Our Team
K2EC was formed from a pool of highly qualified consultants with a long track record of supporting air quality programs in industry and government agencies. For the last 20 years, we have been part of a group of engineers providing technical expertise to environmental protection agencies under various contracts.
Our team of consultants consistently receives high reviews from government agencies as well as industry. Beyond our technical expertise, we are praised for our excellent interpersonal skills, our work ethics, and our ability to identify mutual working strategies. We create consensus among stakeholders including public, regulated entities, consultants, and government employees.
Khawar Kalim
Chief Executive Officer
BE, Mechanical Engineering, NED University of Engineering and Technology, Pakistan
MS, Environmental Engineering, Drexel University, Pennsylvania (USA)
Mr. Kalim is the founder and CEO of K2EC Environmental Consulting. He has over 20 years of experience in air quality consulting, providing project management and technical support to air quality programs for preconstruction permits, operating permits, emission statements, stack testing, and mobile sources. Mr. Kalim’s expertise include LEAN mapping and streamlining of processes, emission credits programs, and government programs implementation. He has long track record of supporting air quality programs in industry and government agencies and has managed multi-million, multi-year environmental support contracts.
Mr. Kalim has worked as Project and Planning Engineer at Exxon Chemical. He supervised preventive and breakdown maintenance and coordinated fabrication of equipment for de-bottleneck and manufacturing excellence projects. He developed facility turnaround and shutdown plans and facilitated execution of turnarounds. He prepared capital and expense budgets and coordinated award of plant engineering contracts.
Dr. Vladimir Korolev, PhD
Project Manager
BS & PhD, Chemical Engineering, Leningrad Technological Institute (Russia)
Mr. Korolev has over 20 years’ experience in implementing Title V Operating Permits program in New Jersey, which includes interpreting regulations, developing compliance plans, and conducting draft operating permit reviews for pharmaceutical, chemical, petrochemical, and steel foundry industries. His air quality experience includes: control technology assessment; Prevention of Significant Deterioration and New Source Review permitting; Reasonably Available Control Technology, Maximum Achievable Control Technology, Best Available Control Technology, and Lowest Achievable Emission Rate compliance evaluations. In addition, Mr. Korolev has prepared air pollution control permits for the State of Arkansas and has assisted with the development of initial and renewal Title V permits in the State of Alaska.
Mr. Korolev has overseen review of over 500 air permit applications from major facilities and over 5,000 air permit applications from minor facilities. This involves administrative and technical completeness review, verification of calculations of emissions from new and modified sources, verification of compliance with applicable emission standards, assisting applicants in understanding information requests, preparing pre-draft permits, resolving disputes with applicants, preparing statements of basis and public notices, review comments from public, neighboring states, and EPA, and preparing for and participation in public hearings.
Gilbert Botham
Senior Economic Advisor
BS, Environmental Studies, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
BS, Political Science, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
MSc, Economics and Policy of Energy and the Environment, University College London, London, UK
Receiving a Master’s Degree in Environmental Economics from the University College London and a Bachelors in Environmental Science from Loyola University Chicago, Gil works extensively with economic modeling and policy compliance. With his most recent experience in the zero-emission medium and heavy-duty sector, Gil looks to develop markets and strategies to meet New Jersey’s emission goals. Utilizing his background with the US Census Bureau, Loyola’s Biodiesel Lab, and the UN Environmental Programme, Gil seeks to create a more perfect union between policy makers and executors of our environmental vision.
William Brinkman
Data Analyst
B.A. in Computer Science, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
In the 7 years since Mr. Brinkman obtained his degree, he has acquired experience ranging from teaching AP Computer Science, to Mobile Quality Assurance engineering, to managing various IT and Quality Assurance teams. His strengths lie in software engineering, automation of software testing, organization, and communication. Mr. Brinkman has built out automated testing frameworks using Java, Python, Selenium, and Cypress. He has also built automated data cleaning tools using Java and Javascript.
At K2, his role is to assist the mobile sources data team in delivering robust solutions to clients, including the designing and building of data collection and reporting tools, and other automations wherever possible.
Ted Chleboski, PE
Senior Engineer
BS Environmental Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, Pennsylvania, USA
Over 15 years’ experience in air quality consulting with environmental design and construction firms, focusing on air quality regulations and permitting, engineering design, and operations in industries and government. He has managed complex air pollution control projects involving compliance auditing, federal and state air quality permitting, control technology assessments, air quality dispersion modeling, Prevention of Significant Deterioration, Best Available Control Technology reviews, and Clean Air Act implementation strategies.
He has been responsible for several air permitting projects within the power and energy industries involving combined heating and cooling facilities, district energy centers, landfills, and central utility plants. He has developed and updated emission inventories for pharmaceutical, electronic manufacturing, resource recovery, waste water treatment plants, and sludge facilities for sites within the states of New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.
Mr. Chleboski has conducted comprehensive facility audits to assess air permit compliance on a facility-wide basis and effectively implemented customized environmental compliance training and management tracking systems to assist and guide facility and staff personnel for compliance. He has extensive working experience with linear construction projects for electric utility alignments, landfill closures and pharmaceutical capital expansion projects. He has also is a co-author of the Air Waste Management Association (AWMA), Air Pollution Engineering Manual for the Pharmaceutical Industry Emissions Profile.
Geri Courington
Mobile Sources Expert
BS, Business, State University of New York at Albany, USA
Ms. Courington’s 35-year career as a data analyst, program/project manager and business services marketing professional has spanned state government, higher education, small business ownership and a variety of corporate management positions. Ms. Courington has strong hands- on technical and analytical skill, and she is adept at defining business objectives and managing project scope. She is successful at bridging the communication gap between business and technology groups by developing business requirements, gap analysis documents, functional documentation and business processes. She is excellent at forging sustainable relationships with vendors and clients, and has an extensive background in producing, securing and fulfilling business service contracts for government and corporate entities.
She managed the data systems and data communication network services for the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Inspection Program, which included accountability for customer relationship and engagement, quality assurance, strategic planning, risk assessment, change and crisis management, customer advocacy, project management, reporting, invoicing and training. Ms. Courington’s involvement with New Jersey’s Motor Vehicle Inspection Program continues as a Mobile Source Data Analyst for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, where she provides programming, data management and analysis services in support of the both the gasoline and diesel inspection and maintenance programs. She is responsible for the timely compilation of the EPA Annual Report and statistics for the NJ Motor Vehicle Inspection Program; ad hoc data analysis of the Inspection Program; QA of station audit data and generations of audit reports and development of an annual report for the Diesel and School Bus Inspection Programs.
Doug DeGregorio
Data Analyst
Computer Certification, Cumberland County College, New Jersey, USA
Mr. DeGregorio has over 30 years’ experience in data analysis, coding, and support of mobile sources emission inspection programs at New Jersey’s Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC). He is and expert in design and coding of field data collection systems, including multi-user data capture system for the collection and reporting of Enhanced I/M audit data. He has developed statistical reports containing findings, conclusions, and recommendations for MVC senior management to determine the inspection program compliance. His wide experience includes operation audits of MVC field operations and motor vehicle inspection stations.
Mr. DeGregorio has developed program module flowcharts and codes for various Inspection Services applications development. He has designed and coded data collection and reporting system using HTML; VB Script; Java Script and SQL to interface with Oracle, MySql and MS Access. He also designed and coded various field data collection system utilizing Visual Basic and FTP protocol to collect inspection data from the Heavy-Duty Diesel vans on roadside.
Tom Dvorak
Mobile Sources Expert
BA, Computer Science, Thomas Edison State University, New Jersey, USA
Mr. Dvorak has over 15 years’ experience in Mobile Sources Modeling, Inspection and Maintenance (I/M) programs. He has an extensive Information Technology (IT) background with over 20 years’ experience in database design, implementation and maintenance. Prior to pursuing a career in IT and Mobile Sources, Mr. Dvorak had over a decade in the automotive repair business including ASE certifications. He has experience in writing and evaluating RFPs for State government programs.
Combining his IT and automotive backgrounds, Mr. Dvorak has worked on the New Jersey I/M program onsite as a consultant for over 14 years. He has been a key player in two I/M program migrations. He helped design and implement the Data warehouse for New Jersey’s in-house I/M program. He has designed, coded and implemented automations for various state programs including the Emission Technician Education Program and the Heavy-Duty Diesel I/M program. He developed key modeling inputs for the state using Motor Vehicle registration data and VIN decoders. He has also co-authored a white paper about quantifying OBD fraud http://www.nj.gov/dep/stopthesoot/OBDfraud.pdf.
He also has 4 years’ experience in the telecom field as an on-site consultant. He has range of experience with multiple database platforms including Oracle, MySQL, SQL server, MS Access, DB2 and IMS. He has worked with several different mobile source models such as MOVES (all versions), Mobile 6, EMFAC and Nonroad.
Antonio Iavarone
Policy Analyst
BA, Environmental and Political Sciences, Richard Stockton University, New Jersey, USA
AA, Humanities and Social Sciences, Mercer County Community College, New Jersey, USA
Mr. Iavarone works in Mobile Source Compliance and Enforcement providing technical support for measures to reduce emissions from diesel-powered cargo handling equipment at maritime ports and railyards. He has over twenty-four years’ experience in the Department of Environmental Protection designing, implementing and managing mobile source emissions control programs with emphasis on his technical expertise in emissions testing, diesel engine technology and exhaust control measures. His extensive experience includes serving as manager of the Bureau of Mobile Sources, managing and operating a mobiles source emissions testing laboratory, and technical lead implementing and then managing all phases of the Mandatory Diesel Retrofit Program (MDRP) covering 25,000 publicly- and privately-owned vehicles. He managed the state diesel retrofit contract 11 emission control installers and an annual budget exceeding $14 million, successfully completing a financial audit by the State Legislature. He was a key player in the State’s migration to the dynamometer-based Enhanced I/M program where he developed and implemented emissions testing equipment acceptance test procedures and ongoing quality assurance auditing. He has substantial background in writing and evaluating policy documents, regulations, RFPs and contracts for State Government Programs. He Represented the State in regional collaborations, trustee boards and national committees for enhanced inspection and maintenance and diesel emissions testing.
Mr. Iavarone also has six years’ experience as a practitioner in Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration for contaminated sites and degraded natural resources projects. He supervised the Injury Assessment Section of the Department’s Office of Natural Resource Restoration and served as project technical lead on multiple high level litigation efforts and restoration projects. Major projects included litigation for PFAS contamination, contaminated groundwater and ecosystems, trustee for the Cornell-Dubilier Electronics Trust restoration, and project manager during the middle construction phase of the Cramer Hill Waterfront Park/Harrison Avenue Landfill Restoration.
Gary Lester
Senior Engineer
BS, Construction Engineering, Spring Garden College, Pennsylvania, USA
Mr. Lester has 39 years of experience in providing air quality services for state agencies, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), OSHA, other federal agencies, and industrial clients. He has assisted New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) in the preconstruction permit program for over 31 years. His experience covers a broad range of activities, including air permit project management, rulemaking, pre-application conferences with facility representatives, review and evaluation of the applications, and preparation of draft and final versions of preconstruction permits.
He has worked as preconstruction permit evaluator and project manager under several contracts with NJDEP since 1983. He is experienced with all aspects of NJDEP air permitting including extensive knowledge of NJDEP and EPA’s air permit regulations, state of the art, and emission control technologies. He has a through technical understanding of various source types, their pollutants, the best suited control devices and what control device operating parameters should be monitored to ensure proper operation and assure continuous compliance.
Aishwarya Mukund
Policy Analyst
B.Tech (Hons.), Construction Technology, Center for Environmental Planning and Technology, Ahmedabad, India
Master of Urban Planning, New York University, New York, USA
Masters in Sustainable Environmental Systems, Pratt Institute, New York, USA
Aishwarya is a planner and sustainability expert with seven years of experience, previously working for a variety of planning firms and organizations in New York. Her work experience includes projects for coastal resilience and climate adaptation, city and regional planning, international development planning, stakeholder engagement, and green building systems. Most recently, she was a part of the facilitator team for the Gowanus Rezoning Oversight Task Force in New York City working in public engagement, policy and planning.
With Masters degrees in Sustainable Environmental Systems and Urban Planning, Aishwarya works with the Bureau of Climate Change and Clean Energy at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to support the Climate Pollution Reduction (CPR) Grant Programs to create viable Climate Action Plans.
Hanin Nashif
Technical Associate
B.S. Chemical Engineering, M.S. Environmental Policy, New Jersey Institute of Technology, New Jersey, USA
Ms. Nashif has over 13 years experience in chemical and environmental engineering. Ms. Nashif has assisted in the implementation of the state’s Title V Operating Permit Program. Her experience covers a broad range of activities, including pre application conferences with facility representatives, review and evaluation of the applications, and preparation of draft and final versions of comprehensive operating permits. She has extensive experience in air pollution control, environmental permitting, and compliance auditing. Ms. Nashif has been responsible for air permitting projects in pharmaceuticals, chemicals, coatings, utilities, and pulp and paper industries. Her air quality experience includes: State and local permitting; RACT, MACT, BACT, and LAER studies; compliance auditing; emission inventories; Title V permitting; Title I permitting; regulatory analysis; and control technology assessment. Ms. Nashif has also provided technical support in reviewing stack test reports consistent with the NJDEP procedures and guidance, ensuring that the testing and analysis was performed in accordance with the approved protocol, test methods and field guidance. Most recently, Ms. Nashif has been involved in the review of annual emission statement submittals.
Adam Pagarigan
Senior Engineer
BS, Industrial Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, New Jersey, USA
Mr. Pagarigan has more than 20 years of industry air compliance and environmental engineering experience including compliance auditing, emission inventories; control technology assessment, and annual reporting of emission statements. Mr. Pagarigan has assisted the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) in the implementation of the air quality permitting programs for more than 11 years. His NJDEP experience covers a broad range of activities, including pre-application conferences with facility representatives, review and evaluation of applications, and preparation of draft and final versions of permits.
Mr. Pagarigan has reviewed the federal rules NSPS 40CFR Part 60 Subpart MMMM and the 40CFR Part 62 Subpart LLL federal plan requirements for sewage sludge incineration units. He prepared compliance plan templates for fluidized bed and multiple hearth sewage sludge incinerator units. He implemented the final Part 62 Subpart LLL federal plan requirements into initial operating permit and significant modification applications.
Mr. Pagarigan has supported NJDEP’s Diesel Risk Reduction Program and reviewed EPA guidelines to determine the Best Available Retrofit Technology (BART) that meets the control efficiency requirements. He evaluated facility inventory, cost estimates, and fleet plans for retrofitting regulated vehicles and equipment including solid waste collection trucks, school buses, public and private commercial buses.
Anjali Patel
Environmental Engineer
MS Chemical Engineering, Rowan University, Glassboro, New Jersey, USA (Expected May 2024)
BS Chemical Engineering, Dharmsinh Desai University, India
Ms. Patel has 2.5 years of hands-on industrial experience in project execution where she conducted technical assessment of various Chemical Engineering projects, participated in Factory Acceptance Test, led project commissioning activities, documented project Statutory requirements, and participated in Plant Hazard and Operability study (HAZOP).
Ms. Patel currently provides technical support to Bureau of Stationary sources at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, conducting technical and regulatory review of Major Facilities Title V Operating Permits and Minor Facilities Preconstruction Permits that includes regulatory reviews, preparation of drafts for public comments, and issuing final permits.
Brian Reilly
Environmental Consultant
B.S. Environmental Science, Rider University, New Jersey, USA
Mr. Reilly has over 3 years’ experience in industrial and commercial facility air permitting. His experience is centered primarily on the aggregate and power industry – asphalt plants, concrete plants, quarries, recycling facilities and data centers. He has led air permit applicability determinations and compliance evaluations on-site at many of these operations and has prepared and submitted numerous preconstruction permit and general permit applications to the NJDEP for these and many other source types. He has also developed compliance strategies to assist facilities with their air permitting requirements. Mr. Reilly has also prepared and submitted air permit applications and annual emission inventories for large standby power systems in over 10 states.
Mr. Reilly is well-versed in federal regulations NSPS OOO, NSPS JJJJ and NSPS IIII. He is also experienced working with state regulators and clients on a regular basis, as well as NJDEP Enforcement staff to resolve permit disputes. In addition to his air permitting experience, Mr. Reilly has a broad background in other environmental compliance programs including SPCC plan development, NPDES stormwater permits, as well as Tier II reporting.
Warren Smith
Senior Engineer
MS, Management Science and Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Massachusetts, USA
BS, Mechanical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Massachusetts, USA
Mr. Smith has assisted New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s (NJDEP) air quality program for more than 20 years. His experience covers a broad range of activities in operating permit, emission statement, and emission measurement programs. He has evaluated initial and modification applications and prepared operating permits. He has reviewed annual emission statement submittals and improved the completeness and accuracy of the vast majority of them, before facility emissions were further tabulated. He reviewed stack test reports, ensuring that the reported emissions were properly derived from the stack testing data.
Mr. Smith has over 20 years’ previous experience in industry. He installed mass production furniture manufacturing equipment and helped design the first computerized lumber mill. He worked among chemists doing R&D on asphalt roofing shingles and thermal solar collectors. He did quality control and evaluations of automotive parts and aircraft emergency escape slides. He was the Plant Engineer at a nonferrous metals manufacturing facility. All of Mr. Smith’s industrial work combined aspects of environmental, R&D, quality control, facilities, and production.
Claire Sugihara
Senior Policy Advisor
PhD, Energy Systems (Energy Policy and Management Track), University of California, Davis
BS, Environmental Studies (Energy Management and Design Concentration), Sonoma State University
Claire’s expertise focuses on understanding the influence of policy on energy, transportation, and environmental behaviors, with a focus on understanding and promoting zero-emission vehicle adoption. She works with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) to support transportation decarbonization policy and programs across the light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicle sectors.
Claire received her Ph.D. from the University of California, Davis in the Energy Systems program, Energy Policy and Management track. During her time at UC Davis, she worked at the Electric Vehicle Research Center, housed within the Institute of Transportation Studies. Here, her research focused on understanding how organizations and consumers perceive and make decisions on whether to acquire electric vehicles, culminating in the dissertation “Understanding Organizational Decisions to Adopt Plug-in Electric Vehicles”. She received her Undergraduate Degree from Sonoma State University in Environmental Studies with an Energy Management and Design concentration. She previously worked at the California Energy Commission researching emerging energy and transportation topics.
Chris Wagner, PE
Senior Engineer
BS, Chemical Engineering, Villanova University, Pennsylvania, USA
Mr. Wagner is a professionally licensed engineer with over 30 years’ experience as a chemical and environmental engineer. Mr. Wagner has been providing technical support to New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and has reviewed hundreds of stack test reports. He reviews stack test reports consistent with the NJDEP procedures and guidance, ensuring that the testing and analysis was performed in accordance with the approved protocol, test methods and field guidance.
Mr. Wagner has extensive experience in petroleum refineries and chemical plants having held various positions in engineering, technical support, and operations. He has been responsible for numerous environmental programs including SARA 313 reporting, hazardous waste handling, inspection of waste disposal sites, and facility stack testing. Mr. Wagner has performed duties related to the maintenance of process equipment in oil refining facilities, management of air programs, ground water monitoring and hazardous waste in industrial and manufacturing facilities in refining and agricultural chemicals.
Hailey Spinks
Climate Communications Specialist
BA, English, Montclair State University
MS, Sustainability Science, Concentration in Sustainability Leadership, Montclair State University
Hailey Spinks is a sustainability professional with a strong background in writing, design, and environmental communication. She has a BA in English with a Minor in Sustainability and a Minor in Entrepreneurship from Montclair State University and is currently pursuing an MS in Sustainability at the same institution. Her expertise extends to crafting high-impact grant proposals, reports, and materials that effectively convey complex information. Her skill set in transforming technical content into engaging, accessible formats was instrumental in advancing research projects and securing funding. Currently, Hailey is applying her skills at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) in the Climate Change Bureau, where she contributes to website design, graphic design, and the formatting of reports and presentations.
Elham Shabahat
Senior Policy Analyst
MS, Environmental Science, Yale University
MS, Global Affairs and Human Rights, New York University
Elham Shabahat is a social scientist specializing in environmental policy and the human dimensions of climate change. At DEP, her work is focused on community-based research and engagement, particularly in transportation and air monitoring.
Previously, she worked as a senior climate change consultant for the World Bank on cross-sectoral approaches and methodologies for climate resilience. She has extensive experience conducting research with underserved communities and scholars in climate science, economics, and human geography to build knowledge about how climatic changes are shaping societies, infrastructure, and ecosystems. Her experience also includes working as a program officer in community forestry in Southeast Asia, and landscape and wildlife conservation in Eastern Africa. She has a master’s degree in environmental science from Yale University, and a master’s degree in global affairs and human rights from New York University.