Moving on, up and in
Staff retirements, promotions, additions highlight fluid year for MDAQMD
The MDAQMD roster looked a little different on Jan. 1, 2020 than it will on Dec. 31, 2020 as a number of changes have occurred throughout the year.
Moving on
Longtime staffers Guy Smith, a mainstay in MDAQMD’s Permit Engineering section, and Vickie Rausch, assigned to Antelope Valley AQMD, retired in late summer. Both played vital roles in implementing the federal and state Clean Air Acts — one of the District’s primary responsibilities.
These departures led to a marked shift in the District’s operations staff who are essential to regulating local air quality.
Moving up
Air Quality Specialist I May Mamari moved to the Antelope Valley office in February as that region’s Air Quality Planner, but later promoted to Air Quality Engineer I back in the Mojave Desert office.
Daniel Concho, Air Quality Specialist II who started with MDAQMD in 2012, also promoted to Air Quality Engineer I.
Moving in
The retirements of Smith and Rausch, planned retirements of other key staff in the next couple of years, and the earlier departure of Operations staff spurred the District’s need to recruit for two positions.
Bertrand Gaschot started in early November in the District’s Air Quality Planner I position, while Kent Christensen joined the team as Air Quality Engineer I just before Thanksgiving.
Gaschot is a Barstow resident, moving to the Mojave Desert with his girlfriend last spring after she accepted a job with the National Parks Service. Born in Paris, Gaschot earned a Bachelor of Science in Geology from Northern Illinois University where he attended on a Division 1 soccer scholarship. He later graduated with a Master’s in Geology from West Virginia University.
“The Planner position here at MDAQMD interested me because I felt like I could make a direct impact on my new community,” Gaschot said, “while utilizing the skills I developed in graduate school.”
Gaschot has already started work on reviewing some project proposals submitted to the District.
Christensen comes to the District from Ducommun AeroStructures where he worked over the past 32 years, most of which as the Environmental, Health and Safety Manager. His responsibilities there included comprehensive air quality compliance for the company’s Title V facilities in El Mirage, Monrovia and Orange, and emissions inventories at its Carson facility. He also held other environmental compliance responsibilities at the El Mirage facility.
His environmental experience also included work at a major steel mill and a disposable foodware manufacturing facility.
In his “other life,” Christensen is heavily involved in an organization that brings Japanese high school marching bands and choirs to Disney theme parks in the U.S. That organization also provided a marching band from Japan in 11 of the last 12 Rose Parades.
“A lot of my free time is spent at home doing automotive mechanics and home improvement projects,” Christensen says. “However, what I really treasure is my time spent with my wife, two sons and daughter, and six grandchildren.”
Min is a Southern California native, completing an undergraduate degree in chemistry at University of California, Riverside before moving to Atlanta to earn his master’s degree. He returned to Southern California “for the warm dry weather, family, food and work.”
“I come from an atmospheric chemistry background with specialties in air monitoring and instrumentation,” Min says. “I’m also co-authored in a professional journal publication for the American Association for Aerosol Research.”
Good air quality and the opportunity to help maintain such in the High Desert drew Min to MDAQMD. In his free time, Min enjoys trail running, rock climbing and cooking.
'Learn Before You Burn' encourages responsible burning, alternatives
A new program aims to reduce air quality impacts from wood smoke through education on responsible burning practices.
Learn Before You Burn offers guidance on the proper route to burning yard waste. The program also serves as a guide for residents who heat their homes using woodburning methods.
View and download the Learn Before You Burn informational guide at mdaqmd.ca.gov/outreach/learn-before-you-burn.
Report illegal or unsafe burning by calling 800-635-4617.
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