Environmental Progress - Fall 1998

Employees of the Month

Editor's Note: Each month the Illinois EPA recognizes outstanding employees for their efforts to make quality part of every job they do. Below are three recent Agency-wide Employees of the Month. Congratulations to all of them for a quality job well done!

Clark S. Olson, Bureau of Water, is the Employee of the Month for March. An expert in the effects of chemicals on organisms, Clark calculates water quality criteria that help protect human health and aquatic life in Illinois, and has been involved in studies of endocrine disruptors and toxics control strategies. Since its start, Clark has helped develop Great Lakes water quality standards as part of the Great Lakes Initiative, a prototype for protecting unique ecosystems. Winding up years of work, the standards were recently adopted by the state Pollution Control Board. Clark also investigates chemical treatment additives for suitability for discharge from treatment plants, to ensure they do not include biocides that can be harmful to the environment.

Steve Kolsto, Bureau of Water, was selected as April's Employee of the Month. Education coordinator for the Lake and Watershed Unit, Steve coordinates five or six lake management workshops around the state yearly, develops and distributes "Lake Note" fact sheets and related displays and creates lake-related activities for the Agency's homepage. He coordinates and administers the Lake Education Assistance Program which in its first two years has provided 277 grants for lake and watershed education efforts and is currently developing lake ecology student/teacher handbooks. He is also a contributor, from time to time, to Environmental Progress.

Linda Castleberry, Bureau of Air, is the Agency Employee of the Month for May. Linda was recognized for efforts that included advance arrangements for the Emission Reduction Market System seminar held by the Agency with the Dept. of Commerce and Community Affairs, making travel and hotel arrangements for staff, handling public registration, and doing follow up work after the seminar. She also handles mailings for the Clean Air Act Permit Program, the Federally Enforceable State Operating Permit and Construction Public Notice projects. During an extended absence of the permit section secretary, Linda took on those additional duties as well.