1610 Jeffers Road
Richard.Eskin@gmail.com
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Professional
Experience
12/2012
- Current
Independent Consultant on Environmental
Issues
Subcontract: Council Fire; Chesapeake Bay
Accounting for Growth project
1/2003
– 7/1/2012 (semi-retirement)
Director, Science Services Administration
(Acting 1/03-9/03 at Director’s pay) - Responsible for leadership and oversight
of a major unit of the Maryland Department of the Environment; up to 110 staff
and $15 million budget for a broad portfolio of technical, scientific and
outreach activities. This position reports to the Secretary of the Environment
and supports the Department’s mission and vision to protect the environment and
foster smart growth, economic development, and healthy and safe communities.
Required tasks include managing large, complex projects in support of
permitting and compliance activities, environmental health and environmental
assessment. Examples include Chesapeake Bay Restoration (TMDL and Watershed
Implementation Plans), water quality standards, biological and chemical
monitoring, shellfish harvesting classifications, field operations, local
pollution limits (TMDLs) and environmental health. The Director must establish
a strategic vision for the Administration and proactively recognize the need
for change. Change is a constant in this position, and is driven by intrinsic
(e.g., budget) and extrinsic (e.g., federal regulations) factors and must be
successfully managed in a complex environment reconciling environmental and
economic interests. Delegated appointing authority with responsibility for
personnel actions, budgetary decisions and legislative duties in addition to
supervising the duties of the Deputy specified below. Notable accomplishments:
first external on-line system in the Department for regulated entities to enter
data (Community-Right-to-Know) in regulatory database, expanded and refined
fish consumption advisories, drafted and managed the promulgation for
Outstanding National Resource Water designation, antidegradation
implementation, biocriteria regulations, and hazardous material security
regulations. Maintained TMDL production
despite significant budget reductions; over 350 TMDLs approved. Timely
completion of draft and final statewide Watershed Implementation Plan in
support of the Chesapeake Bay TMDL. Member Chesapeake Bay Water Quality
Steering Committee; Implementation Committee, chair Toxics Committee; chaired
Use Attainability Workgroup.
5/2001
- 1/2003
Deputy Director, (Acting from 5/01-4/02)
Technical and Regulatory Services Administration.
Supervisor: Director, Technical and
Regulatory Services.
Under general supervision of
Administration Director shared management of units conducting field operations
(emergency response and monitoring), water quality modeling, environmental
planning and assessment, Departmental information technology staff, and fiscal
and personnel services for the Administration. These units in total contained
about 140 staff with an $18 million budget. Responsibilities emphasize
technical policy especially for water quality, public health protection, risk
assessment, TMDLs, 303(d) list, monitoring and assessment, and aspects of
budget, legislation, and internal and external coordination. Accepted rotating chairmanship
of Budget, Planning and Operational Performance Committee composed of Agency
Deputies and fiscal and planning officers (10/02 to 4/03). Frequently lead
diverse groups to common goals as chair or staff of workgroups, or as a member
of ad hoc panels; commonly resolved conflicts with individuals with respect to
administration's programs. Most of these responsibilities require extensive
coordination and leadership within the Department, and with other State and
federal agencies, local governments, non-governmental organizations, and
private citizens. Strong management and communication skills and technical
knowledge are required; an understanding of larger policy implications is
essential. Secretary's designee to legislative task force on Seafood and
Aquaculture.
12/1997‑5/2001
Manager, Environmental Health and Risk
Assessment Program, Technical and Regulatory Services Administration, MDE
Reviewed existing and developed new water
quality standards and conducted appropriate regulatory promulgation; managed
environmental and health risk assessments; fish contaminant monitoring and
issuance of fish consumption advisories as necessary; direction of the
Department’s whole effluent testing (WET) and shellfish certification programs;
supervision of a manager and two supervisors; and budget preparation and
tracking. In addition to supervisory responsibilities for 15 professional and
technical staff, specific tasks included:
·
Managed
numerous projects including monitoring, research, and watershed studies; standards
development, list of impaired waters, and regulatory revisions. Standards
development includes chemical specific and biocriteria, and microbiological
criteria. By timely completion of water quality standards review, EPA was able
to quickly settle litigation with environmental groups.
·
Developed
water quality standards for
·
Prepared
and reviewed briefing papers, technical reports, work plans, grant proposals
and deliverables; quantitative analysis of environmental data; health and
environmental risk assessments; technical and non-technical presentations to
public and environmental managers.
·
Past
responsibilities have included:
§
Watershed
Planning and Coordination: development of strategies for reduction of nutrient
or other pollution and continuing liaison to local watershed teams (e.g.,
Comprehensive Study of the Gunpowder Watershed (project manager), Coastal Bays
National Estuary Program (Management Committee and Scientific and Technical
Advisory Committee), Anacostia Watershed Restoration Committee (former chair),
Pocomoke Study Team.
§
Policy
Development Activities: Coastal Bays Management Committee, development of
indicators and nutrient trading concept, antidegradation.
§
Chair,
Hart-Miller Technical Advisory Committee.
§
Governor’s
Cancer Council.
§
Chair,
Chesapeake Bay Program Toxics Subcommittee (ongoing).
·
Development
and administration of $1,000,000 program budget.
·
Program
leadership including development of evaluation goals for the program under
Managing Maryland for Results, supervision and training of staff, and
development of some Administration initiatives.
1993-1997
Chief, Multi-Media Analysis Division, MDE
(formerly Chesapeake Bay Coordination Division); [classification: Environmental
Program Manager I].
·
Representative
to various Chesapeake Bay Program Committees including Toxics Subcommittee,
Implementation Committee (alternate), Maryland Bay Workgroup.
·
Chair,
Hart-Miller exterior monitoring Technical Review Committee (1996-97).
·
Development
of statewide Tributary Strategies for nutrient reduction; liaison to
Patapsco/Back River and Middle Potomac Tributary Strategy Implementation teams.
10/1989-1993
Head, Chesapeake Bay Water Quality
Section 1989-1993; [classification: Research Statistician VII until 1994].
·
Biomonitoring
project manager including projects for: long-term benthic monitoring,
sediment-oxygen nutrient exchange, zoo- and phytoplankton monitoring, and
nutrient bioassays.
·
Sediment
toxics contaminant program.
·
Statistical
analysis of water quality data (SAS).
1995-1996
Adjunct instructor of Environmental
Science at
1985‑1989
Senior Staff Scientist,
[Previous positions: Assistant Staff
Scientist (1985‑86) and Staff Scientist (1986‑89)].
·
Written
research and analysis of science and technology issues to assist in formulation
of policy and/or development of legislation.
Communication of technical issues in non-technical language was
essential. Developed familiarity with many health and environmental issues.
·
Supervised
and edited work of science staff.
Evaluated applicants for legislative science internships.
·
Computer
purchase analysis for replacement of existing office automation system. Managed local and remote Macintosh microcomputer
networks; database development.
1978‑1985
Graduate Teaching and Research Assistant, Department of Biology, University of South Carolina,
Columbia, SC (Ph.D.) and Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY (MA)
·
Research
on (multi‑year) variability in populations of estuarine
microinvertebrates resulted in five publications and four presentations at
national and international meetings.
Description of a new species of marine nematode.
·
Taught
lab courses including introductory biology, invertebrate zoology, basic
anatomy, ecology, scanning electron microscopy, histological techniques,
parasitology, science techniques for elementary educators, and field course in
tropical marine biology.
·
Honors
and awards include full membership in the Sigma Xi Scientific Society, Baruch
Predoctoral fellowship, Graduate Council travel award to Smithsonian
Institution, Graduate Council Summer Dissertation Fellowship.
Citizenship: US
Education
1985
Ph.D. @ Department of Biology,
1980
MA @ Department of Biology,
1973
BS @ Department of Biology, State University of New York at Stony Brook,
Stony Brook, N.Y. Major: Biology;
Minor: Education.
Continuing
Education
Courses completed: Structure of
Computers, 1986; Management of Information Systems, 1987; Introductory Pascal,
1987; Strategic Decision Support Systems, 1987; Advanced Pascal, 1987;
Management of Database Systems, 1988; Introduction to Database for
Microcomputers, Situational Leadership (management), ~1986; Analysis of Messy
Data, 1989; Public Policy and the Environment, ~1991; Management and
Sustainable Development, 1992; Environmental Ethics, ~1993; EPA Water Quality
Standards Academy, ~1994; Managing Maryland for Results, ~1998; Human Resources
Management, 2000; Introduction to Risk Analysis, 2000.
Awards
and Commendations
Governor's Salute to Excellence, January
17, 1995
Maryland Department of the Environment,
Award of Merit (for Tributary Strategies), July 30, 1993.
Maryland Department of the Environment,
Award of Merit (Employee of the Month), May 31, 1993.
Maryland Department of the Environment,
Environmental Excellence (for improvement and preservation of
Maryland Department of the Environment,
Environmental Excellence (for 1991 Nutrient Reduction Reevaluation effort).
Maryland Department of the Environment,
Employee Incentive Award, Gunpowder Watershed Project, October 1996.
Maryland Department of the Environment,
Certificates of Achievement (Environmental Performance Partnership Team and
Smart Growth Team), September 1997; (Smart Growth Team), July, 1998.
Maryland Department of the Environment,
Employee Incentive Award (Pfiesteria), October 1997.
Maryland Department of the Environment,
Employee Incentive Award (Triennial Review), Sept. 2000.
Secretary’s Award (includes monetary
recognition), July 2006.
List
of Publications
Refereed Scientific Publications
Coull,
B.C., E.L. Creed, R.A. Eskin, M.A. Palmer, P.A. Montagna and J.B.J. Wells. 1983.
Phytal meiofauna from the rocky intertidal at
Eskin,
R.A. and B.C. Coull. 1984. A priori determination of valid control
sites: An example using marine
meiobenthic nematodes. Mar. Env.
Res. 12(3): 161‑172.
Eskin,
R.A. and B.E. Hopper. 1985. Population dynamics and description of Ptycholaimellus hibernus n. sp.
(Nematoda:Chromadoridae). J.
Nematol. 17(1): 38‑45.
Eskin,
R.A. and M.A. Palmer. 1985. Suspension of marine nematodes in a turbulent
tidal creek: Species patterns. Biol. Bull.
169: 615‑623.
Eskin,
R.A. and B.C. Coull. 1987. Seasonal and 3‑year variability of
meiobenthic nematode populations at two estuarine sites. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Series 41(3):
295‑303.
Maxted,
J., S.B. Weisberg, J.C. Challou, R.A. Eskin, F.W. Kutz. 1997. The ecological
condition of dead-end canals of the
Brown,
B.S., N.E. Detenbeck and R.A. Eskin. 2005. How probability survey data can help
integrate 305(b) and 303(d) monitoring and assessment of state waters.
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 103(1-3): 41-57.
Selected Reports to the
Environmental
Impact Statements and Safety Concerns Relevant to Evanston/University Research
Park, July 23, 1986
Radium
in Oak Brook's Water, September 25, 1986
Mine
Subsidence, October 28, 1986
Regulation
of Airport Noise, October 26, 1986
Local
Regulation of Toxic Air Emissions, December 24, 1986
High
Water Levels in
Low‑Level
Nuclear Waste, February 17, 1988
School
Asbestos Abatement: Needs and Costs,
April 11, 1988
Regulation
of Air Pollution from Coke Plants, March 15, 1989
Computer
Viruses and the Law, January 9, 1989
Technical Reports
Eskin,
R.A., R. Alden, III, R. Batiuk, S.Bieber, S. Brunenmeister, C. Haywood, F.
Hoffman, R. Magnien, M. Olson. Guidance
for the Analysis of Water Quality Trends in
Chaillou, J.C., S.B. Weisberg, F.W. Kutz, T.E.
DeMoss, L. Mangiaracina, R. Magnien, R. Eskin, J. Maxted, K. Price and J.K.
Summers. 1996. Assessment of the ecological condition of the
Eskin,
R.A., K.R. Rowland, D. Alegre, R. Magnien.
Contaminants in
Eskin,
R.A. Maryland's Tributary Strategies -- Using Science to Support
Nutrient
Trading -
Chesapeake
Bay Toxics: A Primer -
Pfiesteria
- Colloquium
on Pfiesteria
- Panel
member for public meeting facilitated by Congressman Gilchrest
- MDE's
Compliance Division
- Employee
lunch hosted by Deputy Secretary Ray
-
- Hughes
Commission
- Technical Advisory Committee (reporting on Toxics Monitoring Results and Monitoring Plan)
Development of a Comprehensive Monitoring Program -
Total
Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) - Coastal Bays Management Committee
Smart
Growth - staff of Technical and Regulatory Services Administration
Special
Panel on CSO/Stormwater Management for the
Facilitated Chesapeake Bay Program Toxics of Concern
(TOC) Workgroup/Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee meeting to resolve
STAC comments on latest TOC list
Comprehensive
Study of the Gunpowder Watershed – several public meetings
Anacostia
Watershed Restoration Committee – Chair
Triennial Review – eight public hearings,
industry groups, State Water Quality Advisory Committee
Bacterial
Indicators –
Hearings Officer and Technical presenter
- Proposed numeric criteria and antidegradation regulations.
Society for Environmental Toxicology and
Chemistry (SETAC) -- Risk Communication: Making it Work, Examples from the
Maryland Department of the Environment
6th Annual Tributary Team
Meeting – Invited Presentations: Use Attainability Analysis for the New Bay
Criteria; 2002 303(d) Integrated List; Coordinating Tributary Strategies and
TMDLs.