Our Staff
Luke Owen, PG MS4CECI MS4GIT
Owner, Trainer
Luke was born in Colorado. Today, he resides in Georgia, a state that has suffered for hundreds of years from erosion, storm water mismanagement and point source pollution. In the 1970’s, while serving as a United States Marine overseas, Luke witnessed the serious and sometimes lethal health effects of people forced to drink untreated industrial and sewage polluted water. Following his honorable discharge as Sergeant, Luke attended Colorado Mesa University and graduated with honors with a degree in Geology in 1985.
Rita Pantels
Office Manager
Rita joined the NPDES Training Institute in 2013. She is the busy bee behind the scenes making sure all the details are attended to properly and implemented from the beginning to the completion of your training. Her number one priority creating a training experience where you can say “Wow! That was a training that helps it all make sense!”
Josue De Jesus, MS4CECI MS4GIT
Trainer
Josue De Jesus is a certified GASWCC Level I E&S Certified Trainer and MS4 Compliance and Enforcement Certified Inspector. His prior experience in safety management and eleven years managing the NPDES MS4 Phase II program provides him with a unique perspective on why compliance makes a difference to our environment. He relocated from Puerto Rico in 1993 and quickly became an asset to our team of trainers. He is bilingual, speaking both English and Spanish. When he is not in the field or training he is a busy and proud father of 2 daughters. Josue is very familiar with compliance, which is the reason for his passion to educate those working in the field.
Kim Metcalf, CPESC MS4CECI
Trainer
Kim Metcalf is an environmental scientist and double dawg with both BS and MS degree in Environmental Health Science from the University of Georgia. She has had a variety of experiences in her professional career, including working for Georgia Power Company, The Southern Company and Southwire Company. Kim has also worked as an environmental consultant for A.T. Kearny. In 2001, she founded Riverbend Environmental Inc. as a result of regulatory changes impacting the construction industry. Most days, she is in the field evaluating site compliance, obtaining environmental samples and analyzing results or conducting training programs.
Kim holds many environmental certifications including Certified Environmental Auditor, Registered Environmental Manager, Level 1B Certified Erosion and Sedimentation Inspector, Level II Certified Erosion and Sedimentation Plan Designer, Level I & Level II Erosion Trainer with the Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission. She also is a Certified Professional in Erosion & Sediment Control (CPESC) and a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Certified Lead Inspector.
On a personal note, Kim is the mother of four children and is married to her UGA sweetheart. She resides in Watkinsville, Georgia and is an active member and current vice president of the Athens Chapter of the UGA Alumni Association. She is also a UGA Alumni Association Executive Board Member. Kim was named to the UGA Alumni Association “40 Under 40” in 2011 and her business was named to the UGA Alumni Association “100 Fastest Growing Bulldog Businesses” for 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.
Betty Jean Jordan, PE MS4CECI
Trainer
Betty Jean is a civil engineering graduate of Georgia Tech (BCE ’93 and MSCE ’94, Hydraulics and Hydrology). Her professional expertise includes stormwater management and erosion and sedimentation (E&S) control. After spending most of her career in private consulting, she currently teaches E&S Control Certification classes with the NPDES Training Institute and serves as the Executive Director of the Georgia Society of Professional Engineers. When she isn’t working, she is usually on her bicycle, often accompanied by her husband, Robert.
Dr. Jim Spotts, CPESC
Trainer
Dr. Jim Spotts has been an active member of the IECA since 1986 (37 years). He has attended annual conferences regularly, made numerous technical presentations at the conference, and prepared articles for the IECA publications. He has served as a volunteer on the TS-6 Erosion and Sediment Control Committee, the Standards and Practices Committee, and was an early liaison for IECA with ASTM. Activities with IECA have provided Jim an opportunity to share his wealth of technical knowledge with others, stay abreast of developments in the industry, and develop a network of colleagues over the nation and in several countries
During his career Dr. Spots has focused on many areas: a. developing regulatory programs at federal, regional, state, and local levels; b. agency oversight reviews, and municipal code enforcement; c. demonstrations and class participation during his training programs; d. site inspections and NPDES monitoring; e. field trials to evaluate new products; f. expert witness. In addition, he provided erosion control expertise for a USAID program in Peru and co-authored the revised Manual for Erosion and Sediment Control in Georgia, 2000. During the past 23 years, he has provided technical, administrative and/or legal assistance to more than 800 projects – two clients for more than 15 years each.
Dr. Spotts founded Southeast Environmental Consultants in 2000 to provide administrative and technical assistance to clients involved in land-disturbing activities in the southeastern US and has made numerous contributions to the erosion and sediment control industry.
