The Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™ program is a partnership between RTI International, a nonprofit research institute, and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NC DHHS), with the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) as a liason.
RTI International Key Staff
Jennifer Hoponick Redmon, MPA, MSES, CHMM
Program Director, Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™, RTI International
Ms. Hoponick Redmon is the program director for the Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™ program, the founding director of the Clean Water for Carolina Kids™ and Clean Water for US Kids™ programs, the director of the Environmental Health and Water Quality program at RTI, and by trade is a senior environmental health scientist and chemical risk assessment specialist. She is the primary point of contact for the program and media inquiries. Her vision is to eliminate exposure to environmental contaminants where people live, learn, and play. For this program, she oversees the ‘Clean Classrooms’ team at RTI and works closely with the North Carolina Department of Health and Services and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction to implement all aspects of the program objectives and advance children’s environmental health across North Carolina.
Lisa C. Greene, MS
Project Director, Lead-Based Paint and Asbestos, Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™, RTI International
Ms. Greene is the project director for the lead-based paint and asbestos portions of the Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™ program. She is also a secondary contractual point of contact, providing contingency support to Ms. Hoponick Redmon to ensure RTI’s execution of lead and asbestos tasks. Ms. Greene leads a research team within RTI’s Center for Analytical Sciences engaged in analysis of environmental samples and characterization of both manufactured and naturally occurring materials to protect human health. She provides oversight to RTI-administered proficiency testing programs for laboratories around the world who perform analyses of a suite of environmental and industrial contaminants. In this role, Ms. Greene provides data in a context relevant to community health and helps build competent professional practice in focused areas of industrial hygiene, including respiratory protection and exposure assessment.
Keith Levine, PhD
Analytical Sciences Lead, Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™, RTI International
Dr. Levine leads RTI’s Analytical Sciences Center, which develops and applies advanced analytical methods to address critical data gaps. He has subject matter expertise in inorganic analytical chemistry and supports the Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™ program with administrative leadership to ensure adequate staffing and administrative infrastructure at RTI.
Joseph Johnson, MCS
Lead Software Engineer, Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™, RTI International
Mr. Johnson is a senior software engineer and applications development manager with experience in designing, developing, and managing software applications. He leads the programming team responsible for developing and managing the Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids software infrastructure which facilitates program operations across the three program sections.
Andrea McWilliams, BS
Project Manager, Lead-Based Paint and Asbestos and Quality Assurance Officer, Lead in Drinking Water, Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™, RTI International
Ms. McWilliams is the co-project manager for the lead-based paint and asbestos sections of the Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™ program. As the co-project manager, Ms. McWilliams oversees daily lead-based paint and asbestos program activities by planning, coordinating, implementing, and tracking work efforts across all tasks. Ms. McWilliams is also responsible for communicating with enrolled facilities, providing regular oversight of contractors and on-site visits, and producing deliverables for the State. Ms. McWilliams is also the quality assurance officer for the lead in drinking water of the Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™ program. As a research chemist, she is responsible ensuring the laboratory operations analyzing the drinking water samples are in compliance with certification and accreditation requirements, data review, results upload, and reporting.
AJ Kondash, PhD, MEM
Project Manager, Lead in Drinking Water, Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™, RTI International
Dr. Kondash is the project manager for the water section of the Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™ program and a research environmental scientist. Dr. Kondash oversees daily lead in water sampling activities by planning, coordinating, implementing, and tracking work efforts across all tasks. He ensures program success by developing strategies to achieve the program’s goals and providing support where it is needed, communicating with enrolled facilities and the water section team, and achieving program objectives.
Kelly Hoffman, MSPH
Project Manager, Lead-Based Paint and Asbestos, Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™, RTI International
Ms. Hoffman is the co-project manager for the lead-based paint and asbestos sections of the Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™ program. As the co-project manager, Ms. Hoffman oversees daily lead-based paint and asbestos program activities by planning, coordinating, implementing, and tracking work efforts across all tasks. She ensures program success by developing strategies to achieve the program’s goals and providing direct support as needed. Ms. Hoffman is also responsible for communicating with enrolled facilities, providing regular oversight of contractors and on-site visits, and producing deliverables for the State.
Aaryn White, BS
Administrative Program Coordinator, Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™, RTI International
Ms. White is a project management specialist operating as a program administrator responsible for project administration, external communications, water subcontract coordination, and more. Ms. White’s roles include supporting daily management of the lead in water mitigation tasks, stewarding relationships with subcontractors, and facilitating timely invoicing, reporting, and tracking for the program.
Andrew Francis, MS
Lead Software Engineer, Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™, RTI International
Mr. Francis is a Senior Full Stack Software Engineer with experience working on issues related to drinking and wastewater quality and treatment. Andrew is responsible for designing, building, and supporting the software needs of the Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™ program. Andrew holds two Bachelors of Science degrees in Environmental Engineering and Environmental Science from the University of Cincinnati, and a Master of Science in Analytics from North Carolina State University.
Chris Curl, BS
Software Engineer, Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™, RTI International
Mr. Curl is a Software Engineer specializing in web-based application development and implementation. With a strong background in software development, he plays a pivotal role in the Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™ program, focusing on creating, testing, and deploying web-based applications to facilitate various aspects of the program's mission.
Laurie Stella
Administrative/Logistic Support Supervisor, Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™, RTI International
Ms. Stella is an administrative supervisor for the Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™ program. She provides direct administrative and logistical support to the trace metals and asbestos laboratory staff, ensuring effective daily management of support tasks associated with the analysis of lead in water, lead-based paint, and asbestos. She also facilitates timely administrative communications for procurement and processes for contractor management.
Erica Wood, MSPH
Training Coordinator, Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™, RTI International
Erica Wood is an environmental health scientist, and leads the participant support team for schools and child care programs as they move through the Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™ program. In addition to her environmental science and public health experience, she has worked as a learning specialist in middle school, high school, and university, and has children in school in North Carolina. She is available to answer questions in Spanish or English.
Crystal Lee Pow Jackson, PhD
Outreach Coordinator, Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™, RTI International
Dr. Crystal Lee Pow Jackson coordinates the outreach activities of the program. She works with RTI program leadership, and other program team members to ensure public-facing project materials are consistent and accurate.
Sara Harrison, BS
Laboratory Manager - Airborne Asbestos, Lead-Based Paint and Asbestos, Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™, RTI International
Ms. Harrison is a geologist with experience in the determination of airborne asbestos fibers and asbestos in bulk building materials. She provides technical support for RTI’s administration of the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) asbestos proficiency testing program, required for laboratories who analyze asbestos samples collected in schools. Ms. Harrison applies her asbestos subject matter expertise to the oversight of asbestos document and data review for the Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™ program and to technical communication with contractors, laboratories, and facilities as needed.
J. Todd Ennis, BS
Laboratory Manager - Bulk Asbestos, Lead-Based Paint and Asbestos, Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™, RTI International
Mr. Ennis is a research geologist with experience in the determination of airborne asbestos fibers and asbestos in bulk building materials. He provides technical support for RTI’s administration of the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) asbestos proficiency testing program, required for laboratories who analyze asbestos samples collected in schools. Mr. Ennis applies his asbestos subject matter expertise to the oversight of asbestos document and data review for the Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™ program and to technical communication with contractors, laboratories, and facilities as needed.
Frank Weber, BS
Laboratory Manager - Trace Inorganics, Lead in Drinking Water, Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™, RTI International
Mr. Weber is a research chemist who manages RTI’s Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™ program laboratory for the analysis of lead in drinking water. He specializes in the determination of trace metals in a wide variety of sample types using multiple instrumental analysis techniques with low detection limits. Mr. Weber ensures program success through careful oversight of the metals analysis laboratory to generate data of known and documented quality.
Eric Poitras, BS
Laboratory Manager - Lead-Based Paint and Asbestos, Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™, RTI International
Mr. Poitras is a research chemist who serves as RTI’s Project Manager for fulfillment of the Environmental Lead Proficiency Analytical Testing (ELPAT) Program, a laboratory proficiency testing program required for analytical laboratories accredited for the analysis of environmental lead in paint, settled dust, and soil. He is familiar with sample preparation and sample analysis using a variety of analytical techniques with low detection limits. Mr. Poitras manages RTI’s Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™ program laboratory for the analysis of lead in paint, settled dust, soil, and air.
Cynthia (Cindi) Salmons, MSPH
Quality Assurance Officer, Lead-Based Paint and Asbestos, Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™, RTI International
Ms. Salmons is the quality assurance (QA) officer for the lead-based paint and asbestos sections of the Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™ program. With more than 30 years of experience as an environmental chemist, she has provided QA support to a variety of federal and state agencies for efforts to protect children’s health. Ms. Salmons led the QA task for a multi-disciplinary study of children’s health in the Gulf Coast after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. She also assisted with lead-based paint research projects for HUD and EPA, including evaluating paint test kits and soil analysis methods.
Madison Lee, MPH
Technical Program Coordinator, Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™, RTI International
Ms. Lee is an Environmental Scientist with experience in environmental exposure science, human health assessments, and participatory science coordination. As technical support staff, Ms. Lee contributes to enrollment and training materials, results coordination, and program management. Ms. Lee assists in all three sections of the program with a focus on quality control of reporting and mitigation activities for lead in water.
Anna Gold, BS
Lead-Based Paint and Asbestos Outreach Liaison, Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™, RTI International
Ms. Gold is an Environmental Scientist with experience in programs involving children’s environmental health, water quality, and participatory science coordination. As Website Content Manager and technical support staff for the Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™ program, Ms. Gold manages website content and supports participatory science training and communication, results dissemination, and mitigation activities across the water, lead-based paint, and asbestos sections of the program.
Christa Bethelmy, BS
Technical Support Staff, Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™, RTI International
Christa Bethelmy is a project management specialist, with expertise in children’s environmental health projects. She supports program activities across the Lead in Drinking Water, Lead-Based Paint, and Asbestos programs, as an Administrative Staff and Logistics/Project Management Support, focusing primarily on enrollment and training activities. Ms. Bethelmy is also responsible for co-leading the facilitation of public-facing communication and marketing materials for the Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™ program.
Taylor Metcalf, MPH
Technical Support Staff, Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™, RTI International
Ms. Metcalf is an environmental scientist with experience in conducting exposure assessments for various chemicals and substances. Ms. Metcalf assists in dissemination of results for the lead-based paint and asbestos sections of the Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™ program by ensuring complete and accurate reports and helping schools understand their results.
Martina Gonzalez Bertello, MS
Technical Support Staff, Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™, RTI International
Ms. Gonzalez Bertllo is an Environmental Scientist and for this project works in supporting the daily management of the Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™ program and enlists herself in establishing science communication and training to facilities when needed with expertise in monitoring environmental quality and conducting public health assessments.
Joanne Ko, BS
Technical Support Staff, Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™, RTI International
Ms. Ko is an Environmental Scientist and technical support staff for the Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™ program. For this project, she supports the water, lead-based paint, and asbestos sections of the program through participatory science training and communication, results dissemination, and mitigation activities.
Morgan Finch, BS
Technical Support Staff, Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™, RTI International
Morgan Finch is an Environmental Scientist with experience in children’s environmental health projects. As technical support staff for the Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™ program, Ms. Finch supports participatory science training and communication, results dissemination, and mitigation activities across the water, lead-based paint, and asbestos sections of the program.
Laura Allen, MPH
Technical Support Staff, Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™, RTI International
Laura Allen is an Environmental Scientist with experience in environmental sampling, permitting, and research. As technical support staff for the Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™ program, Ms. Allen supports participant communication and training, results dissemination, and mitigation activities across the water, lead-based paint, and asbestos sections of the program.
Johnny Albritton, BA
Technical Support Staff, Lead-Based Paint and Asbestos, Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™, RTI International
Mr. Albritton is a research chemist with extensive professional experience as project coordinator on tasks related to the development and evaluation of technologies to remove harmful contaminants and methodologies for the collection and analysis of trace-level pollutants in complex matrices. He provides quality control review of facility inspection reports and facility mitigation documentation for the Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™ program.
Megan Sutton, BS
Technical Support Staff, Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™, RTI International
Ms. Sutton is an analytical chemist with experience in sample analysis, data review, and proficiency testing for industrial hygiene projects including those that address analysis of asbestos, metals in air and water, and airborne organic compounds. She leads tasks related to laboratory data review, upload, and report approval for the Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™ program.
Carolyn (Cari) Ryan, MS
Technical Support Staff, Lead-Based Paint and Asbestos, Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™, RTI International
Ms. Ryan is a geologist who provides microanalytical and logistical support to projects related to bulk asbestos and airborne asbestos analyses and to the data management required for these analyses and for accreditation. She leads tasks related to the coordination and documentation of lead-based paint and asbestos risk mitigation recommendations and activities, and the associated data sharing for the Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™ program.