Susan Snyder and Harry Gregori Jr. have joined the team of Virginia Tech Fellows in Roanoke providing training through Virginia Tech's Center for Organizational and Technological Advancement. The 20-year-old center is headquartered at The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center.

The environmental training is designed for those charged with complying with federal law; the trainees are responsible for everything from enforcing laws governing pesticides and other chemicals, operating treatment plants, and shouldering responsibilities that could cost taxpayers millions of dollars or trigger court-ordered cleanups.

The environmental "gold standard" is known as ISO 14001, and the curriculum is devoted to an environmental management system, or EMS, which allows an organization to analyze, control, and reduce environmental impacts.

Teams from across the country come to Virginia Tech for the training, representing large institutions and counties as well as small towns and nonprofit agencies. They learn a management system based on a "plan, do, check, and act" model.

Snyder, president of D'Ardenne Associates and former director of compliance for defense contractor DRS Technologies, is a trainer and auditor specializing in International Organization for Standardization (ISO) management systems. Her clients have included government, mining, telecommunications, military and commercial aerospace-related businesses. She earned a master's degree in liberal studies with a focus on organization development from Thomas Edison State College in New Jersey and a bachelor of science degree from Radford University. 

Gregori, chair of the Virginia Sustainable Future Forum, is a Richmond-based consultant working with all levels of government as well as industry. A lead ISO instructor and auditor for Virginia universities, Gregori previously worked for the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, including as director of policy and research. Gregori has also managed contracts for EMS program development and instruction for Fortune 500 companies as well as Virginia Tech. He received a master's degree in public administration from Virginia Commonwealth University as well as a master's degree in regional planning and a bachelor of science degree from Penn State.

Susan E. Short, associate vice president for engagement with Outreach and International Affairs and director of the Center for Organizational and Technological Advancement, said, "Their credentials and experiences in developing and facilitating programs related to environmental compliance will add significant value to Virginia Tech's Center of Excellence for Environmental Management Systems portfolio and offerings."

Snyder and Gregori will offer the training through the center of excellence, part of the Center for Organizational and Technological Advancement. The training was previously directed by Bob Herbert, a Virginia Tech Fellow since 1999, who retired from the program earlier this year.

Training through the Center for Organizational and Technological Advancement also includes the School Leaders' Institute and Engagement Academy.

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