IAQ Radio

Angela Bajramaj, JD - Insights into Restoration Law!

Good Day and welcome to IAQ Radio+ episode 719 this week we welcome Attorney Angela Bajramaj for a discussion of Restoration, IAQ and Construction Legal Issues. Angela will be diving into the complexities and nuances of the construction and restoration industry from a legal perspective. She’ll be discussing common legal issues faced by professionals in the field and sharing her expert insights on how to navigate these challenges effectively, with a focus on what restorers can do to maximize their collections. Whether you’re a contractor, a business owner, or simply interested in the subject, this show will provide valuable information and tips to help you stay ahead of the legal curve.
Angela Bajramaj is an attorney, licensed contractor, and a passionate advocate for restorers. Prior to joining Ed Cross as his law partner in May of 2023, Angela served as Corporate Counsel for Belfor Property Restoration for eight years, where she oversaw U.S. collections, managed dispute resolution, and designed and implemented solutions to regulatory issues. Following Hurricane Ian, Angela served with Belfor’s first response team, which helped further foster a deep understanding of the unique and profound challenges that restoration contractorsface.
Angela is a graduate of Wayne State University of Law School with a Juris Doctorate Degree, and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from University of Wisconsin – Madison. She is one of the few female lawyers in the United States who holds a Residential Builder License. Prior to becoming an attorney, Angela worked in the construction industry in her family’s contracting business for almost 20 years.
Angela brings years of restoration and collections experience to the Law Offices of Edward H. Cross, and her addition enhances the firm’s capacity to advocate for Michigan restorers and provide specialized legal support for restoration-specific issues in other states. Beyond her professional accomplishments, Angela is dedicated to her community, actively participating in creative fundraising activities for local charities. When not working, she enjoys spending quality time with her husband, five children, and granddaughter, and shredding on Michigan’s beautiful bike trails. Learn More this week on IAQ Radio+.

Pawel Wargocki, PhD – Wenjuan Wei, PhD – Corinne Mandin, PhD – Deep Energy Retrofits and IEQ; A TAIL from Europe

Good Day and welcome to IAQ Radio+ episode 718 this week we welcome Dr. Pawal Wargocki, Dr. Wenjuan Wei and Dr. Corinne Mandin for a discussion about Deep Energy Retrofits and IEQ; A TAIL from Europe. With the large focus on making our building stock less energy intensive what will happen to indoor environmental quality? We talk to a stellar group of academics about how to determine what deep energy retrofits will do to IEQ.
Pawel Wargocki is professor at the Technical University of Denmark. He graduated from the Warsaw University of Technology in Poland. He received his Ph.D. from the Technical University of Denmark in 1998, where he has been teaching and performing research ever since. He has more than 25 years of experience in research on human requirements in indoor environments. He is best known for his seminal work demonstrating that poor indoor environmental quality affects the performance of office work and learning. Other work influenced requirements for ventilation and air cleaning. Recent research includes studies on human emissions, sleep quality, the development of IEQ rating schemes, and the performance of green buildings.
He has collaborated with leading research institutions, universities, and industrial partners worldwide, such as the National University of Singapore, Jiaotong University in Shanghai, Syracuse Center of Excellence, United Technologies, and Google. He was President and long-standing board member of the International Society of Indoor Air Quality and Climate (ISIAQ), President of the ISIAQ Academy of Fellows (previously Academy of Indoor Air Sciences), Vice President of the Indoor Air 2008 conference, and Chair of ASHRAE committees. He has received several awards for his work, including the Rockwool Award for Young Researchers, ASHRAE Ralph Nevins Award, ISIAQ’s Yaglou Award, and the Indoor Air Journal Best Paper Awards.
Corinne Mandin earned her PhD in environmental chemistry from the University of Rennes, France. From 2013 to 2022, she coordinated the French Indoor Air Quality Observatory, a research program dedicated to indoor environmental quality created by the French government. In 2022, she joined the French institute for radiation protection and nuclear safety (IRSN) where she leads the epidemiology research group. Her research interests include human exposure to chemical and physical risk factors, both in living spaces and occupational settings, and related health effects. She is the Immediate Past President of the International Society for Indoor Air Quality and Climate (ISIAQ).
Dr. Wenjuan Wei is a research scientist at the Scientific and Technical Centre for Building (CSTB, France, since 2018). She received her Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Tsinghua University (2009-2014). She was a guest researcher at the National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST, USA, 2011-2012), and a post-doctoral researcher at CSTB (2016-2018). During her post-doctoral appointment, she was Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow of the European Commission’s Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions and PRESTIGE Fellow of Campus France. Dr. Wei is a specialist in indoor environmental quality (IEQ). She received the Yaglou Award of the ISIAQ Academy in 2022 and is the co-chair of the ISIAQ Scientific and Technical Committee 32 addressing environmental/climate impacts.
Her research interests include the emission and transport of (semi) volatile organic compounds (S)VOCs, indoor heat and pollutant exposures, and IEQ index. She has participated in several European and French research projects, such as Horizon-ALDREN and Horizon-PARC. She is co-supervising 2 PhD theses. She has published 43 peer-reviewed journal articles, and her h-index is 22.

J. David Miller, PhD – Relative Humidity; It’s More Than Just Mold

This week we welcome Dr. David Miller for a discussion on how relative humidity affects indoor environments. Dr. Miller let me know that he has something important to say and when he does, we listen.
Prof. J. David Miller Dr. Miller received his secondary education at the University of New Brunswick, before studying at the University of Portsmouth in England, where he was also a NATO Science Postdoctoral Fellow. His post-university career started at Agriculture Canada, where he became head of the Fusarium mycotoxin program. He became a Professor & NSERC Research Chair in fungal toxins and allergens at Carleton University in 2000. In 2020, he was appointed as a Distinguished Research Professor. From 1999-2008, he was a visiting scientist and science advisor at Health Canada in the air health effects division. Among other tasks, Dr. Miller helped to draft the guidelines for mold and dampness published by Health Canada. Over the past several decades, he has co-managed many large studies of housing and health including in First Nations Communities.
Dr. Miller has published >350 papers on fungi and fungal toxins and has co-written 10 books on the public health aspects of exposures to fungi, and has several patents. Miller has served on many national and international committees on mold and dampness in the built environment including on the American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology committee that produced practice parameters for environmental allergens. He was chief editor of the American Industrial Hygiene Association “Green Book” (2008, 2020) and “Field Guide” (1996, 2005) that lay out guidelines for addressing mold and dampness in public buildings.
Miller is an elected member of the International Academy of Indoor Air Sciences. Among other awards, he received the AgExcellence Award from Agriculture Canada, the Toxicology Forum Scott Award for contributions to toxicology, the Applied Research Award from the Ottawa Life Sciences Council, an AIHA award for contributions to the field of industrial hygiene and the 2017 Award of Merit from the Ontario Maple Syrup Producers Association. In 2013, Miller was elected as a Fellow of the American Industrial Hygiene Association. In 2016, he received the prestigious NSERC Synergy Award for his research partnership with JD Irving, Limited. In 2021, he received the inaugural Philip R. Morey award from the ACGIH for contributions to bioaerosol guidance.

Paul Donald - CEO Encircle Inc. - Software Integration & Best Practices for Estimates and Documentation in the Property Restoration Industry

Good Day and welcome to IAQ Radio+ episode 716 this week we welcome Paul Donald, CEO of Encircle Inc. Today we will discuss the state of software integration and best practices for estimating and documentation in the property restoration and insurance damage repair industry.
Paul Donald is the CEO and co-founder of Encircle Inc., the go-to platform for restoration documentation, and enhanced productivity for field teams. Paul has over 25 years of experience as an accomplished entrepreneur and technology executive. His career is focused on building technology to solve productivity issues through real-time sharing of information. Paul co-founded the Encircle app, creating a new standard that defines how property loss information is gathered, assessed, and reported when disaster strikes. Paul is an active mentor, coach, and angel investor in Canada’s innovation district located in Kitchener.

Gigi Kwik Gronvall, PhD & Richard Bruns, PhD - Johns Hopkins Model State Indoor Air Quality Act

Good Day and welcome to IAQ Radio+ episode 715 this week we welcome Dr. Gigi Kwik Gronvall, and Dr. Richard Bruns to discuss the recently developed Model State Indoor Air Quality Act.
Gigi Kwik Gronvall, PhD
During the COVID-19 pandemic, she led the Center’s ongoing efforts to track the development and marketing of molecular and antigen tests and serology tests, as well as the development of national strategies for COVID-19 serology (antibody) tests and SARS-CoV-2 serosurveys in the United States. She leads work on improving indoor air quality to reduce pathogen transmission, including guidance for K-12 schools, and is a public health advisor to the Baltimore City Public School system. She also has written about the scientific response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the contested origin of SARS-CoV-2, and the implications for national and international security.
Dr. Gronvall is the author of Synthetic Biology: Safety, Security, and Promise. In the book, she describes what can be done to minimize technical and social risks and maximize the benefits of synthetic biology, focusing on biosecurity, biosafety, ethics, and US national competitiveness—important sectors of national security. Dr. Gronvall is also the author of Preparing for Bioterrorism: The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation’s Leadership in Biosecurity. Through her description of major grants that represented the foundation’s investments in civilian preparedness, public health law, law enforcement, air filtering in buildings, influenza preparedness, and business preparedness, she constructed, for a nontechnical audience, a chronicle of early gains in US efforts to confront the threat of bioterrorism.
Dr. Gronvall is a member of the Department of State’s International Security Advisory Board, which provides advice about arms control, disarmament, nonproliferation, and national security aspects of emerging technologies. She is a member of the Novel and Exceptional Technology and Research Advisory Committee (NExTRAC), which provides recommendations to the Director of the National Institutes of Health and is a public forum for the discussion of the scientific, safety, and ethical issues associated with emerging biotechnologies. As of 2023, she is a member of the National Academies’ Forum on Microbial Threats.
From 2010 to 2020, Dr. Gronvall was a member of the Threat Reduction Advisory Committee, which provided the Secretary of Defense with independent advice and recommendations on reducing the risk to the United States, its military forces, and its allies and partners posed by nuclear, biological, chemical, and conventional threats. During 2014-2015, she led a preparatory group that examined the US government response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa as a case study for the Department of Defense’s strategic role in health security and made recommendations for future Department of Defense actions in response to disease outbreaks. She served as the Science Advisor for the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism from April 2009 until the Commission ended in February 2010. She has testified before Congress about the safety and security of high-containment biological laboratories in the United States and served on several task forces related to laboratory and pathogen security. Dr. Gronvall has investigated and presented policy recommendations on the governance of science to the Biological Weapons Convention in Geneva, Switzerland.
In addition to being a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations, Dr. Gronvall is an Associate Editor of the journal Health Security (formerly Biosecurity and Bioterrorism). She is a founding member of the Center. Prior to joining the faculty, she worked at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Civilian Biodefense Strategies. She was a National Research Council Postdoctoral Associate at the US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases in Fort Detrick, Maryland.
Dr. Gronvall received a PhD from Johns Hopkins University for work on T-cell receptor/MHC I interactions and worked as a protein chemist at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. She received a BS in biology from Indiana University, Bloomington.
Richard Bruns, PhD
PhD Clemson University 2012
MS Clemson University 2009
BS Western Carolina University 2004
Particular research interests are using cost-benefit analysis to make the world’s preparations for pandemics and emerging biological risks as effective as possible; and expanding the use of QALYs to better measure a variety of life states and social conditions, so that cost-benefit analysis can include and properly account for all expected side effects of public policies.
Previously, Richard was a Senior Economist at the Food and Drug Administration, doing cost-benefit modeling of many FDA regulations and actions, including the Intentional Adulteration rule designed to harden food production facilities against terrorist attacks, the PHO GRAS determination aka ‘trans fat ban’, and a variety of other rules relating to food and medical devices. Richard also did preliminary modeling on FDA’s upcoming Nicotine Product Standard, a de facto ban on cigarettes that would cause many significant effects on public health and safety, as well as research to quantify and monetize the marginal per-unit effects of a variety of food contaminants, such as mycological toxins and arsenic in rice.

Andrew Rynhart & Kelvin Rynhart - Moisture Monitoring in the 21st Century - New Tech, Remote Monitoring & Integration with Estimating Documentation Platforms

This week we welcome Andrew and Kelvin Rynhart to talk about Moisture Monitoring in the 21st Century; New Tech, Remote Monitoring & Integration with Estimating/ Documentation Platforms. Learn More this week on IAQ Radio+.
Andrew Rynhart is the Chief Technical Officer of Tramex Ltd. He was taught from a young age about moisture in buildings from his father who was the founder of Tramex meters and inventor of the first commercially successful nondestructive moisture meters for building inspection. Andrew has been fortunate over the years to have learned a great deal about moisture in the building envelope from many of the world-leading technical people in Roofing, Flooring, IAQ, Water Damage, Pest Control and other industries who use these meters, in the United States, the UK, and Europe.
Kelvin Rynhart is the Sales Director at Tramex Meters. He has been part of the TRAMEX leadership team for almost 15 years in sales and as the Managing Director. Prior to joining TRAMEX he was a General Manager at Mayfield Properties in Ireland. He is enthusiastic about continuous learning in an array of moisture related industries and has his finger on the pulse of the moisture measurement world including the disaster restoration industry.
Celebrating 50 years in 2024 Tramex has been an international leader in design and manufacturing of moisture and humidity meters Tramex’s heritage in innovation began with its foundation in 1974. Today Tramex continues to innovate, design and manufacture moisture meters for building inspection with the latest range of meters currently being launched. Andrew has been involved in their development every step of the way.

Jim Rosenthal - Chief Executive Officer, Tex-Air Filters - Air Cleaning, Filtration and the Corsi-Rosenthal Box

Good Day and welcome to IAQ Radio+ episode 713 this week we welcome Jim Rosenthal to talk about air cleaners, filtration and the Corsi-Rosenthal Box. Jim not only knows a lot about air cleaners and filtration his company makes filters and more. Learn More this week on IAQ Radio+.
Jim Rosenthal is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Tex-Air Filters. He has over 20 years of experience in the air filtration and environmental control industries and has been active in the National Air Filtration Association (NAFA) – serving as its President in 2009-2010. He is a Certified Air Filter Specialist (CAFS) by NAFA. He was President of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America –Texas Chapter from 1998 to 2013. He is also involved in air filter test standards and is currently a voting member of the ASHRAE 52.2 Committee.

Bill Bahnfleth, PhD, PE - ASHRAE Control of Infectious Aerosols Standard & The Future of IAQ Standards after COVID

This week we welcome back Dr. William Bahnfleth to discuss ASHRAE Standard 241-2023 Control of Infectious Aerosols and the future of IAQ standards after COVID.
William Bahnfleth is a professor of architectural engineering at the Pennsylvania State University. He has held previous positions as a principle investigator at the US Army Construction Research Laboratories and as a senior consultant for ZBA, Inc. He holds a PhD in mechanical engineering from the University of Illinois and is a Registered Professional Engineer. At Penn State, Dr. Bahnfleth teaches courses on HVAC system design and indoor air quality. His research focuses on systems for sustainable management of indoor air quality with engineering controls, especially control of infectious aerosols. He is the author or co-author of nearly 200 peer-reviewed publications and 14 books/chapters. He is a past president of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and vice-president of the Indoor Environmental Quality Global Alliance.
Dr. Bahnfleth was chair of the ASHRAE Epidemic Task Force and currently chairs the project committee for ASHRAE Standard 241 Control of Infectious Aerosols. Dr. Bahnfleth is a fellow of ASHRAE, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), and the International Society for Indoor Air Quality and Climate (ISIAQ). Among his ASHRAE awards are the Louise and Bill Holladay Distinguished Fellow Award, the Donald Bahnfleth Environmental Health Award, and ASHRAE’s highest honor, the F. Paul Anderson Award. He is also a recipient of the Penn State Engineering Alumni Society World Class Engineering Faculty Award, and is a distinguished alumnus of the University of Illinois Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering.

Josh Miller, CR, CFE - From the Trenches to the Boardroom

This week, IAQ Radio+ interviews Rainbow Restoration President Josh Miller, CR, CFE. Josh is one of the property restoration industry's rising young leaders who ascended from working in the cleaning and restoration trenches to the President of one of the industry's most prominent brands serving the restoration sector. Josh has been a technician, project manager and industry instructor, and served as an association volunteer in a leadership role attaining advanced designations in restoration certification. Radio Joe and the Z-man in their unique "fireside chat" interview style will get Josh to share his story of the challenges and obstacles overcome to his ascension to the Presidency of Rainbow. Call in live this week to hear Josh talk about the lessons learned from his restoration journey and his vision for the future of the restoration industry!
Josh Miller started in the Industry in 1996 working for his ex-father-in-law as a Water Tech/Carpet Cleaner. He remained in that position until late 2001 when he moved into estimating and project management. In 2003 he left and bought his own carpet cleaning company with his father and cleaned carpets for several years. In 2005 he met Jack White at Jon Don's Strategies for Success in Chicago, IL. Not long afterwards Rainbow offered him a job as a Franchise Consultant. He and his ex-wife got homesick in TX and he was offered a consulting opportunity. For the next 3 1/2 years he was on the road approximately 21 days per month doing consulting. After that he stopped traveling and worked as a General Manager and/or Operations Manager for two different companies. Josh became involved as a volunteer at RIA on the Certification Committee in 2013 and then moved over to the Education Committee in 2015. He then went back to work at Rainbow in 2017 and quickly moved from Director of Technical Training to VP of Technical Services, VP of Operations and then President. Josh holds his CR, WLS, CMP, CLS, ERS, and FLS certifications and is a Triple Master Restorer.

Tom Laubenthal - Asbestos and Lead - Past, Present & Future

This week we welcome Tom Laubenthal of TGL Consulting to discuss Asbestos and Lead – Past, Present & Future. This is a topic that all of our audience runs into and needs to know more about.
Mr. Laubenthal is the owner of TGL Consulting, Inc, based in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. He has 39+ years of industry service and is considered an internationally recognized subject matter expert within the asbestos and lead-based paint control industries. He has served in a variety of leadership roles including as a past National President of the Environmental Information Association and he is a past recipient of the EIA’s Snyder Lifetime Achievement Award. He currently serves on the national board of the Lead and Environmental Hazards Association (LEHA). He manages the Asbestos Professional Networks page on LinkedIn with nearly 17,000 members. The largest web page of its kind in the world. He has published extensively in print and e-media and is regularly invited to speak at technical meetings on topics of asbestos and lead-based paint detection and control. He received his B.S. in Geology from Georgia State University.