Pitt Small Business Development Center Hires Environmental Consultant

The University of Pittsburgh’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC) has hired Lee Ann Briggs as an environmental consultant to help businesses understand their environmental regulatory requirements. Briggs will be available to work one-on-one with a wide range of companies that have environmental issues, such as auto body shops, manufacturers, and printers.

Pitt’s SBDC is part of the University’s Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence. Briggs will serve as a consultant under the SBDC Environmental Management Assistance Program. 

“We are thrilled to have a full-time environmental consultant in Western Pennsylvania again to be on the ground meeting with small businesses in our region,” said Ray Vargo, director of the University of Pittsburgh SBDC. “In addition to our core business consulting, we will now have in-house environmental regulatory expertise to benefit Pittsburgh-area companies,” he added.

Briggs has more than 28 years of environmental regulatory-compliance experience in both consulting and industrial capacities. In addition to working as an environmental consultant for the Environmental Management Assistance Program at Duquesne University’s SBDC for 11 years, Briggs was previously the manager of environmental and regulatory affairs for a paint-and-coatings manufacturer. She has also served as an environmental scientist/project manager with two different environmental/engineering consulting firms. Briggs is a Registered Environmental Manager through the National Registry of Environmental Professionals.

The Pitt Environmental Management Assistance Program’s no-cost environmental compliance services include on-site assessments; emissions calculations; assistance with the preparation and submittal of requests for determinations, permit applications, and plans; explanation of permit requirements and setup of customized record-keeping and -reporting systems; and help in finding alternative materials and processes to help small businesses reduce their regulatory burden.