2023 California Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program Conference

Our Keynote Speaker is out of this world! Don’t miss a very special presentation from Chief Scientist of the ISS National Laboratory, Michael Roberts, Ph.D.!

Michael S. Roberts, PhD is the Chief Scientific Officer of the International Space Station National Laboratory, managed by the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, Inc. (CASIS). Before joining CASIS in 2013, Michael worked as a principal investigator and research group lead in the NASA Advanced Life Support program at the Kennedy Space Center. Prior to arriving at NASA-KSC in 1999, Michael completed an undergraduate degree in biology at Maryville College, a doctorate in microbiology at Wesleyan University and post-doctoral research at the Center for Microbial Ecology at Michigan State University and the RIKEN Institute in Wako-shi, Japan.

Meet the ELAPCon 2023 Steering Committee

Geraldine Gonzales – West County Wastewater District

Geraldine Gonzales, Laboratory Manager for West County Wastewater in Richmond, California, began her education in the Philippines as a Biology major. She continued her studies in New Jersey, changing her major and earning her degree in Chemistry.

Geraldine’s first lab experience was as a college student intern. After earning her degree, she was hired into a permanent position as a Laboratory Technician and performed wet chemistry in a commercial laboratory.

In 2000, Geraldine moved to California and began working for Rhodia, Inc., a Sulphuric Acid plant. Her transition to work in the wastewater industry started in 2002 when she was hired as a Laboratory Technician for West County Wastewater. Over the years, the position was reclassified to Laboratory Analyst.

In 2019, Geraldine was promoted to her current position of Laboratory Manager. She currently leads a small laboratory team of three and mentors the lab’s first West County Wastewater intern.

Maria A. T. Hernandez – Fruit Growers Laboratory

Maria is a graduate from Mills College, Oakland, CA, with a B.A in Biology. Always versatile in jobs, friends and interests, it wasn't until 2013, when she returned to work with Fruit Growers Laboratory, (FGL) did she get involved with the Quality Assurance Department. It was a great department to use all her skills. "I have a reputation of 'stirring the pot' which is not very popular. However, in the end, it makes for a better product." Before her third term with FGL, she was a Foster parent and a Church Administrator. Giving back to her community is always front and center. While raising her two sons, she was involved in food pantries, homeless programs and youth sports. Maria and her husband Brian just celebrated 35 years of marriage. "We're enjoying the family we created, not only in our home but in our community." She enjoys sewing and crocheting, playing the guitar for the grandchildren and learning how to garden.

Surjit Saini – Valley Water

Surjit Saini is the Lab Manager at Valley Water, a primary wholesale water supplier in Santa Clara County dedicated to assuring a reliable supply of healthy, clean drinking water. She has previously held positions in environmental testing as Quality Assurance Officer, Project Chemist, Environmental Scientist, Auditor, and Data Validator. With a combined experience of over 28 years working for both privately held laboratories and drinking water public utility, she has hands-on experience with a variety of sophisticated laboratory equipment and is well versed in implementing quality assurance programs. In her professional journey, she has built efficiencies through using modern technologies for document control and distribution, managing field sampling and testing, laboratory procurement and audits, data management, safety inspections, and risk assessment efforts. Ms. Saini has a Masters in Chemistry and Bachelors in Chemistry, Physics, and Math and also holds Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.

Anthony Rattonetti - San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, Southeast Laboratory

He is a graduate of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He has been active in environmental analysis since 1971, working in the University of Illinois at the Illinois State Water Survey. From there he worked for a manufacturer of scientific instruments and later was an independent consultant. His clients included environmental, industrial, clinical, and pharmaceutical laboratories. He has presented papers at conferences and published papers dealing with metals analyses and other environmental issues. He also conducted quality assurance workshops for the American Chemical Society (ACS) at their national meetings. He is a member of ACS and Society for Applied Spectroscopy.

Currently, he is metals section supervisor at the Southeast Laboratory of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.

Basant Ghaleb – City of Merced Water Quality Laboratory

Richard Van Doren – Metropolitan Solutions