Western Regional Lead & Healthy Housing Conference

January 29 – 30, 2025

Held At The Embassy Suites in Downey, CA

Looking for CEUs?

The conference will provide attendees who attend the full two days with between 10 and 12 pre-approved CEUs.

Conference Program

Wednesday, January 29, 2025

Opening General Session — Regulatory Issues and Funding Opportunities (Imperial Ballroom)

9:00 a.m. — 12:30 p.m.

Moderator: Larry Brooks, Consultant, Alameda County Healthy Homes Department

Regulatory Issues

• California’s Lead Strategic Plan: An overview
• California’s Takeover of EPA’s RRP Rule and Changes to Title 17
• The New EPA Rule on Dust Hazard Standards and Post-abatement Clearance Standards and How the Rule Impacts on Procedures and Costs

Presenters: Max Weintraub, Chief, California Department of Public Health; Tom Neltner, National Director, Unleaded Kids; Mike Sharp, Senior Safety Officer, Janus Corporation

Funding Opportunities

Presenters: Tom Neltner, National Director, Unleaded Kids; Matt Ammon, Director, HUD Office Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes

12:30 p.m. — 2:00 p.m. Lunch Provided

Two Concurrent Educational Tracks

2:00 p.m. — 5:30 p.m.

Track #1 on Lead Poisoning Prevention and Lead Hazard Identification and Control Issues
Imperial Ballroom with approximate times

Moderator: Mike Sharp, Senior Safety Officer, Janus Corporation

Part 1: Local and Targeted Hire Program Requirements
2:00 — 2:45 p.m.
Presenter: Maria Torres, Supervisor, Los Angeles Community Development Agency

Part 2: Lead in Consumer Products: Improving policies to adequately reduce the risk of lead exposure to consumers in the United States
2:45 — 3:30 p.m.
Presenter: Shakoora Azimi-Gaylon, Senior Director of Toxic Exposures and Pollution Prevention Program, Center for Environmental Health

Part 3: Update on lead service line replacement
3:30 — 4:15 p.m.
Presenter: Tom Neltner, National Director, Unleaded Kids Organization

Part 4: Non-housing exposure sources
4:30 — 5:30 p.m.
Presenter: Katie Gulyas, CLPPP Coordinator, Alameda County Healthy Homes Department; Marilen Biding, Community Outreach Nurse/Nurse Case Manager, Alameda County Healthy Homes Department

Track #2 on Healthy and Safe Housing Issues
Regency Ballroom with approximate times

Moderator: Larry Brooks, Consultant, Alameda County Healthy Homes Department

Part 1: Assessing asthma triggers in occupied buildings, including wildfire smoke
2:00 — 2:45 p.m.
Presenter: Queen Eze, Healthy Breathing Project Manager, Esperanza Community Housing Organization

Part 2: Collaborating with local code enforcement officials to support lead and healthy housing programs
2:45 — 3:30 p.m.
Presenters: Larry Brooks, Consultant, Alameda County Healthy Homes Department; Orlando Givens, Senior Code Enforcement Officer, Monarch Consulting Services; Ceci Muela, President, Monarch Consulting Services

Part 3: Racial Equality Impact Analysis: Disparities in Lead Poisoning and Prevention Efforts
3:30 — 4:15 p.m.
Presenter: Marybelle Nzegwu Tobias, Principal, Environmental Justice Solutions

Part 4: Equitable Strategies and Tools for Healthy Housing Workforce Development
4:15– 5:00 p.m.
Presenter: Janell Hills-Thomas, Director, Equitable Workforce Strategies

5:30 p.m. — 7:00 p.m. — Networking Reception and Exhibit Viewing

Thursday, January 30, 2025

Two Concurrent Educational Tracks Continued

8:30 a.m. — 1:00 p.m.

Educational Track #1 on Lead Poisoning Prevention and Lead Hazard Control Issues
Imperial Ballroom with approximate times

Moderator: Mike Sharp, Senior Safety Officer, Janus Corporation

Parts 1 and 2: Examining New Lead Rules in CA and how they may affect construction and maintenance work
8:30 — 11:00 a.m.
Presenter: Mike Sharp, Senior Safety Officer, Janus Corporation

Part 3: Engaging Communities for Lead Awareness
11:00 a.m. — 12:00 p.m.
Presenter: Angela Baranco, US EPA Region 9

Part 4: Blood lead screening and universal testing legislation: national overview and gaps in state regulations
12:00 — 1:00 p.m.
Presenter: Katie Gulyas, CLPPP Coordinator, Alameda County Healthy Homes Department

Educational Track #2 on Healthy and Safe Housing Issues
Regency Ballroom with approximate times

Moderator: Larry Brooks, Consultant, Alameda County Healthy Homes Department

Part 1: Lessons learned by a small county on how to secure and manage a HUD grant program
8:30 — 9:15 a.m.
Presenters: Rick Heinrichs, Supervising REHS, HUD Lead Hazard Reduction Program Director, Fresno County; Bee Vang, REHS III, HUD Lead Hazard Reduction Program Manager, Fresno County

Part 2: Indoor Environmental Quality and Allergens
9:15 — 10:00 a.m.
Presenters: Rebecca Schiffer, Local Director, Forensic Analytical Consulting Services (FACS); Madeleine Dangazyan, Senior Project Manager, Forensic Analytical Consulting Services (FACS)

Part 3: Breathing Easy: Enhancing Respiratory Health through Safe Housing and Community Programs
10:00 — 11:00 a.m.
Presenter: Jacqualine Vazquez, Program Manager, Breathe Southern California; Anne Kelsey Lamb, Director, Regional Ashma Management & Prevention

Part 4: Using different kinds of data to evaluate community environmental exposure
11:00 a.m. — 12:00 p.m.
Presenter: Kevin Kennedy, Environmental Health Scientist, Healthy Indoors Training and Consulting, LLC; Neal Wilson, University of Missouri — Kansas City, Center for Economic Information

Part 5: Turning Justice into Action: Leveraging Lead Paint Settlement Funds for Safer Homes
12:00 — 1:00 p.m.
Presenter: Janet Scully, Program Manager, LA County Department of Health

Conference Adjourns at 1:00 p.m.