Ariel Atkinson, PhD, President-Elect

Dr. Ariel Atkinson is the Project Manager for the Applied Water Quality Research Group at the Southern Nevada Water Authority. Ariel works with engineers, postdocs, and student interns on applied research projects in support of full-scale operations at SNWA and LVVWD’s drinking water treatment facilities, distribution system, and groundwater wells; as well as leading externally funded projects with the WRF, USBR, and WaterStart. She has conducted ozone research at bench, pilot, and full-scale. Prior to SNWA, Ariel received her BS in Chemistry from Appalachian State University, a Graduate Certificate in Public Policy from North Carolina State University, and PhD in Environmental Engineering from University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. Ariel also was a postdoctoral researcher at the Nanotechnology Research Center at Arizona State University. Ariel formed the inaugural Rookie Ozone Professional, Enthusiast, and Student (ROPES) committee in IOA-PAG, has been the IOA-PAG Conference Technical Program Chair, and is looking forward to continuing to contribute to IOA on the PAG Executive Committee.

Keisuke Ikehata, Secretary

Dr. Keisuke Ikehata is an Assistant Professor at Texas State University in San Marcos, TX. He earned his Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Alberta in 2003. Before joining Texas State in 2019, he worked at a water resources engineering firm in Southern California and taught at the University of California, Riverside, and California State University, Fullerton. Dr. Ikehata’s research focuses on advanced water and wastewater treatment, including ozonation and advanced oxidation processes, as well as water reuse, desalination, and the taste, odor, appearance, and public perceptions of water reuse. He has been an active member of the IOA-PAG since 2006 and a member of the Japan Ozone Association since 2014. With a deep appreciation for ozone (O₃), his second favorite molecule after water (H₂O), Dr. Ikehata is excited to contribute to the IOA-PAG as a Vice President and Executive Committee member, supporting the advancement of ozone technology and its applications.

Tony Sacco, Treasurer

Tony Sacco is the cofounder and Managing Director of Spartan Environmental Technologies, LLC.  Spartan supplies ozone and advanced oxidation systems for water treatment to industrial and commercial customers in North America.  Prior to founding Spartan in 2004, Tony was the General Manager of Business Units for ELTECH Systems Corporation a manufacturer of chemical process equipment.  Before, ELTECH he was the General Manager for RPM Ventures a manufacturer of specialty materials for rechargeable batteries.  He has a degree in Chemical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University and a MBA from Cleveland State University.  Tony has been a member of the IOA since 2004 and looks forward to being a part of the Executive Committee to promote the activities of the IOA.

Ben Kuhnel, PE, Vice President

Ben Kuhnel is a consulting engineer working for Stantec in San Diego, CA. He has worked on design, startup, and optimization of ozone projects at municipal water treatment plants. Ben is currently serving as a Deputy Program Manager for the City of San Diego Pure Water Program. He is happy to support the IOA-PAG Executive Committee in the effort to advance the external knowledge of “good” ozone.

Bill Mundy, Vice President

Bill Mundy is General Manager of Utilities for the City of Kenora, Ontario, Canada. Bill has 23 years experience in water and wastewater treatment systems, including an extensive background in process optimization.

Christine Ngan Love, PE, Vice President

Christine Ngan Love is a consulting engineer with CDM Smith who enjoys working with her clients from coast to coast from her base in Louisville, Kentucky. Her experience primarily focuses on treatment plant design, from early studies through commissioning and construction, with a heavy emphasis on ozone plants across the USA and Canada. Prior to CDM Smith, Christine received her BS in Civil Engineering from Gonzaga University and her MS in Environmental Engineering from the University of Texas Austin and worked as a National Science Foundation researcher for the National Institute of Standards of Technology Laboratory in Boulder, CO and Colorado School of Mines Fuel Cell Laboratory the summer of 2013.

Outside of her normal work, Christine is active in professional societies locally, nationally, and internationally, and contributes to technical luminescence for the ozone industry as a co-author on AWWA's first edition Ozone Manual of Practice (MOP 88). Christine has led the Monday Ozone Basics Workshop at the IOA-PAG Conference since 2023, is a proud Rookie Ozone Professional, Enthusiast, and Student (ROPES) Committee member, and is honored to serve on the Executive Committee and co-chair of the Technical Committee for the IOA-PAG. She looks forward to supporting the ozone industry through these roles and contributing to the amazing legacy of the IOA.

Nick Burns, PE, Vice President

Nick Burns is a consulting engineer with Black & Veatch located in Dallas, TX.  He started his career operating an ozone pilot plant and now is responsible for the testing, design, and commissioning of ozone facilities around the world.  Nick enjoys promoting the technology, continuously learning more about the uses, and conveying that information onto others.  Nick is currently working on ozone for water reuse applications and control of algal toxins.

Saad Jasim, PhD, P.Eng., Vice President

Dr. Jasim received his B.SC. from Baghdad University, Iraq, and his PhD & MSC, from University of Wales, Swansea, United Kingdom. He currently serves as President, SJ Environmental Consultants (Windsor) Inc., Windsor, ON; Editor-in-Chief, Ozone News-International Ozone Association; and Adjunct Professor, University of Windsor-Teaching a Graduate Course (Masters) “Water Treatment & Reuse”. He is the recipient of the “2022 Ontario Professional Engineers Awards (OPEA)-Engineering Medal for Entrepreneurship”, and the 2023 Harvey Rosen Award for the paper published in the Ozone Science & Engineering Journal, “Critical Review and Research Needs of Ozone Applications Related to Virus Inactivation: Potential Implications for SARS-CoV-2”.

Dr. Jasim is the first Canadian to become President of the International Ozone Association (2020-2022), is a member of the Advisory Board for New York University-Abu Dhabi Water Research Centre (2022-25), and is a member of the Multicultural Council Foundation, Windsor and Essex County, Canada (2022-2024). He introduced Ozone as Primary Disinfectant in Windsor, the First City in Ontario, in 2001. Dr. Jasim has solved many challenges in drinking water quality, the latest being solving the Arsenic and Manganese problem in drinking water in White Rock, BC, CA (2019). He has served as the Director, Great Lakes Regional Office-International Joint Commission (IJC) for Canada and USA, and is the founding CEO for the Walkerton Clean Water Centre following the outbreak tragedy in Walkerton. Dr. Jasim designed and successfully implemented ozone application for water reuse for Green House operations in Leamington, ON, Canada, has submitted Patents for Design of Water Systems, and is a member of the Editorial Board of Ozone Science & Engineering Journal. He has received many awards for his work, supervised PHD and Master students, and published and presented many papers on water treatment and water quality.

Denise Funk, PE, BCEE, Past President

Denise Funk is the National Specialty Leader for Oxidation and Disinfection at Brown and Caldwell, an environmental engineering firm with more than 2,000 employees in North America. Denise has been working in the water sector for over thirty years. Her ozone experience includes planning, piloting, applied research, design, and engineering services during construction, as well as the optimization of existing facilities, working closely with operations and maintenance staff. Denise has a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Civil Engineering from Georgia Tech and is a Board Certified Environmental Engineer with AAEES.