R.T.Hicks Consultants

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Randy Hicks, R.G., Principal : : page up

Randy Hicks is a nationally certified professional geologist with over 28 years experience in hydrogeology, geochemistry, remedial action management, and site characterization. He implements projects throughout North America, and holds registrations in 8 states. He has served as an expert witness and project manager in numerous environmental and natural resource matters, ranging from cost allocation issues on Superfund sites to technical support of water rights applications. He specializes in working with the legal, real estate and oil and gas industry to acquire, insure, finance, and obtain permits for environmentally impaired sites and active facilities.

He previously served as a supervising hydrogeologist in the permitting section of the New Mexico Environment Department , then managed an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) enforcement support project for a private consulting firm. He employs his knowledge and experience in regulatory matters to assist private and public sector clients develop strategies consistent with the risks at a site, the budget of the client, and the mandates of the regulations and laws. He holds a bachelors degree in geology from Beloit College and a Masters of Science in geology from the University of New Mexico. Mr. Hicks has written a number of professional papers and presented seminars on oil field produced water management, contaminant transport in the vadose zone, geochemistry, and hydrogeology.

Krista Kersh, Technical Illustrator : : page up

Krista Kersh graduated with honors from the University of New Mexico with a degree in Art History. Ms. Kersh graduated with honors from the University of New Mexico with a degree in Art History. She combines her artistic ability with computer graphics to produce all of the illustrations for Hicks Consultants reports.

Prior to founding Hicks Consultants with Mr. Hicks, she was the head of the graphics department for a large environmental consulting firm in Albuquerque. Here she supervised staff and produced geologic cross sections, maps and engineering drawings. In the mid-1980s, she served as a cartographer for the US Forest Service in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. At the USFS, she participated in timber mapping programs as well as forest restoration efforts. For eight years, she was an engineering assistant for the Kaiser Steel Corporation's York Canyon Mine in Raton, New Mexico. Her duties included surveying, mine map generation, detailed engineering drawings, geologic drawings and construction plans for both the surface and underground mines.

She is pictured here with the firm’s head of security, Emmitt.

Claude Schelyer, P.E., Vice President : : page up

Claude Schleyer is a Registered Professional Engineer with over 30 years of experience in civil and environmental engineering, who has managed environmental projects throughout the United States and in several foreign countries. He served with the Pan American Health Organization in the Republic of Guyana for three years working to improve their water supply, wastewater disposal, and solid waste management systems. He worked two years in Germany assisting in the remediation of former Soviet military sites. He served as a Commissioned Officer with the U.S. Public Health Service for 20 years, where he managed environmental engineering programs on Indian reservations, worked with EPA on solid waste management projects, and worked with CDC on environmental management of hospitals. Mr. Schleyer has over 10 years of experience with environmental consulting firms working on environmental management, civil engineering and construction management projects.

He holds a BA from Abilene Christian University, a BSCE from the University of Texas and an MSE from the University of Michigan. He is registered in New Mexico, Texas, Arizona and Ohio.

Bruce A. Lieberman, Regulatory Coordinator : : page up

Bruce Lieberman is an attorney licensed to practice in the State of California with 28 years experience in environmental law and complex business and real estate matters. While still maintaining a California law practice, Mr. Lieberman now lives in New Mexico where he works with Hicks Consultants on regulatory related issues. Because Mr. Lieberman does not practice law in New Mexico, our clients gain the benefit of Mr. Lieberman’s regulatory insight and experience dealing with administrative agencies without commensurate billing rates. Mr. Lieberman’s practical problem-solving approach to regulatory issues, coupled with R.T. Hicks Consultants’ sound technical analysis and advice, allows for constructive and cost-effective solutions to many environmental problems.

Michelle Hunter, Senior Project Scientist : : page up

Michelle Hunter has 9 years of experience in the environmental field. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and is pursing a Masters degree in Water Resource Management. Much of her experience is in the assessment of environmentally damaged real estate. She performs Phase I and Phase II environmental site assessments, soil, soil vapor, and ground water investigations as well as risk assessment for projects including redevelopment of former industrial facilities to residential uses. She has managed several Brownfield redevelopment sites in California that included regulatory oversight and environmental site closure. In addition, Ms. Hunter has worked on over 100 Phase I and Phase II projects at sites in New Mexico, Northern and Southern California, Louisiana, Colorado, Texas, and Illinois for a variety of commercial, financial, governmental, and industrial clients. The sites have been single- and multi-tenant, developed and undeveloped properties. She has presented several papers at seminars including continuing law education and industry conferences.

Dave Hamilton, Staff Hydrologist : : page up

has a B.A.F.A. in painting, a B.S. in Geology and an M.S. in Applied Mathematics. Most recent areas of study have involved developing numerical codes to simulate ground water flow in the vadose zone. In addition, summer internships with Sandia National Labs involved work to speed up a seismic imaging code.

His most current projects have involved groundwater modeling using HYDRUS 1D and geologic mapping of small, complicated structures in southeastern New Mexico. Dave keeps busy with a large soil characterization project near Cochiti Dam and several modeling analysis projects for oil and gas producers in southeastern New Mexico. Dave is also the talented artist behind the watercolor paintings all over our website.

Katie Lee, Associate Scientist : : page up

comes to us with years of experience in project and office management. She stays busy with Environmental Site Assessments as well as researching and supporting many of the other projects in our office and helping with field work. She has a B.A. in Economics and is currently enrolled in the Masters in Water Resource Management program at the University of New Mexico. She is particularly interested in water resource management and development for rural and poor communities both in the states and abroad.

Elise Iverson, Assistant Scientist : : page up

Elise Iverson comes to us with experience in Land Surveys and related drafting in AutoCAD. She helps support the office with research and project completion, helping out in the field, and general office management. She has her Certificate in AutoCAD from the University of California, Riverside and is currently enrolled in the Bachelors program for Civil Engineering at the University of New Mexico. Ms. Iverson is also very involved with the University of New Mexico Society of Women Engineers local section, serving in several officer positions such as President and Treasurer in the past few years.