UF TREEO Center Celebrates its Instructors

The University of Florida’s Center for Training, Research, and Education for Environmental Occupations (TREEO) recently held a day-long workshop and awards luncheon for more than 20 trainers who have helped make UF TREEO Center a leader in environmental occupations training since 1977.

The day-long event began with a breakfast meet and greet, followed by a strategic plan overview from Andy Campbell, TREEO’s director, and administrative updates from Lauren McCain, operations manager. Ron Trygar, a TREEO instructor, spoke about the challenges of teaching during a pandemic and presented tips and tricks for teaching virtually. He also led an open discussion around stories that were provided by the attendees about the challenges they face when training.

Attendees were treated to an awards luncheon where trainers from five industries were recognized for their years of service and dedication to environmental training. Brainstorming sessions followed the luncheon where the instructors put on their training hats and came up with ideas to assist each other with topics related to instructional technology.

By attending either in-person or via Zoom, 26 instructors had the opportunity to reunite with other trainers they had not seen in several years.

Industry Representation

The industries represented and the instructors from each included:

Asbestos

S Toi Aiken – 4 years S David Wiggins – 25 years S Karen Meyer – 32 years S Terry Zinn – 32 years S Russ Stauffer – 33 years

Backflow Prevention

S Max Sako – 3 years S Tom Mulling – 25 years S Les O’Brien - 30 years

Safety and Health

S Cindy Mercado – 1 year S Marian Nesbitt – 1 year

Solid Waste

S Norm Thomas – 7 years S Carmen Bruno – 9 years

Asbestos abatement instructor Karen Meyer (left), receives a gator-themed trophy for her more than 30 years of training from Melissa Hamilton, asbestos program coordinator. Areiole Williams, water and wastewater program coordinator, presented Phillip Brown with a shirt and service pin recognizing his more than five years of training. Vivian Li, solid waste program coordinator, presented Carmen Bruno with a polo shirt, a length-of-service pin, and certificate of appreciation for his more than nine years of service.

Water and Wastewater

S Daniel (Rick) Pfleiderer – 1 year S Phillip Brown – 8 years S Michael Cherniak – 24 years S James Clifton – 34 years S Ron Trygar – 19 years

Several instructors were not able to attend in person, but were able to participate via Zoom. These included: S Glynn Stoffel, water and wastewater – 15 years S Charlie Martin, water and wastewater – 15 years S Jane Gregory, hazardous waste management - 13 years S Kenneth Waite, backflow prevention - 11 years S Jeff Ball, backflow prevention – 14 years S Marco Flammia, backflow prevention, – 8 years S Carlos Vazquez, asbestos – 9 years S Tim Grobe, asbestos – 32 years S Robert Sweeney, asbestos – 2 years

In total, these instructors have served TREEO for more than 400 years!

All trainers received a UF TREEO polo shirt and a certificate of attendance. Depending on their length of service, the instructors also

Instructors pose for a group photo at TREEO Center’s inaugural instructor workshop.

received a length of service pin, a plaque, or a gator-themed trophy.

The response to this inaugural workshop has been very positive, with most indicating that the workshop and networking opportunity should be an annual event. We have some exciting ideas for next year’s meeting—stay tuned to the TREEO website (www.treeo.ufl.edu) to learn how we plan to celebrate our invaluable environmental trainers!

You can also follow us on: S Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/uftreeocenter) S Twitter (https://twitter.com/TreeoCenter) S Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/uftreeocenter)

Instructors Needed

Are you interested in becoming a contract instructor or providing training for the UF TREEO Center? We are always looking to expand our course offerings and instructor roster! Contact Ron Trygar at 352-294-3881 or rtrygar@treeo. ufl.edu to find out how to become part of our environmental training team! S

Tom Mulling received a plaque for his more than 25 years of service and shirt from Marta Keilhauer, backflow prevention coordinator.

Cindy Mercado, safety and health trainer (right), received a certificate of appreciation and shirt from Laurie Brown, safety and health program coordinator.

Continued from page 69 with often-outdated operating systems or unpatched software, the advisory said. Many of the facilities are underfunded or have not maintained adequate security controls and may be running industrial controls with vulnerable versions of firmware.

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Work on the first increment of construction on the A-2 Reservoir in the Everglades agricultural area south of Florida’s Lake Okeechobee will begin in November, following the award of a $79.8 million fixed-price contract to Phillips and Jordan Inc. by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The reservoir is being built to receive Lake Okeechobee excess and release it slowly into an associated stormwater treatment area. The naturally treated water will then be released gradually to flow south through the Everglades, mimicking the leisurely “sheetflow” that created the historic ecosystem.

The contract calls for construction of the reservoir inflow/outflow canal, seepage canal, and maintenance road along the northern boundary of the proposed reservoir. Other increments of construction will be awarded later, bringing the estimated total cost of the reservoir to $3.5 billion when completed in 2029.

NEWS BEAT

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hundreds along Florida’s east coast because algae blooms and contaminants are killing the seagrass that the sea mammals eat, an official recently told a House committee.

Seagrass has been decimated in the 156-mile-long Indian River Lagoon and neighboring areas. The aquatic plant thrives in clear, sandy water, but murkier water, because of the algae and pollutants, has made it harder for seagrass to survive, said Melissa Tucker, director of the Division of Habitat and Species Conservation at the

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation

Commission.

“Our statewide death count from all sources has been higher than it’s ever been reported before,” Tucker told the House Continued on page 77