel and heat recovery technology. Chuck’s expertise is sought by equipment manufacturers and distributors to help test their equipment to make it better.

Chuck Dewald III still wakes up every day in search for a better method, technique, or piece of equipment when it comes to the drying process. He keeps learning every day with the same initial goal in mind–to be the best in this industry and understand drying better than anyone just like his father Chuck Dewald III has helped shape and change the restoration industry for the better and will continue to do so as long as he has anything to say or do about it. Who knows where it will go from here? Chuck Dewald III has a son named Chuck Dewald IV, who is ready to turn 9 and maybe soon will be asking to go buy a lawn mower.

Alexandru Duta

Alexandru Duta

CEO,
Albiware

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Alex Duta Alex Duta

CEO
Albi 

Alex Duta is a visionary entrepreneur, accomplished author, and influential leader in the restoration industry. As the author of Restoration Millionaire and the founder and CEO of Albi, Alex has dedicated his career to helping restoration business owners scale their companies, create meaningful impact, and build lives of purpose and balance.

With a proven track record as an eight-figure restoration business owner, Alex has first-hand experience in what it takes to achieve sustainable growth while navigating the challenges of the industry. His deep belief in making a major impact, fostering an integrated life, and scaling businesses with intention drives his work with entrepreneurs worldwide.

Through Albi, Evolve Restoration Mastermind and his speaking engagements across the country, Alex equips restoration leaders with the tools, strategies, and mindset to achieve financial independence, empower their teams, and positively influence their communities. His mission is to inspire business owners to go beyond success and create ripple effects of transformation that reach employees, clients, and families alike.

Lance Eisen

Lance Eisen

Executive Vice President of Business Development,
NORMI

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Lance Eisen Lance Eisen

Executive Vice President of Business Development,
NORMI 

Lance Eisen is the Executive Vice President of Business Development at NORMI™, the National Organization of Remediators and Microbial Inspectors.

As Executive VP of Business Development, the learning experience for students and their employers is the top priority. NORMI offers and develops customized training for the IAQ Industry, which includes Mold Assessment, Mold Remediation, Sanitizing programs, Professional sanitization training, and a list of offerings specific to established companies in the industry and newly formed ones. Lance has been with NORMI since 2006.

Randy Gandara

Randy Gandara

Goldmorr

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Randy Gandara

Randy Gandara

Goldmorr

Randy (with 18 years of “clean room” industry experience) has developed and grown the role he began with the Australian-based Goldmorr company in 2011, when he obtained Master Technician certification through training in the usage of The Goldmorr System’s products and practices. Since 2011, Randy has become sole distributor of Goldmorr products in the United States and is only 1 of 2 technicians in the U.S. accredited to train and certify new Goldmorr technicians nationwide. When not travelling to conduct trainings, he calls Olympia home and takes pride in serving his local community through his Certified Indoor Air business.

Davis Hart

David Hart

Founder and CEO,
RamAir International

David Hart | The Experience | Restoration & Remediation Magazine
David Hart

David Hart

RamAir International

David Hart is a Certified Forensic Operator with 30 years of field experience in the cleaning and restoration industry, and is a Scientific Advisor with the Microbial Warrior Academy. Over the past 15 years, in addition to continued field work, David has designed cleaning and decontamination systems that have advanced the global HVAC, IAQ and medical industries to the next level, for which he has been awarded U.S. patents.

David is Founder and CEO of RamAir International, whose air duct cleaning and decontamination system is that by which HVAC cleaning and restoration is taught by global industry leading organisations such as the IICRC and Microbial Warrior Academy.

David served in the U.S. Army, during which he was selected for Military Intelligence, and is Chapter Leader of the Guardian Angels Alliance.

Nelson Higgins

Nelson Higgins

Vice President, North America,
DocuSketch

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Nelson Higgins Nelson Higgins, XCT

Vice President, North America
DocuSketch

Nelson is the Vice President, North America at DocuSketch. Prior to DocuSketch, Nelson was the founder and COO of XTR Consulting Inc. His home base is in Halifax, NS, Canada, but he covers projects throughout North America. He currently holds an XCT (Xactimate Certified Trainer) certificate and has held this designation for over 10 years. With more than 35 years experience in the insurance industry from both the contractor and adjuster perspectives. He is experienced in all aspects of scoping and estimating property damages of residential and commercial buildings and has been involved in completing estimates and projects of all sizes through completion. He has gained a vast amount of knowledge on leveraging new technologies to help clients with in depth documentation and the cycle of a claim. DocuSketch™ helps users with a complete accurate estimate including 360 walkthroughs, accurate sketch and detailed Xactimate or Symbility estimates of the damages in days not weeks.

Doug Hoffman

Doug Hoffman

Founder and Executive Director,
NORMI

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Doug Hoffman Doug Hoffman

Founder and Executive Director,
NORMI

Doug Hoffman is the founder and executive director of the National Organization of Remediators and Mold Inspectors (NORMI), a not-for-profit certification organization for indoor air quality professionals. He has over 40 years of experience in the construction industry, specializing in building science and indoor air quality and holds five professional certifications in the state of Florida.

Erin Hynum

Erin Hynum

Phoenix Restoration

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Erin Hynum

Erin Hynum

Phoenix Restoration

Erin Hynum is the Senior Director of Product Management for Phoenix Restoration Equipment. He holds a BBA in Finance from the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater and an MBA from the University of Wisconsin. Erin has been heavily involved in the industry’s transition to digital jobsite data collection for water restoration jobs.

Jon Isaacson

Jon Isaacson

Contractor & Host
The DYOJO

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Jon Isaacson

Jon Isaacson

Contractor & Host
The DYOJO

Jon Isaacson, The Intentional Restorer, is a contractor, author, and host of The DYOJO Podcast. The goal of The DYOJO is to help contractors shorten their DANG learning curve. Contractors in search of leadership development, team engagement, and professional growth will find value in listening to The DYOJO Podcast and reading the Be Intentional series of books. Jon has been in the skilled trades for over 20 years. Jon has helped start, grow, and revive various divisions including full service, mitigation, abatement, remodeling, and repairs. He is currently the Vice President of Operations for ARES in Puyallup, WA.

Bryce Johnson

Bryce Johnson

Vice President of Sales,
Spot On Solutions

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Bryce Johnson Bryce Johnson

Vice President of Sales,
Spot On Solutions

Bryce Johnson is Vice President of Sales at Spot on Solutions, which focuses on website development and online marketing for restoration, cleaning, and other home services businesses.

Prior to his role at Spot on Solutions, Bryce was the Director of Business Development for an education technology company that stayed on the forefront of digital marketing with updated curriculum and simulations.

Bryce recognizes that navigating online marketing can be complex, so he takes an educational and consultative approach to help business owners understand their current online presence and how to improve it.

Bryce is the proud father of an energetic 4-year-old and just celebrated 10 years of marriage. They enjoy spending time together in the outdoors in Idaho where they live.

Joseph Johnson

Joseph Johnson

Managing Partner and CEO,
Restoration Insurance Billing

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Joseph Johnson Joseph Johnson

Managing Partner and CEO,
Restoration Insurance Billing

For nearly a decade, Mr. Johnson has dedicated his efforts to improve insurance billing for restoration contractors. As a licensed public adjuster, he uses his expertise to achieve more favorable results for his contractors and their homeowners. During his tenure, RiB has successively closed well over 50,000 claims for contractors all around the country and has assisted in maintaining great relationships with their property owners and lead sources.

Jeff Jones

Jeff Jones

Bio-Sheen Services LLC

Jeff Jones | The Experience | Restoration & Remediation Magazine
Jeff Jones

Jeff Jones

Certified Bio-Forensic Restoration Specialist® and Certified Forensic Operator™
Bio-Sheen Services LLC

Jeff Jones is a Certified Bio-Forensic Restoration Specialist® and a Certified Forensic Operator® with 50 years of field experience in Forensic Restoration®. He is a former US Army Solider, Former SWAT team leader, and the youngest person to attend the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia. Jeff is a Certified Crime Scene Track Investigator as well as a Certified Search and Rescue Tracker. He is a past president of the Restoration Industry Association, was the first chairman of the Forensic Council and is co-editor of the RIA Forensic Guidelines, as well as a contributor to the ANSI/IICRC S540 Standard for Trauma and Crime Scene Cleanup. Jeff Jones is one of the founding members of Bio-Sheen Services LLC, is the Director of Forensic Operations and the Master Trainer for The Global BioRisk Advisory Council and is considered by many the most experienced Forensic Restoration® field operator in the world.

Caleb Kennedyc

Caleb Kennedy

Google Ads Consultant,
Levels of Success Program

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Caleb Kennedyc Caleb Kennedy

Google Ads Consultant,
Levels of Success Program 

Caleb Kennedy is a partner at Levels of Success Program Inc.. He is a certified Ontraport expert with experience in creating custom solutions for business automation. Caleb’s skills range from video production of advertising campaigns for home service businesses to deep funnel conversion campaigns in Google Ads. With people who find their Google Ads reports confusing, Caleb helps business owners to discover if their agency is helping them to make money or taking them for a ride. To arrange a Google Ads Audit to evaluate your agency's reports for peace of mind, or to shine a light on hidden data, Caleb can be reached at caleb@levelsofsuccessprogram.com

Mark Kennedy

Mark Kennedy

Program Creator,
Levels of Success Program

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Mark Kennedy Mark Kennedy

Program Creator,
Levels of Success Program

Mark Kennedy is the author of “Secrets of the Carpet Cleaning Super-Giants” and founder of the “Levels of Success Program.” He is a consultant and former cleaning business owner who has worked with over 40 of today’s largest cleaning and restoration companies, increasing revenue by up to hundreds of thousands of dollars with his sales, marketing, and management systems. Mark’s expertise ranges from direct response copywriting, to creative (and highly effective) sales systems, to video production, to constructing automated business systems. Mark is brought in when companies are looking to scale and sell, to kickstart and grow their cash flow, or to build the strategy behind a start up venture. He is also a certified fire walking instructor for those clients looking for an interesting path to overcome fears and get them to take action. Mark can be reached through his company’s site at levelsofsuccessprogram.com.

Kevin Kluth

Kevin Kluth

President,
Pinnacle Eco Clean, Inc

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Kevin Kluth

Kevin Kluth

President
Pinnacle Eco Clean, Inc

Kevin Kluth is President of Pinnacle Eco Clean, Inc, which has provided high-quality cleaning services in the Rochester, NY area for over 40 years. He is an IICRC certified Master Textile Cleaner and experience in all fiber types and unique soiling conditions. Kevin is committed to the highest standards of education and conduct is the cleaning industry.

Kyle Kluth

Kyle Kluth

Master Textile Cleaner,
Pinnacle Eco Clean, Inc

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Kyle Kluth

Kyle Kluth

Master Textile Cleaner
Pinnacle Eco Clean, Inc

Kyle Kluth is from Rochester, NY and works for his Father's business, Pinnacle Eco Clean. He is a second generation carpet and upholstery cleaner and loves washing oriental rugs. He has been in the industry now for over 20 years, starting with his parents, Kevin and Lynn, at a young age. Kyle is a Master Textile Cleaner, and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Association of Rug Care Specialists (ARCS), chairing the education and curriculum committees.

Jeff Koonce

Jeff Koonce

Founding Partner,
Odor Control Network

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Jeff Koonce Jeff Koonce

Founding Partner,
Odor Control Network

Jeff is a renowned expert in the field of odor control, serving as the founding partner of the Odor Control Network. With a career spanning 29 years in carpet cleaning, rug cleaning, and restoration. Jeff has dedicated his professional life to mastering the nuances of odor elimination and environmental restoration.

His expertise is not just limited to managing odors; Jeff is also certified in specialized areas including water damage restoration, fire and smoke remediation, applied microbial restoration, and trauma and crime scene cleanup. This diverse skill set allows Jeff to tackle a wide range of environmental challenges with a particular focus on odor control.

Ty Lambert

Ty Lambert

Azuga

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Ty Lambert

Ty Lambert

Azuga

Chris Laney

Chris Laney

E3 Drying Academy

Chris Laney | The Experience | Restoration & Remediation Magazine
Chris Laney

Chris Laney

E3 Drying Academy

Chris Laney began working in the cleaning and restoration industry in 1999 at Stanley Steemer in Fort Wayne, IN. For 3 years Chris learned the trade of carpet cleaning. In March of 2002 Chris and his wife Angi started Americlean Tile & Grout Inc. In the beginning the company specializing in cleaning of hard surface flooring and carpet cleaning. After 2 years the company received a water loss from a movie theatre client and the water loss was referred to a competitor to assist due to the team’s lack of knowledge to complete the project properly. Chris was very intrigued by the restoration process and pursued training in the field of water damage mitigation. In mid-2004 Chris attended his first training WRT course from Barry Costa and followed it with a 5-day course from Kurt Bolden at the Hydro-Lab. During the course at the Hydro-Lab Chris met Charlie Cressy the owner and inventor of the Water Out Drying System.

Chris and Angi joined the Water Out network and over the course of the next 8 years they traveled all across the southeast region working and assisting during hurricane events providing support for other restoration contractors and their clients. In 2013 the company settled down roots in Fort Wayne and built a company in Fort Wayne, IN specializing in water mitigation. After 20 years in business, Water Out has grown to be a leading provider of cleaning and restoration services in the Fort Wayne, IN market.

In 2019 Chris met Chuck Dewald III and David Sweet prior to attending and speaking with Chuck at an RIA conference. After attending the Dewald Academy of Drying School in early 2019 Chris continued to come back and eventually become a partner in the school and E3 Technologies. Chris has consulted alongside Chuck Dewald III on hundreds of the largest commercial water losses in the US over the last 3 years.

Chris has been blessed with a wonderful and supporting wife by his side throughout this journey and blessed with two great daughters Stephanie and Whitney. Chris enjoys time with his family at his girl’s sporting events, water sports with the kids at the lake, traveling, water skiing, and snowmobiling. Having the opportunity to help teach the next generation of restorers is not only rewarding but a very humbling experience.

Lisa Lavender

Lisa Lavender

COO,
Restoration Technical Institute & iRestore

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Lisa Lavender Lisa Lavender

COO,
Lever360

Lisa Lavender holds a BS in accounting from Penn State, an IICRC Master Fire, Water and Textile Restorer, and a High Performance Learning Journey Champion. Previously as chief operating officer and co-owner of both Restoration Technical Institute and Berks • Fire • Water Restorations, Inc., founded in 2000, Lavender has over 20 years of experience in the restoration and reconstruction industry, and has a passion for training, developing tools and resources, and working with other service providers. In 2012, she opened the Restoration Technical Institute in pursuit of helping others find joy and success in the industry. In 2018, has expanded her passion for serving other contractors by partnering and becoming VP of operations design for iRestore software. In addition to contributing to the running of the operations of her organizations, she authors a monthly column for R&R, Restoring Success, writes, instructs and develops courses and materials in the pursuit of her passion to give knowledge, passion, and inspiration to others for success in the industry.

Dr. Keri Lestage

Dr. Keri Lestage

Chief Revenue Officer,
Voran Group

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Dr. Keri Lestage

Dr. Keri Lestage

Chief Revenue Officer
Voran Group

Dr. Lestage holds a B.S in Biochemical Engineering from the University of Western Ontario and earned her Ph.D. in Polymer Science and Engineering from the University of Southern Mississippi, specializing in functional coatings.

Her career journey began in the field of research and development at the Clorox Company, where she honed her expertise in disinfectant formulation, public health program implementation, and distribution strategy. Over the course of 12 years, Dr. Lestage assumed various leadership roles in R&D at Clorox, culminating in her role as the Associate Director of Strategic Partnerships for the Healthcare and Professional Products Division.

In 2017, Dr. Lestage took on a pivotal role at Byoplanet International, a leading manufacturer of state-of-the-art electrostatic spray technology. She served as the Chief Operations Officer until 2021 and later transitioned into the role of Chief Science Officer during the pandemic. Her contributions were instrumental in making her a recognized expert in infection control technologies within the cleaning industry.

Building upon her 20 years of experience, Dr. Lestage embarked on an entrepreneurial journey in 2023. She founded a business that offers fractional Chief Operations Officer (COO), Chief Revenue Officer (CRO), and Chief Science Officer (CSO) roles to start-up and mid-size organizations. Her focus encompasses strategic partnerships, product development, go-to-market strategies, distribution, and manufacturing operations. To date, she has successfully served several clients in Canada, the United States and Europe.

Additionally, Dr. Lestage plays an active role in the healthcare industry as a advisory council member of the Healthcare Surfaces Institute. In this capacity, she connects key stakeholders to address the critical issue of surfaces as a vector for Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI’s).

Dr. Gavin Macgregor-Skinner

Dr. Gavin Macgregor-Skinner BVSc, MSc, MPH, MRCVS

Senior Director of Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC),
a Division of ISSA

Dr. Gavin Macgregor Skinner | The Experience | Restoration & Remediation Magazine
Dr. Gavin Macgregor Skinner

Dr. Gavin Macgregor-Skinner BVSc, MSc, MPH, MRCVS

Senior Director,
Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC), a Division of ISSA

Dr. Gavin Macgregor-Skinner is the Senior Director of the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC), a Division of ISSA, and has more than 30 years of technical experience in responding to infectious disease outbreaks and emergency management. For the COVID-19 pandemic, he conducted onsite biological risk assessments and provided “just-in-time” training on infection prevention and control, cleaning and disinfection, and safe working practices for frontline workers in 16 US States and Hong Kong in hospital emergency departments, assisted-living and nursing homes, convention centers, airports, stadiums, public transport workers, and hotel staff and other essential employees. He has served on COVID-19 medical advisory committees for American Airlines, Port Authority Of New York and New Jersey, Hyatt Hotels, International Association of Venue Managers, American Association of Airport Executives, NFL and NBA teams including Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, and Los Angeles Lakers.

He is an Associate Professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences at Penn State College of Medicine and teaches three 15-week graduate courses on Public Health Preparedness for Disasters and Terrorist Emergencies. In 2014 he received the Dean’s Award for Excellence in teaching.

He has appeared on CNN, Fox News, BBC, Canada CTV, Australia ABC, C-SPAN, and other news outlets to share his expertise on High Consequence Pathogens such as Coronavirus, Ebola, Influenza, Measles, Cholera, Zika, Monkeypox, and other global health threats. He served 12 years as an Officer in the Australian and British militaries and was an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer at the U.S. CDC in Atlanta, Georgia, and a Global Health Fellow with the United States Agency for International Development in Washington DC.

Edward Marchiselli

Edward Marchiselli

Founder,
The Seal

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Edward Marchiselli

Edward Marchiselli

Founder
The Seal

Ed had a successful career in sales and marketing in high tech, including Microsoft. When he decided to leave silicon valley and move back to Florida, he got into the residential repair and replacement air conditioning business. While running sales and marketing for his company, he was always in search of differentiators that were not only meaningful but also verifiable. In 2008, he had the idea for The Seal of Security and Confidence and founded TheSeal.com. He exited his 165 employee HVAC company and started a journey helping other service companies not only keep their company, customers and employees safe but also helping them build the bridge to like and trust with their customers and prospects.

Tom McArdle

Tom McArdle

Vice President,
Airbotx

Tom McArdle | Restoration & Remediation Magazine

Tom McArdle Tom McArdle
Vice President
Airbotx

Tom is the Vice President of Airbotx. He is an education specialist in hydroxyl technology and its application in the disaster restoration industry. He regularly travels throughout the United States to conduct seminars, workshops, and provide on-site assistance for complex large losses.

Vlad Mkrtumyan

Vlad Mkrtumyan

Co-Founder
Restoration Inbound

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Vlad Mkrtumyan

Vlad Mkrtumyan

Co-Founder
Restoration Inbound

Vlad Mkrtumyan is the Co-Founder of Restoration Inbound, a leading digital marketing agency dedicated to driving growth for fire and water damage restoration companies. By visiting his clients in the field, Vlad has gained a deep understanding of the industry's unique challenges and has successfully worked with restoration businesses across the nation, ranging from six-figure small business restorers to nine-figure enterprises. Under Vlad's leadership, Restoration Inbound not only delivers expert website development, SEO, and lead generation services but also creates custom AI growth tools specifically designed for the restoration industry. He has also spoken at business conferences and been featured on the 1590 AM Lifestyle Business Owner radio show, the NORMI Podcast Show, and more.

Michael Pinto

Michael Pinto

Chief Executive Officer,
Pinto Solutions, LLC

Michael Pinto | Restoration & Remediation Magazine
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Michael Pinto Michael Pinto

Chief Executive Officer,
Pinto Solutions LLC

Michael A. Pinto is the owner of Pinto Solutions LLC, a consulting firm focused on identifying and managing indoor contaminants. He authored the first textbook on mold remediation and helped to develop many of the standards and guidelines used in the mold remediation industry. Michael can be reached at (269) 303-7149 or pintosolutionsllc@gmail.com.

Benjamin Ricciardi

Benjamin Ricciardi

Founder,
Ironclad Restoration Marketing

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Benjamin Ricciardi

Benjamin Ricciardi

Founder and CEO
Ironclad Restoration Marketing

Ben Ricciardi is the founder and CEO of Ironclad Restoration Marketing, a digital marketing agency based in South Florida that specializes in digital marketing for the Restoration industry since 2015. Ben is the author of The No Bulls**t Guide to Internet Marketing for Restoration Contractors, a regular contributor to multiple industry publications, and hosts The Restoration Rundown Podcast, a podcast that is focused on everything related to owning a Restoration Business. Connect with Ben and Ironclad Restoration Marketing on social media for the latest tips and tricks on how to grow your Restoration Business.

Ryan Sandstrom

Ryan Sandstrom

Director of Insurance,
Copper Canyon Law

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Ryan Sandstrom Ryan Sandstrom

Director of Insurance,
Copper Canyon Law

Ryan Sandstrom is a partner at Copper Canyon Law and is the Director of the firm’s Insurance Department. He is a native of Mesa, Arizona. He specializes in personal injury, wrongful death, insurance bad faith, insurance coverage, board complaints, and commercial litigation. In addition to Ryan’s litigation practice, he also represents numerous large and small corporations regarding internal governance, transactional matters, acquisitions, and risk management. Ryan also holds a Property & Casualty insurance producer license to create the best possible legal and insurance framework that ensures no gaps in coverage. Ryan has built a one-stop shop for anticipating, protecting, managing, and litigating loss events.

Eric Sprague

Eric Sprague

Owner and Director of Education,
Super Tech University

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Eric Sprague Eric Sprague

Owner and Director of Education,
Super Tech University

Eric Sprague has more than 25 years of experience managing teams in the home services industry. Eric was formerly a VP of Operations at a global manufacturing company and owner of a cleaning and restoration company. Now, Eric is Owner and Director of Education at Super Tech University, a company which trains technicians and managers soft skills for all home service verticals. In his spare time, Eric is the Co-Host of the Blue Collar Nation podcast.

Amanda Stichter

Amanda Stichter

Chief of Operations,
Virtual Vision Computing, LLC

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Amanda Stichter Amanda Stichter

Chief of Operations,
Virtual Vision Computing

Amanda Stichter holds a Master’s in Executive Leadership from Liberty University and has more than 15 years of experience in brand and marketing strategy. As the Chief of Operations at Virtual Vision Computing, Amanda partners with home-service companies across the country through strategic marketing efforts. Amanda hosts a regular podcast called The Branding & Building Podcast (formerly Digital Dialogues) where she interviews industry experts about the story and how they built their businesses to last. You can reach her at amanda@virtualvision.net or at 715-803-6181.

Mark Tucker, Ph.D., P.E.

Mark Tucker, Ph.D., P.E.

Civil Engineer,
Artemis AG-Solutions LLC

Mark D. Tucker | Restoration & Remediation Magazine
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Mark D. Tucker, Ph.D., P.E.

Mark D. Tucker, Ph.D, P.E.

Civil Engineer
Artemis AG-Solutions, LLC

Dr. Mark D. Tucker is a Civil Engineer with Artemis AG_SOLUTIONS, LLC specializing in disinfection of biological pathogens, decontamination of toxic chemicals, environmental remediation, water and wastewater treatment, and energy production technologies. Dr. Tucker recently retired from a 35-year career at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, NM where he was a Distinguished Member of the Technical Staff. While at Sandia, his research was focused on the development of innovative technologies for the decontamination of chemical and biological warfare agents and other highly toxic chemical and biological materials and innovative methods for remediation of toxic materials in the environment. He is a co-inventor of the Sandia Decontamination Foam (DF-100) and the inventor of the modified and enhanced DF-200 formulation which is now marketed by several commercial companies and is widely used by first responders and the military. It is also widely used for civilian applications such as the disinfection of food and agricultural processing facilities and other facilities. He was also involved in the development of novel remediation technologies to address difficult toxic materials (e.g., strontium, molybdenum, uranium, arsenic, technetium, and others) in the environment. He currently holds 20 U.S. patents related to decontamination and environmental remediation technologies. While at Sandia, Dr. Tucker also led or was a primary technical contributor on several large projects funded by the US Department of Homeland Security and/or the US Department of Defense that focused on the development and implementation of processes, procedures and technologies to rapidly restore critical infrastructure, critical assets, and urban areas following the release of a chemical or biological warfare agent or other highly toxic materials. Dr. Tucker was also the project lead and/or primary technical contributor for the development of several software-based modeling and simulation applications focused on the analysis of recovery options and resource requirements following the release of chemical, biological, or radiological agents. Dr. Tucker holds a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of New Mexico (1997), a M.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of New Mexico (1993), a M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin (1983) and a B.S. in Engineering from Purdue University (1980). Dr. Tucker is also a registered Professional Engineer in the State of New Mexico, USA.

Scott Tucker

Scott Tucker

Director of Estimating,
RMS Consulting

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Scott Tucker Scott Tucker

Director of Estimating,
RMS Consulting

  • 21 years in the Insurance and Restoration Industry
  • 21 years Estimating using Xactimate
  • 11 years as a General Manager, CFO, and Project Manager in the Restoration and Construction Industries
  • 10 years as a Insurance Adjuster handling Catastrophic, Commercial, Residential, Farm and Liability Claims
  • Xactimate level 1 and 2 certified
  • IICRC Certified, WTR, ASD, FSRT, AMRT
  • Produced over 100 million dollars in estimates
  • Adjusted national catastrophic events including hail, fire, wind, and water damage
  • Deployed to hurricane Katrina 2005, California Fires of 2007, Hurricane IKE 2008, Missouri tornadoes 2011, Hail Storms in Colorado, Hurricane Sandy 2012, and other weather events across the nation
  • Developed and implemented national training programs for an insurance company on water mitigation standards, reconstruction best practices and estimating techniques
  • Facilitated a business transformation from three years of net losses and declining revenue to generating the companies highest ever profits in just 2 years

Jorge Villalobos

Jorge Villalobos

Founder,
The Best Restoration

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Jorge Villalobos

Jorge Villalobos

Founder
The Best Restoration

Jorge Villalobos was born and raised in Bogota, Colombia. There he earned a college degree in Finance and worked in the banking industry for over nine years. Jorge moved to Florida with his wife, Susie, and children, Laura and Sergio, in 1999 leaving their country behind due to personal security issues. He began to work in the carpet cleaning industry in 2000 and two years later got into the restoration industry. In 2006, Jorge opened The Best Restoration as a “one man” operation and with just one truck. Today, The Best Restoration has 27 full-time employees, an area rug plant for cleaning and repairs, and a property turnover business with 16 additional full-time employees.

During all these years in the industry, Jorge has had the privilege of attending multiple training programs obtaining his Master in Drying and several other certifications in cleaning and mold remediation by IICRC. At the same time, Jorge invested a lot of effort in his personal growth. During the last 10 years, he has earned certifications from Zig Ziglar Corporation, John Maxwell Academy, Personal Insights/DISC Training, and became a member of Howard Partridge’s Phenomenal Products. In 2023, at The Experience in Las Vegas, Jorge received the Ralph Bloss Humanitarian Award. Locally in the community of Gainesville, Florida, Jorge and The Best Restoration have received various other recognitions from The Chamber of Commerce, The North Central Florida Apartments Association and several other non-profit organizations. Currently, Jorge and his team at The Best Restoration are putting together a five-year plan to coordinate their succession process.

Sergio Villalobos

Sergio Villalobos

Operations Manager,
The Best Restoration

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Sergio Villalobos

Sergio Villalobos

Operations Manager
The Best Restoration

Sergio was born in Bogota, Colombia and moved to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida at 5 months old, and five years later to Gainesville, Florida (home of the Gators!). His father started The Best Restoration in 2006 when he was 7 years old and he was given his first introduction into the cleaning and restoration world. He would ride to jobs with his dad immersing himself in what would be his career in the near future. At 13 years old, he helped with his first carpet cleaning and water damage project which created a new found curiosity into what it takes to clean and restore as well as run a family-owned business. At 19 years old he began to work full time in the field, learning every aspect of their business from the bottom to the top. 18 years after his father started the company, he took on his current position as Operations Manager. With his years of hands-on training in the field as well as a myriad of leadership and certification courses, he now gets to see the business from a different perspective. With continued guidance from his #1 mentor (Dad), they now navigate running a family business as father and son in hopes to one day allow his dad to retire and be in the driver seat of their business.

Mark Violand

Mark Violand

President,
Violand Flooring Inspections and Instruction

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Mark Violand Mark Violand

President,
Violand Flooring Inspections and Instruction

MARK VIOLAND - has been in the floor covering industry since 1977. Carpet care was his first encounter. As consumers became more interested in other types of floor coverings, so did Mark. As a certified senior carpet inspector, Mark now operates an inspection, correction, and repair business which handles all types of floor coverings. He is credentialed to inspect carpet, wood, laminate, vinyl, ceramic, porcelain, and natural stone floor.

Mark has been training carpet cleaning and restoration professionals almost as long as he has been one himself. He currently teaches the Carpet Cleaning Technician and Carpet Repair and Reinstallation Technician classes as an approved instructor with The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC). Mark enjoys teaching classes whether it is live-stream or in person. Mark’s goal in every class he teaches is how he can make a cleaner, restorer or anyone involved in the flooring industry, more effective in the work they perform and their job easier. As a former part owner of one of the largest carpet and floor care companies in Northeast Ohio, he was responsible for the technical training of all service personnel. The company performed services in all aspects of carpet cleaning, carpet maintenance, water damage restoration, hard surface floor care, color repair (spot dyeing), carpet repair, and carpet installation.

Industry involvement is important to Mark. He is the past chairman of the Senior Carpet Inspector committee, Carpet Repair and Reinstallation Technician committee and current Chair of the ANSI/IICRC S800 Standard and IICRC R800 Reference Guide for Professional Inspection of Textile Floor Coverings. He holds certifications by the IICRC in many categories, prior involvement also includes serving on the IICRC Board of Directors from 1987 to 1991 and being part of the Public Relations and Marketing committee for more than eight years. Mark is also credentialed with Inspector Training Services and Tile Council of North America Education Foundation.

Visit mark4floors.com for more information about Mark Violand and Violand Flooring Inspections and Instruction.

Lisa Wagner

Lisa Wagner

Founder,
RugChick.com

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Lisa Wagner Lisa Wagner

Founder,
RugChick.com

Lisa Wagner is a rug care instructor, founder of Textile Pro Network, and an owner of Blatchford’s Rug Cleaning & Repair in San Diego. Her RugChick.com site is the #1 consumer rug care educational resource on the web, and she has been a featured rug expert for HGTV Magazine, Family Circle Magazine, Wirecutter, Consumer Reports, and the New York Times. She has served on the boards of CFI, ASCR/NIRC, and IICRC. In 2006 she was selected as Cleanfax Magazine’s Industry Person of the Year and in 2022 was awarded the Experience Industry ICON Award for her contributions to the cleaning and restoration industry. Lisa can be reached through her website at RugChick.com.

Steve Wilson

Steve Wilson

President,
Premier Cleaning Systems

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Steve Wilson Steve Wilson

President,
Premier Cleaning Systems

Steve Wilson is the founder of Premier Cleaning Systems, Inc. in Tampa, Florida. Since 1993, Steve has specialized in the Cleaning & Restoration of textiles including carpets, area rugs,upholstery, draperies, and leather.

During his career, Steve has been trained and certified as a Master Cleaning Technician, Master Restoration Technician, Hard Surface Flooring Inspector, Senior Carpet Inspector, and NWFA Wood Flooring Inspector. Steve is a Textile Pro Graduate and has attained the status of Textile Pro Certified Firm.

The early days of Premier Cleaning Systems were characterized by apartment carpet cleaning, commercial carpet cleaning, strip & wax VCT, flood restoration, fire restoration, odor control, carpet dyeing, tile cleaning, picture hanging, and pretty much anything other work that would generate cash flow. Today, Steve’s company is recognized as the “go-to” company for highend textile cleaning, restoration, and Fiber ProTection. His clients consist of Tampa Bay’s “who’s who” in the community. Many high-end design firms entrust their clients to him as well.Steve is highly sought after in his community and is recognized as an expert textile specialist.

A family man of now 37 years, Steve is a proud father of 3 children, and one grandchild. Steve holds family time in high priority and prefers to spend time with them after the work day is done. Steve is a shooting sports enthusiast, and is Certified as an NRA instructor in Pistol and Rifle. He is looking forward to retirement, so if you are thinking about moving to Tampa, and you think you are up to filling some “big” shoes, speak up and make your case.


PRECONFERENCE WORKSHOP INSTRUCTORS

Jim Bardwell

Jim Bardwell

Relationship Marketing Expert,
Phenomenal Business Coaching

Annissa Coya

Annissa Coy

Co-Founder and Educator,
Firehouse Education

Kevin Coy

Kevin Coy

Co-Founder and Educator,
Firehouse Education

Ed Cross

Ed Cross

“The Restoration Lawyer”,
Chairman, RIA Advocacy & Government Affairs Committee

Chuck Dewald

Chuck Dewald

E3 Drying Academy

Chris Laney

Chris Laney

E3 Drying Academy

Howard Partridge

Howard Partridge

President,
Phenomenal Products

Howard Partridge | The Experience | Restoration & Remediation Magazine
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Howard Partridge Howard Partridge

President,
Phenomenal Products

Howard Partridge started his cleaning business out of the trunk of his car over 40 years ago and transformed it into a multi-million dollar, turnkey operation that is super profitable. But it wasn't always that way. At one time, the business had a lot of debt. Today he and his company is debt-free and he has helped countless cleaning and restoration companies scale up their businesses and profits!

Mark Pasculli

Mark Pasculli

Restoration CrossCheck

Mark Pasculli | Restoration & Remediation Magazine
Mark Pasculli

Mark Pasculli

Restoration CrossCheck

Mark Pasculli holds a bachelor's degree in accounting from Fresno State University and is a Certified Public Accountant. After practicing as a CPA for six years, he graduated as Valedictorian from San Joaquin College of Law and practiced law until 1996. He then served as Chief Operating Officer for a private group of companies in manufacturing, construction, property management, and insurance. In 2003, Mark and his wife Lori acquired Cleanup and Total Restoration (CTR), expanding it to five locations across Idaho and Washington, earning numerous industry awards. He served as President of Restoration Affiliates from 2017 to 2019 and remains an advisor to CTR and HighGround Restoration Group. In 2016, Mark and his wife Lori established Rolling Hills Vineyard, focusing on Italian and French varietals, and have won multiple prestigious wine medals. Appointed to the Idaho Wine Commission in 2021, Mark is also studying enology at UC Davis. Currently, he is with the Law Offices of Edward H. Cross & Associates and Restoration CrossCheck.

Eric Sprague

Eric Sprague

Owner and Director of Education,
Super Tech University

Jeff Taxier

Jeff Taxier

Restoration CrossCheck

Jeff Taxier | Restoration & Remediation Magazine
Jeff Taxier

Jeff Taxier

Restoration CrossCheck

Jeffrey Taxier is a property insurance claims expert and Senior Consultant at Restoration CrossCheck, LLC, holding the Senior Claim Law Associate (SCLA) designation from the American Educational Institute. With over 45 years of experience in insurance and restoration, he spent a significant portion of his career at Allstate Insurance Company, where he held various management positions, including roles in subrogation, special investigations, and property claims management. Notably, he contributed to the redesign of Allstate’s Property Claims Curriculum and participated in managing major catastrophes such as the Northridge Earthquake and Hurricane Andrew. After retiring from Allstate, Mr. Taxier served as Education and Training Manager at ATI Restoration, providing extensive training for both employees and insurance professionals. He holds a BA in English from Loyola Marymount University and is pursuing a Master’s in Instructional Technology at Northern Illinois University.

Norma Vally

Norma Vally

Restoration CrossCheck

Norma Vally | Restoration & Remediation Magazine
Norma Vally

Norma Vally

Restoration CrossCheck

Known as the Toolbelt Diva, Norma Vally started swinging a hammer long before any cameras were rolling. For over a decade, she honed all aspects of her hands-on approach to interior and exterior renovation and design in her family’s home-improvement business. Norma’s media career boasts a home improvement book series, Norma Vally’s Kitchen Fix-ups and Bathroom Fix-ups (Wiley), four seasons as host of Discovery Home Channel’s Emmy nominated series Toolbelt Diva, and a radio show by the same name on Sirius XM. She is a project consultant, columnist and contributor to various press and website outlets. Norma splits her time in Southern Nevada, LA, and NYC.