Personnel - Centra Consulting, Inc.
Stephen E. West: President
Mr. West was elected president of the company in 2003. Previously, he served as
Air Division Administrator for the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (IDEQ)
where he was responsible for administering the State of Idaho’s air programs. He
has direct experience with state and federal regulations, permitting,
compliance, airshed management, negotiations, legislation and policy
development. Prior to his tenure as state air director, he was the IDEQ Regional
Administrator for southwest Idaho where he had line responsibility for all
aspects of environmental resource management pertaining to public health, air,
water, ground water, hazardous materials, issuing permits and certifications
(all media), emergency response, remediation, drinking water, wastewater,
enforcement, endangered species, state and federal regulations, personnel and
budget. As a principal in negotiations with agencies, lawmakers, industry,
Indian Nations, the public and stakeholders, his experience includes extensive
interaction with federal and state legislators, tribal councils, state, county
and local government entities.
He also served as Chief of the Idaho Bureau of
Environmental Health and Safety overseeing statewide environmental health
programs including environmental dose reconstructions at Hanford and INEEL
Nuclear Reservations, worker health and safety, food protection, risk
assessment, risk communication and public health intervention efforts. His
background includes a decade of experience in wildcat oil exploration in the
Alaskan arctic as well as working as a heavy equipment operator in the mining
and timber industries.
He holds both a Bachelor of Science degree and Master
of Health Science (Environmental Health) degree from Boise State University.
Charles W. Ariss, P.E.; Vice President, COO/Chief
Engineer
Mr. Ariss was elected Vice President of CENTRA in
2006. Prior to this appointment, he served as Regional Manager and Chief
Engineer for the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality Boise Regional
Office. In this capacity, Mr. Ariss was the lead design review engineer on all
projects submitted to DEQ under I.C. 39-118 including public drinking water,
wastewater, wastewater reuse, administration of over $30MM annually in State
Revolving Grant and Loan Funds, municipal and non-municipal solid waste, and
40CFR401-404 water quality permit certifications in the 10 counties of southwest
Idaho from 2000-2006. Key projects Mr. Ariss was responsible for include the
four-season Tamarack Resort in Valley County, Idaho where he performed the State
of Idaho technical diligence and DEQ municipal infrastructure design approvals,
and the Ada County Landfill-North Ravine Cell project; the largest municipal
solid waste facility in Idaho.
Before DEQ, Mr. Ariss was in private professional
engineering practice focusing on enviromechanical systems design and
optimization of industrial ventilation, water and wastewater systems
(1990-2000). Previously, he worked at the Idaho National Laboratory as Technical
Leader for Environmental Engineering conducting initial hazardous and petroleum
waste site characterization and remedial action assessments (1987-1990). His
work at INL led to Mr. Ariss being selected to design the Idaho State Insurance
Fund-Petroleum Storage Tank Fund's technical underwriting and claims
administration programs which is the current financial assurance mechanism in
the state for underground storage tanks.
In addition to his position as Vice President for
CENTRA, Mr. Ariss also serves as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Engineer
overseeing all technical work products and staff. He provides lead engineering
design and regulatory advocacy services for public and private sector
development, permitting and compliance assistance in the fields of civil and
environmental engineering.
Mr. Ariss' academic background includes a graduate
degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Utah State University, and
undergraduate degrees in Agriculture and Systems Ecology from SUNY at
Farmingdale and Syracuse, respectively, as well as Environmental Science from
Syracuse University. He also holds an Executive MBA from Boise State University
and he has extensive professional development coursework in all aspects of
environmental science, engineering and law. He is a registered Professional
Engineer licensed in Idaho, a Registered Environmental Expert Witness through
the Environmental Education Foundation (EEF), and holds numerous technical
certifications in the fields of engineering and public health.
Kenneth S. Obenauf, P.E.; Senior Design Engineer
Mr. Obenauf joined CENTRA in 2007 as Senior Design Engineer specializing in
solid waste management projects, environmental remediation, and surface water
hydrology. He has a strong, comprehensive technical background that includes 32
years of experience. He has managed construction design, Construction Quality
Assurance/Quality Control (CQA/QC) oversight, preparation of closure and post
closure maintenance plans, and design of storm-water control systems for
numerous sites in Idaho, Northern and Southern California, Washington, Georgia,
Louisiana and other states. He has a broad understanding of State and Federal
regulations and the interrelationships of local, state, and federal agencies. In
addition to typical environmental design issues, projects he has managed have
addressed issues relating to NPDES permitting, wetlands mitigation, streambed
encroachment permitting, endangered and threatened species, archeological
artifacts, historic site preservation, roadway encroachment permitting, vision
impact investigations, and dam safety embankment permitting. A key project Mr.
Obenauf was recently responsible for was serving as the Owner's Representative
for Ada County for their $21 million new landfill design, permitting, and
initial construction phase. The landfill will have a total life capacity of over
100 years.
Stephen H. Rae, P.E.
Mr. Rae began work
with CENTRA in February 2006. Prior to accepting this position, he served as
civil engineering project engineer with Bromwell, Carrier, Inc. (BCI) in
Lakeland, Florida. In this position, Mr. Rae functioned as the lead company
water and sewer utility design engineer, lead project engineer for industrial
land development projects and as the design and permitting engineer for numerous
commercial and industrial site development projects in the region. This position
required plan and specification package preparation, development of water,
wastewater and storm water calculation reports, knowledge of State, County and
City design and permitting requirements, and the ability to work well with
clients, engineers and contractors.
Prior to his tenure with BCI, Mr. Rae served the
Idaho Department of Environmental Quality for 11 years as a drinking water
program analyst and then as a design review engineer. These positions required
advanced knowledge of public drinking water system design, operation and
applicable rules. Mr. Rae also reviewed plans and reports for public works and
land development projects, while also acting as the technical assistance
contact.
Mr. Rae received a Bachelor of Science degree in
Environmental Resources Engineering from Humboldt State University and is
registered as a professional engineer in the states of Idaho and Florida. He
also has extensive continuing education in pumping system design, storm water
management and public drinking water system design and treatment.
CENTRA CONSULTING ASSOCIATES
Wallace N. Cory, P.E.
Mr. Cory brings nearly 40 years of environmental engineering and management
experience to group. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Forestry and one in
Civil Engineering from Oregon State University along with a Master of Science
degree in Civil Engineering from Stanford University. His experience consists of
eleven years in the consulting engineering arena including stints with CH2M/Hill
and Montgomery-Watson. He was Manager of Environmental Projects for Boise
Cascade’s Timber Group. He was then made Director of State Government Affairs
for the Corporation with responsibilities for direct governmental lobbying in
the various states where Boise Cascade had operations. He later served as
Manager of Engineering and Planning for the Anchorage Water and Waste Water
Utility in Alaska and then Public Works Director the City of Caldwell, Idaho. He
culminated his public service career as Administrator of the Idaho Department of
Environmental Quality under Governor Phillip Batt. His recent consulting
experience includes assignments in Istanbul, Turkey and Alexandria, Egypt
involving institutional/strategic planning work concerning water and waste
water.
Mr. Cory holds Bachelor of Science degrees in
Forestry and Civil Engineering from Oregon State University. He earned his
Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Stanford University.
Donna West
Ms. West has served in both senior management and technical positions throughout
the course of her career. As Director of Development Services Department for a
rapidly urbanizing county in Idaho, she was directly responsible for overseeing
planning and zoning issues, land use planning, ordinances, code enforcement,
administrative hearings and appeals as well as extensive interaction with
regional governmental entities and elected officials. Prior to her tenure in
county government, she was Chief of the Watershed and Aquifer Protection Bureau
at the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) where her scope of work
included oversight of state ground water and non-point source water quality
programs, grant writing and review, liaison work with legislators and
stakeholders. She was responsible for the development and implementation of
Idaho’s Source Water Protection Plan which is regarded as a model at the
national level. She also was integrally involved in the development of Idaho’s
Ground Water Quality Rule and policies pertaining to rule implementation. She is
a past board member of the National Ground Water Protection Council and has
served on numerous technical advisory committees. Previously, Ms. West worked in
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), hazardous waste and solid waste
programs as a program supervisor and technical expert. She has also worked as a
professional chemist both in the United States and abroad.
Ms. West earned her Bachelor of Science degree in
Chemistry from Montana State University and a Master of Business Administration
degree from Northwest Nazarene University.
Charles Bidondo
Mr. Bidondo brings a a broad scope of technical and administrative environmental
experience in ground water, nonpoint source pollution and grant writing to the
team at CENTRA Consulting, Inc. He has worked with both private industry and in
state government as is intimately familiar with issues pertaining to Total
Maximum Daily Loads, drinking water protection, agricultural and storm water
issues. Mr. Bidondo also has an extensive and successful background in grant
development, grant management, and project management. He has an impressive
record of community outreach and working with diverse stakeholders in achieving
consensus to accomplish goals and objectives. Mr. Bidondo’s experience also
includes a number of years as a field technical consultant in the oil and gas
industry.
Mr. Bidondo holds a Bachelor of Science degree in geophysics
from Boise State University and has been the recipient of numerous awards while
with both private industry and state government.
Daniel Salgado
Mr. Salgado brings with him a wide range of air quality experience in both
private industry and the public sector in several western states. He has over 14
years of experience dealing with air quality issues and has developed solid
working relationships with people in all areas and levels of private industry
and government. His expertise includes permitting for both major and minor
sources of air pollution, emission inventory preparation, regulatory compliance
and enforcement, ambient impact assessment (modeling) for criteria and toxic air
pollutants, and ambient monitoring. Mr. Salgado gained significant experience
working for the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality in all areas of the
Air Quality Division. Mr. Salgado has been the lead in policy development,
environmental negotiation, and rulemaking. He was heavily involved in the
implementation of Idaho’s Title 5 Operating Permit program as well as
development of Idaho’s rules for both minor and major source permitting. Mr.
Salgado is known as a technical expert in air quality and has a reputation for
coming up with innovative solutions to complex issues. Mr. Salgado’s experience
also includes running an ambient monitoring network for particulates, visibility
and ozone early in his career.
Mr. Salgado earned a Bachelor of Science degree in
Chemical Engineering with a Biomedical emphasis from the University of New
Mexico.
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