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Marriott Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel
2800 S Potomac Ave Arlington, VA 22202
Linda Reinstein Office (310) 251-7477
Pat Morrison is the Assistant to the General President for Occupational Health, Safety and Medicine at the IAFF (International Association of Fire Fighters), a union representing more than 310,000 professional fire fighters and paramedics in the United States and Canada. Mr. Morrison’s expertise is in the design and implementation of health, safety and wellness programs to improve fire fighters’ overall physical and mental health, address their medical needs and increase protections from the hazardous elements of firefighting. Prior to joining the IAFF, Mr. Morrison was a career firefighter for 21 years with the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department in Fairfax, Virginia.
Pat Morrison will be recognized with The Tribute of Inspiration Award for his unwavering commitment to protecting public health and our environment from toxic exposures.
Eric Jonckheere, a Belgian airline pilot. Asbestos is part of his everyday environment since 1937. His grand-father Paul was a key player in keeping the Eternit factories open during WW2. Pierre, his father, worked at Eternit as an engineer. He grew up in Kapelle, north of Brussels. It was paradise until the passing of Pierre due to mesothelioma in 1987.He was 59. Then it was mother Francoise and brothers Pierre-Paul and Stephane, suffered from the same cancer, respectively in 2000, 2003 and 2010. He became an anti-asbestos activist when he realized many families couldn’t speak up. The entire village suffers from extensive environmental exposure but the local politicians and union leaders are at the mercy of the plants owners. Since their victory in the Brussels court, they have moved the case-law and the knowledge of the dangers of asbestos to the general public. As president of ABEVA, it’s important to share experiences across borders.
Eric Jonckheere will be recognized with The Alan Reinstein Award for his commitment to education, advocacy, and providing support to countless patients and families.
Bio Michael Borowick was re-elected as ACTU Assistant Secretary at the ACTU Congress in May 2015, a position he has held since 2010. Previously Michael was an official of The Australian Workers’ Union (AWU) for 20 years, where he was the Victorian Branch Assistant Secretary and a member of the National Executive. Michael began his working life as an electrician, starting his apprenticeship in the building and construction industry. During his time at the AWU, Michael’s strong union values were integral to assisting members from various industries including steel, glass, metal, manufacturing, carpentry, joinery, building, construction, plastics and chemicals. As ACTU Assistant Secretary, Michael oversees all Occupational Health and Safety and Workers’ Compensation matters to ensure all workers have access to safe and healthy workplaces. Michael also represents the ACTU as a Director on the HESTA board, the industry super fund for Health and Community Services, as a member of the National Workplace Relations Consultative Council, Safe Work Australia, Safety Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission, Defence Reserves Support Council and Asbestos Safety and Eradication Council.
Richard Lemen, PhD is a former Assistant Surgeon General of the United States and also served as the Acting Director and the Deputy Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health before his retirement. He has been a practicing epidemiologist for more than forty years, and has taught graduate level courses on environmental and occupational health issues, including asbestos, at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. He has also testified on behalf of asbestos victims; Dr. Lemen is a world-renowned author, speaker, and lecturer on this topic.
Fernanda Giannasi is a Civil and Safety Engineer and ex-Labor Inspector for the Ministry of Labor and Employment for 30 years, currently retired and acting as an expert advisor for the Labour Prosecutors (Federal Labour Public Ministry) as well the asbestos victims’ solicitors. She is the coordinator of the Virtual Citizen Ban Asbestos Network for Latin America, founder of the Brazilian Association of People Exposed to Asbestos (ABREA) and Fellow of the Collegium Ramazzini. She serves as an expert witness in judicial cases related to asbestos, nuclear and other toxic chemicals as Mercury, POP´s (Persistent Organic Pollutants). She also led thousands of workers who have filed lawsuits against the asbestos industry. In charge of a Federal Labor Inspector, she staunchly defended the public interest on workers’ safety and health and was pressured by the asbestos lobby in Brazil and Canada, and endured all kind of pressures, harassments including death threats, offensive campaigns and criminal charges by her detractors. Despite of these, she has been awarded in Brazil as the Egineer of 2012 and internationally in Canada (Ray Sentes Award), USA by the American Public Health Association (APHA) and the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology (ISEE), and Japan by the Tajiri Muneaki Memorial Fund. She was awarded by both the State of São Paulo Appeal Court and the High/Supreme Labour Court with the Judiciary Order of Merit. She is internationally well known and highly respected for her proficient and perseverant campaigning to save lives from asbestos. Fernanda Giannasi is the personification of the fight against asbestos in Brazil. Not for nothing is she called ‘The Brockovich of Brazil’. The last November, all her efforts to ban asbestos in Brazil as well the fight for Justice for the asbestos victims and their families were granted with the important decision by the Supreme Constitutional Court (STF) that declared asbestos banned in whole country. Recently she was indicated by the O GLOBO, one of the most important daily newspapers in the country to be one of the finalists of the Prize “FAZ DIFERENÇA” in 2017 (Make the difference) in the cathegory of Economy and was awarded in South Korea with the 2017 Rachel LEE Jung-Lim Award.
Dr. Barry Castleman, ScD is an Environmental Consultant trained in chemical and environmental engineering. He holds a Doctor of Science degree from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. He has been a consultant to numerous agencies of the US government and other governments, international bodies, and environmental groups dealing with a wide range of public health issues. He has testified as an expert in civil litigation in the US on the history of asbestos as a public health problem and the reasons for failure to properly control asbestos hazards. Dr. Castleman has spent the past 40 years working on asbestos as a public health problem.
Ellen Costa has been a volunteer with ADAO since 2012 and is honored to be of service to this very special organization; its mission, founders and supporters. Professionally, she has been in the financial services industry for over 25 years and has served firms in marketing, communications, product management and strategic planning. Her current position at Wells Fargo Home Lending is as a strategy consultant in the financial reform regulatory environment. Inspired by Linda Reinstein's commitment and passion in making change, influencing political policy and advocating for practical issues on a global level, lead her to involvement with the organization. The awareness, family support and leadership ADAO provides in creating the change needed in this world is truly powerful. Most importantly, she believes in Linda Reinstein and is truly privileged to serve the mission of ADAO.
Earl Dotter, began photographing coal miners in 1969, then the most dangerous job in America. After which, he focused on other hazardous occupations in the USA. After 30 years of documentation he created the exhibit and book, THE QUIET SICKNESS: A Photographic Chronicle of Hazardous Work in America. He has been a Visiting Scholar at the Harvard School of Public Health since his appointment in 1999. In the year 2000, Dotter received an Alicia Patterson Foundation Fellowship to document commercial fishing. It had become our nation's most dangerous trade. After 9/11, he photographed the rescue recovery effort at Ground Zero. For that exhibit work he received the APHA's, Alice Hamilton Award. Currently Dotter is following hazardous jobs new immigrants perform in the USA.
Fernanda Giannasi is a Civil and Safety Engineer and ex-Labor Inspector for the Ministry of Labor and Employment for 30 years, currently retired and acting as an expert advisor for the Labour Prosecutors (Federal Labour Public Ministry) as well the asbestos victims’ solicitors. She is the coordinator of the Virtual Citizen Ban Asbestos Network for Latin America, founder of the Brazilian Association of People Exposed to Asbestos (ABREA) and Fellow of the Collegium Ramazzini. She serves as an expert witness in judicial cases related to asbestos, nuclear and other toxic chemicals as Mercury, POP´s (Persistent Organic Pollutants). She also led thousands of workers who have filed lawsuits against the asbestos industry. In charge of a Federal Labor Inspector, she staunchly defended the public interest on workers’ safety and health and was pressured by the asbestos lobby and endured all kind of pressures, harassments including death threats, offensive campaigns and criminal charges by her detractors. Despite of these threats, she has been awarded in Brazil and internationally in Canada (Ray Sentes Award), USA by the American Public Health Association (APHA) and the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology (ISEE), and Japan by the Tajiri Muneaki Memorial Fund. She is internationally well known and highly respected for her proficient and perseverant campaigning to save lives from asbestos. Fernanda Giannasi is the personification of the fight against asbestos in Brazil. Not for nothing is she called ‘The Brockovich of Brazil’.
Dr. Arthur Frank, PhD, MD is a physician board certified in both internal medicine and occupational medicine and currently serves as Professor of Public Health and Chair of the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at the Drexel University School of Public Health in Philadelphia. He is also a Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary) at the Drexel College of Medicine. He also holds a position at Drexel as Professor of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering. A life-long academic, Dr. Frank has previously taught at Mount Sinai, the University of Kentucky and in the University of Texas System. He has served many governmental agencies in the US and has carried out research and has been a governmental advisor internationally. Trained in both occupational medicine and internal medicine, Dr. Frank has been interested in the health hazards of asbestos for more than 35 years. He has published a great deal of work on the hazards of asbestos, and clinically cared for asbestos effected patients. He has lectured internationally about the problems of asbestos, and worked in many settings looking at the diseases caused by this material. His research interests have been in the areas of occupational cancers and occupational lung diseases, as well as agricultural safety and health. For thirty-seven years he held a commission in the U S Public Health Service (active and inactive) and served on active duty both at the NIH and at NIOSH. Arthur is the ADAO Science Advisory Board Co-Chair.
Fernanda Giannasi is a Civil and Safety Engineer and ex-Labor Inspector for the Ministry of Labor and Employment for 30 years, currently retired and acting as an expert advisor for the Labour Prosecutors (Federal Labour Public Ministry) as well the asbestos victims' solicitors. She is the coordinator of the Virtual Citizen Ban Asbestos Network for Latin America, founder of the Brazilian Association of People Exposed to Asbestos (ABREA) and Fellow of the Collegium Ramazzini. She serves as an expert witness in judicial cases related to asbestos, nuclear and other toxic chemicals as Mercury, POP´s (Persistent Organic Pollutants). She also led thousands of workers who have filed lawsuits against the asbestos industry. In charge of a Federal Labor Inspector, she staunchly defended the public interest on workers' safety and health and was pressured by the asbestos lobby and endured all kind of pressures, harassments including death threats, offensive campaigns and criminal charges by her detractors. Despite of these threats, she has been awarded in Brazil and internationally in Canada (Ray Sentes Award), USA by the American Public Health Association (APHA) and the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology (ISEE), and Japan by the Tajiri Muneaki Memorial Fund. She is internationally well known and highly respected for her proficient and perseverant campaigning to save lives from asbestos. Fernanda Giannasi is the personification of the fight against asbestos in Brazil. Not for nothing is she called ‘The Brockovich of Brazil'.
Michael R. Harbut, MD, MPH, FCCP is Chief of the Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine: Clinical Assistant Professor, Wayne State University, School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan. An internationally known expert in the diagnosis and treatment of environmental and workplace diseases, Dr. Harbut has been named co-Director of the National Center for Vermiculite and Asbestos Related Cancers. He is the co-author of the American Thoracic Society's 2004 Recommendations for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Non-Malignant Disease Caused by Asbestos Exposure. Dr. Harbut is a past chair of the occupational and environmental health section of the American College of Chest Physicians, and has served on the Board of Directors of the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation. Dr. Harbut brings his expertise to address the need for early diagnosis and aggressive treatment of asbestos related diseases.
Sen. Jeff Merkley will be recognized with The Tribute of Hope Award for his steadfast commitment to awareness, prevention, and policy to eliminate asbestos-related diseases.
Jock McCulloch will be honored posthumously with The Dr Irving Selikoff Lifetime Achievement Award in honor of his tireless dedication to increasing awareness about asbestos and for his outstanding contributions for truth and justice.
Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici will be recognized with The Tribute of Hope Award for his steadfast commitment to awareness, prevention, and policy to eliminate asbestos-related diseases.
Dr. Jukka Takala will be recognized with The Dr. Irving Selikoff Lifetime Achievement Award in honor of his tireless dedication to increasing awareness about asbestos to eliminate diseases and research that leads to a cure.
Prior to Jukka Takala, DSc, MSc, BSc, joining the Singapore WSH Institute as the first Executive Director in 2011, he was the Director of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) from 2006-2011. He was the coordinator of all EU regulatory agencies in 2010-11. He served the International Labour Organisation as the Director of the ILO's Global SafeWork Programme until 2006, and earlier as an ILO Chief Technical Adviser in Africa and Asia, from 1978-1986. The ILO service period 1978-2006 included posts of the Head of the ILO's Information Centre, and Chief of OSH Branch. He was in charge of all ILO processes related to safety and health at work and a member and chair of the ILO/WHO/UNEP/UNITAR/UNIDO/World Bank Programmes for Chemicals. Before joining the ILO in 1978 he worked at the OSH Administration in Finland.
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) will be recognized with The Tribute of Unity Award for their relentless efforts to protect public health, ban asbestos, and increase public awareness about the danger of asbestos.
Eric Jonckheere will be recognized with The Alan Reinstein Award for their commitment to education, advocacy, and providing support to countless patients and families.
Daniel Pineda González will be recognized with The Alan Reinstein Award for his commitment to education, advocacy, and providing support to countless patients and families.
Rachel Shaneyfelt will be honored posthumously with The Alan Reinstein Award for her commitment to education, advocacy, and providing support to countless patients and families.
Chris XX from New Matilda will be recognized with the Andrew Schneider Tribute Award for his outstanding reporting on asbestos-related public health and human rights issues.
XX will be recognized with the Warren Zevon “Keep Me in Your Heart” Tribute Award for using his comedic talent and story to raise awareness and action for mesothelioma and asbestos-caused diseases.
Annamarie Kearns will be recognized with The Alan Reinstein Award for her commitment to education, advocacy, and providing support to countless patients and families.
Chris Graham is the publisher and editor of New Matilda. He is the former founding managing editor of the National Indigenous Times and Tracker magazine. Chris has won a Walkley Award, a Walkley High Commendation and two Human Rights Awards for his reporting. He lives in Brisbane and splits his time between Stradbroke Island, where New Matilda is based, and the mainland.
Chris Graham and Michael Gillard will be recognized with The Andrew Schneider Memorial Award for their excellent investigative journalism.
Paul Demers, PhD is the Director of the Occupational Cancer Research Centre as well as a Professor with the University of Toronto, and the Scientific Director of CAREX Canada. He has been a member of many national and international expert panels with organizations such as IARC (WHO), UN Environment Program, Canadian Cancer Society, Royal Society of Canada, Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, NIOSH, and the ACGIH. Paul is the lead investigator for a national team assessing the human and economic impact of workplace carcinogens in Canada. Estimates of the number of cancers caused by asbestos and their economic impact were used in the successful push to ban asbestos in Canada.