Pittsburgh AIHA Local Section members had the opportunity to obtain an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour and interact with scientists at a local AIHA-accredited laboratory on Tuesday, September 23, 2025. The event was coordinated by AIHA and Pittsburgh Local Section Member Keith Rickabaugh, CIH, MBA, who is a Technical Director at RJ Lee Group, and his peer Manager & Forensic Scientist Allison Laneve. Before the start of the tours, multiple presentations and lunch were provided at the Presque Isle Headquarters.
The Director of Operations, George Lincoln, gave the first presentation on laboratory operations and current certifications held by the laboratory. He was followed by Mr. Rickabaugh, who covered a few unique case studies. Ms. Laneve then covered her top ten list of most common mistakes by clients, which she acknowledged was very rare for the group in attendance. During lunch, an interactive IH trivia contest was conducted. Our Past-President Barry J. Momyer, CIH of AM Health & Safety, Inc., won the game.
Following the game, the tour of the Presque Isle Headquarters began. The attendees were broken into three groups led by Mr. Rickabaugh, Ms. Laneve, and Mr. Steve Schlaegle. The groups toured the Concrete/Met Lab and Environmental Chambers, the PCM/PLM Lab, Forensics, SEM & TEM Wing, and IH/Field Services Areas. Discussions in these areas were led by Mike Baker, Jimmy Marquis, Alex Cvejkus, Jon Swope, Tracy Lersch, Roger West, and Brandon Wiggins.
After touring the headquarters, the attendees drove to the nearby Hochberg Laboratory to continue their tour. Mr. Rickabaugh, Ms. Laneve, and Dr. Lykourgos Iordanidis led the groups as they entered the XRD/XRF/Prep Wing, Thermal & Dissolution Area, Upstairs Wet Lab, Sample Login Area, and Hi-Bay/PFAS/ICPMS Labs. Mr. Wiggins and Jacquelyn Runco further supported the tour by providing breakout discussions at the Hochberg Facility.
Overall, the presentations and tours were enjoyed by all the attendees, as many are clients of RJ Lee Group. The Pittsburgh AIHA would like to extend a big thank you to Mr. Rickabaugh, Ms. Laneve, Mr. Lincoln, Mr. Schlaegle, Mr. Wiggins, Dr. Iordanidis, and their coworkers for hosting and coordinating the event.
Pictured below are the members/guests who attended the event. Thank you to everyone who participated!
The Director of Operations, George Lincoln, gave the first presentation on laboratory operations and current certifications held by the laboratory. He was followed by Mr. Rickabaugh, who covered a few unique case studies. Ms. Laneve then covered her top ten list of most common mistakes by clients, which she acknowledged was very rare for the group in attendance. During lunch, an interactive IH trivia contest was conducted. Our Past-President Barry J. Momyer, CIH of AM Health & Safety, Inc., won the game.
Following the game, the tour of the Presque Isle Headquarters began. The attendees were broken into three groups led by Mr. Rickabaugh, Ms. Laneve, and Mr. Steve Schlaegle. The groups toured the Concrete/Met Lab and Environmental Chambers, the PCM/PLM Lab, Forensics, SEM & TEM Wing, and IH/Field Services Areas. Discussions in these areas were led by Mike Baker, Jimmy Marquis, Alex Cvejkus, Jon Swope, Tracy Lersch, Roger West, and Brandon Wiggins.
After touring the headquarters, the attendees drove to the nearby Hochberg Laboratory to continue their tour. Mr. Rickabaugh, Ms. Laneve, and Dr. Lykourgos Iordanidis led the groups as they entered the XRD/XRF/Prep Wing, Thermal & Dissolution Area, Upstairs Wet Lab, Sample Login Area, and Hi-Bay/PFAS/ICPMS Labs. Mr. Wiggins and Jacquelyn Runco further supported the tour by providing breakout discussions at the Hochberg Facility.
Overall, the presentations and tours were enjoyed by all the attendees, as many are clients of RJ Lee Group. The Pittsburgh AIHA would like to extend a big thank you to Mr. Rickabaugh, Ms. Laneve, Mr. Lincoln, Mr. Schlaegle, Mr. Wiggins, Dr. Iordanidis, and their coworkers for hosting and coordinating the event.
Pictured below are the members/guests who attended the event. Thank you to everyone who participated!
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