The Board is a ten-member panel of volunteers who are appointed by the Mayor of Chattanooga and the County Mayor and confirmed by the City Council and the County Commission. The Bureau currently consists of 14 staff members including the director, engineers, inspectors, air monitoring personnel and support and administrative staff.

Board Members:

Stephen E. Meyer, P.E. is an Assistant Vice President with Volkert & Associates, Inc.  He was born and raised in Chattanooga.  He worked ten years for Hamilton County Government before he went into the engineering consulting business. He has been involved with engineering work for over 32 years. He serves as an officer in several professional and civic organizations and in addition to being Chairman of the Air Pollution Control Board is also Chairman of the National Stem Cell Action Network. Mr. Meyer has published several articles on engineering in such periodicals as the Institute of Transportation Engineers Journal and the Transportation Engineering Journal of ASCE. He and his wife live in East Brainerd and have four children and two grandchildren. Mr. Meyer has been a member of the Air Pollution Control Board since 1993.

Robert Lynch has nearly 40 years of experience as a business owner and contractor. He worked for Stein Construction from 1966-1995, Gamble Construction from 1995-1999 and has owned his own firm, D.R. Lynch Construction Company, LLC, from 2000-present. He has been a member of the Air Pollution Control Board since 1992.

Jim Bell retired as an engineer with the Tennessee Valley Authority. He has been a member of the Board since 1985.

Rebekah T. Barnes is the Administrator at the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department. She is a native of Chattanooga and attended Central High School. She attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

Mrs. Barnes is administratively responsible to the Hamilton County Mayor for the operation of the Health Department and its divisions.

Mrs. Barnes is a member of several professional organizations. She is the past president of the Tennessee Public Health Association and has held various leadership positions in the Southern Health Association, National Association of City & County Health Officials, American Public Health Association, and Women’s Leadership Institute.

Mrs. Barnes has been recognized for her services with awards and honors.In 1998 she received the Tennessee Public Health Association’s Distinguished Service Award.In 2003, the Health Department under her leadership received the Tennessee Health Department of the Year Award. Mrs. Barnes has been on the Board since 2004.

Robert Britt retired from E.I. DuPont DeNemours in 1990, after serving as their manager of Safety, Health and Environmental Affairs. Employed by DuPont for 35 years, Mr. Britt received his BS From Duke University and an MA in Analytical Chemistry from Florida State. He has been a member of the Air Pollution Control Board since 1978.

Mr. Howard has over 41 years of diversified experience in management, business development, government affairs, manufacturing and finances. He served as the District Manager with Combustion Engineering for 31 years and most recently as a Manager of Quality, Safety and Environment at Electric Systems, Inc. Mr. Howard is active in civic life as well, as a member of the Kiwanis Club, the Chamber of Commerce, the United Way and the Boy Scouts. He has been a member of the Air Pollution Control Board since 1991.

Colleen Russell as been employed as a technical writer with Consolidated Technologies, Inc. since 1992. She attended Maryville College and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and has been a member of the Air Pollution Control Board since 1990.

Dr. Vincent A. Viscomi is a Pulmonary Specialist at the Regional Sleep Center. He has been a member of the Board since 2002.

Jody Baker of Baker, Kinsman Hollis, Cleland and Winer P.C. has served as General Counsel for the Board since 1970.