Respiratory Health Advisory Council
The purpose of this Advisory Council is to inform our collective efforts, as school officials, consultants, and medical professionals, as we are called to advise independent schools and higher education institutions concerning the emerging respiratory health risks that were brought into focus with the current COVID-19 pandemic.
We recognize that COVID-19 is only the latest instance, albeit the most serious in generations, of easily transmissible diseases. Institutions that we serve are expected by their constituent families to provide a safe environment for students, above all else. New requirements will be far reaching and a great many of them have implications for facilities and operations, which is our specialty.
We approach this realization with humility and recognize that our core team needs to include expertise from disciplines outside architecture and engineering and perspectives that can only come from school facility owners and users. We also realize that there are differences in how the current pandemic is experienced, from one region of the country to another.
Therefore, we’re hoping that this Respiratory Health Advisory Council under our sponsorship, will not only inform our company’s efforts to serve independently governed education institutions with valid and well-substantiated, scientifically based information, but establish a network of persons who share our passion for serving and give them a forum to inform one another.
Current Advisory Council Members: Martha AMBROS Martha Ambros is the Executive Director of the California Independent Schools Business Officers Association (Cal-ISBOA). Cal-ISBOA provides professional support and solutions to Administrators and Business Office staff including CFOs, Business Officers, and HR Directors at more than 270 schools throughout California. Cal-ISBOA facilitates the exchange of ideas and information among member schools and assists in developing pragmatic solutions to finance and operations issues facing independent schools.
Martha received her MBA from the Anderson School at UCLA. Prior to joining Cal-ISBOA, she held positions in finance, consumer goods marketing, and non-profit and independent school fundraising. Martha has non-profit board experience with independent schools as well as organizations promoting literacy, gender equity, and community development. Martha particularly enjoys building new programs from concept to reality, creating new structures and managing change.
Karen CAVAZOS, RN, MBA, NEA-BC, CLGB Karen brings over 26 years of combined clinical practice, healthcare leadership, hospital expansion and transition planning experience. Formerly the Senior Director of Maternal/Fetal/Neonatal, PICU, Emergency, and Solid Organ Transplant service lines at Children’s Medical Center in Dallas, Karen is a Senior Transition Planner for Covalus overseeing the transition of healthcare facilities including the coordination of successful patient moves. Karen’s vast operational experience and leadership provides her with an in-depth understanding of the intricacies of clinical processes in a healthcare environment.
Kevin FOLSOM Kevin has been a national leader in educational facility management since 1988. He began his career at Dallas Theological Seminary and left as the Director of Facilities & Plant Operations after 25-years. He is currently the Director of Campus Operations for Trinity Christian Academy, an independent school in Dallas, Texas. Kevin serves as the Chair of the Codes & Standards Council of APPA (organization of educational facilities management professionals) and has frequently been an instructor in the APPA Facilities Management Institute, as well as an NBOA Annual Meeting presenter.
Joseph “Joe” E. HOFFER Joe is Managing Partner for Schulman, Lopez, Hoffer & Adelstein, LLP in San Antonio. He was admitted to Texas Bar in 2006 and also admitted to practice before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas and U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas. Joe has degrees from Southwest Texas State University and Texas A&M University and obtained his legal education from St. Mary’s University School of Law. He is a former staff writer and editorial board member for St. Mary’s Law Journal. He’s also authored the publications Qui Tam: Survival of the Action and Fate of the Proceeds Following the Death of the Realtor and For the King and For Himself . . . and His Heirs. Joe is a member of the State Bar of Texas, Texas Council of School Attorneys, and Education Law Association.
Joe’s practice focuses on the representation of Texas charter schools in all areas, including civil litigation, business operations, construction, governance, nonprofit law, administrative law, employment, student law, and civil rights matters. He has extensive litigation experience both at the trial level and appellate level before state and federal courts of appeals. He has also been recognized as a Best Lawyer in the legal field by the Scene in SA magazine, a Rising Star by Texas Super Lawyers for multiple years, and by SA Magazine as Outstanding Lawyer for Schools.
Gerald KETTLER, PE, CCxA, TBE, CCP, REM, LEED AP-Fellow Jerry is the owner and president of Facility Performance Associates, LLC, an engineering firm specializing in building commissioning services, sustainability program administration, air quality consulting and testing, and energy modeling. He is a licensed professional engineer in nine states and has over 48 years of management and professional level experience in the design, construction, testing, commissioning, LEED Certification, and operation of physical facilities. Jerry has been an active member of ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers) since 1977 and currently serves or has served on a number of committees (Standards Committee, Building Performance Alliance, SSPC 300, SPC 202, GPC 4, GPC 11P, and many more).
Joe MANDELL Joe is a senior manager at Covalus, a world-wide program management and strategic advisory services firm providing turnkey planning, procurement, delivery, and installation for medical equipment. Joe is a highly dedicated and pragmatic leader with proven success in identifying issues, solving problems, and managing change. His latest experience was a two-year assignment at a governmental community hospital in South Korea in which he witnessed the initial public infiltration of COVID-19. Joe is an accredited biomedical equipment technician.
Andre PEARSON, PE Andre is the Associate Vice President for Building Services at New Jersey City University in New Jersey. A member of the School’s President’s Cabinet, Andre advises the School President on issues of broad import to institutional well-being and success. A licensed professional engineer, Andre brings almost 20-years’ experience in facilities and operations.
Jim SAVAGE Jim is a global risk management strategist and practitioner with extensive experience in the energy industry and in the U.S. Secret Service, including assignments in high-risk locations. Throughout his career, he has been a trusted partner of and advisor to top management and the board of directors, valued for strategic planning, threat assessment, policy development, crisis management, asset protection and emergency preparedness.
As Principal of Savage Global Strategies, LLC, Jim advises corporations, nonprofit organizations, and private sector clients in developing comprehensive security programs and workplace violence prevention programs for operations domestically and abroad. He also provides training and personal risk-management advice to high-net-worth clients and families. Affiliations include being a member of the International Security Management Association (ISMA), FBI Domestic Security Alliance Council, American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS), International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC).
Dr. Valerie A. S. SHOUP Valerie is President of Heritage Institute of Sustainability and versatile executive leader offering a proven track record of achievement in sustainability, energy conservation, research, education, and hospital administration. Valerie serves as an articulate DBA/Professional Engineer with extensive background in healthcare design, operations, construction, and maintenance. She also delivers expertise in HCAHPS score and quality improvement and experience in academic, healthcare, and corporate environments.
Valerie has received multiple awards and honorariums for her work including D Magazine Excellence in Healthcare Innovation Finalist, STARS award for Excellence in Materials Management, Working for Clean Air award for Best Business Operations, and TCEQ Innovative Operations Finalist. She has presented multiple papers both nationally and internationally on topics including engineering, sustainability, and healthcare. Her passion is creating a sustainable environment for current and future generations.
Kaitlin Wade, RN Kaitlin Wade is the Health Services Manager at Casady School in Oklahoma City. Kaitlin previously assisted in managing COVID-19 testing clinics on campus when she was Manager of Infectious Disease Testing Sites for Oklahoma University Health Sciences Center. At OU, she was responsible for the planning, direction, and coordination of services to ensure that quality healthcare was delivered, which included two community COVID testing sites, mobile sites, and school/athletics testing. Prior to OU, Kaitlin was an RN Charge Nurse in a 37-bed emergency department with SSM St. Anthony Hospital. She has also been an RN Charge and Unit Nurse at health systems in Utah. She received her Master of Business Administration in HealthCare from Western Governors University in Salt Lake City and has certifications in Basic Life Support (BLS) from the American Heart Association CPR and Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS). |