3004360 - Young Professional Panel: Recovering from Natural Disasters

Wednesday, June 11, 2025

10:10am – 11:50am ET

Location: 305A

Panel Chair(s)

Lindsay Salvador, MS (she/her/hers)

Consulting Scientist
ALL4, NC

Panel Co-Chair(s)

Stephanie Taylor (she/her/hers)

Project Manager
SCS Engineers, KS

Panelist(s)

Michael Dustman, BS Geology: Environmental

Senior Project Manager-Industrial Hygienist
SCS Engineers
Taylor Hartsfield, EIT, CPM (she/her/hers)

Deputy Director, Division of Air Quality
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, North Carolina
Jason Watkins

North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality

Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of natural disasters around the world. North Carolina has experienced these changes firsthand over the last 10 years including one of the most destructive hurricanes, Hurricane Florence (2018), and one of the deadliest hurricanes, Hurricane Helene (2024). During the year 2024, there were 24 confirmed natural disaster events with losses exceeding $1B each in the United States. Recovering from major adverse climate related events is no easy task and brings together a wide variety of agencies and stakeholders on the federal, state, and local levels. This panel will cover natural disaster recovery efforts as it is linked to air and waste management and regulations.

Geared towards students and young professionals, attendees will leave with an understanding of the processes for air and waste management in the wake of increasing natural disasters to stay current and ahead in the field.