Manager Management

MARIA ZAGALA DESAGUN

***** ******* ******, ***. ** ( Sherman Oaks, California 91403

805-***-**** ( acbyij@r.postjobfree.com

MANAGER: Environmental Health & Safety, Regulatory Compliance / Affairs,

Quality Management System, Laboratory Operations, Facility Operations

Dynamic professional with excellent track record of maximizing

efficiency, quality, safety, and compliance of laboratories and companies

in highly regulated local, state, federal, and global environments. Creates

centers of excellence on leading edge of industry through development of

robust programs, policies, procedures, and teams. Eliminates time and costs

by conducting thorough assessments and continuous improvements. Masters new

areas and requirements rapidly by climbing steep learning curves in minimal

time. Contributes actively to ongoing company ingenuity and success through

hands-on strategic and technical planning, training, and leadership.

Effectively manages activities that support general operations through

planning, scheduling, and coordinating project tasks. Possesses strong

leadership, team building skills, organizational skills, project

management, attention to detail, and excellent written and oral

communication skills. Bilingual fluency in English and Tagalog read and

understand Spanish and Portuguese.

* Environmental Health & Safety (OSHA ? CUPA ? AQMD ?DEA ? EPA ? NFPA

? DOT ? NIOSH ? ANSI) * Injury & Illness Prevention

Start-Ups ( Turnarounds ( Program Development ( Project Management (

Policies & Procedures

( US & Global Regulatory Compliance ( Quality Management Systems

Operational Excellence ( Cost & Quality Control ( Auditing * (USDA ? NIH ?

CTNBio ? GEAC/RCGM ? MOA)

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

CERES, INC., Thousand Oaks, California

Developer and manufacturer of low-carbon non-food grasses for advanced

biofuels and biopower.

Compliance & Laboratory Operations Manager ( 6/2001 - 1/2013

Led the development and implementation of the corporate Environmental

Health & Safety Program, national and international (Brazil) policies and

programs: Injury and illness prevention, Emergency Response Plan, job

hazard assessments, engineering controls, Ergonomics, lab, office, field

inspections, safety review, monitoring, reporting, OSHA 300 Log,

trainings, HAZMAT, medical surveillance, process for improvement of

relevant EHS programs and compliance strategies. Ensured 100% compliance

with required regulatory agencies.

Achievements:

. Revamped ineffective Health & Safety Program including comprehensive

evaluation of policies, job hazards, permits, and compliance needs

including filling all gaps via programs, permits, and training.

. Developed health and safety culture and instilled best practices in

ensuring compliance and accident/injury free workplace.

. Led the development, implementation, training, and monitoring of

Health and Safety Programs in on-site (CAL/OSHA: Title 8 CCR sections

3200-3206), off-site (Fed OSHA: Title 29 CFR part 1904 to 1928), and

in Brazil (NR31) facilities: Laboratory safety, Building/facility

safety, Office ergonomics, Agricultural safety, Greenhouse safety,

Road Safety, and other related work safety.

. Led the Health and Safety Committee that evaluates the goals,

progress, and issues as well as conducting the annual Health and

Safety Fair. Produced quarterly management reports and newsletters.

. Achieved required permits from the following government agencies:

EPA, Cal/OSHA, DOT, DEA, CUPA, APCD (Air Pollution Control District),

County Fire Department.

. Achieved 0% Non-Compliance (No Violation) from annual lab inspections

by Ventura and Los Angeles County Environmental Health and Safety CUPA

(Certified Unified Program Agency) division.

. Achieved and maintained ZERO accident in laboratory.

. Monitored and prevented hazard exposures: hazardous chemicals,

radiation level, noise level, dust/air quality level, other hazards.

Managed plant regulatory compliance spanning from local and state to

federal government including BRS-APHIS-USDA and EPA, as well as global

compliance in Brazil (CTNBio), India (GEAC/RCGM), and China (MOA).

Developed and implemented required national and international policies, and

programs. Developed and organized regulatory activities such as Letters of

Inquiry (USDA), field trial permit applications, compliance reports,

inspections, incident response plan, SOP, meetings, presentations, and

training. Managed the Stewardship and Quality Management System Program as

well as the company Biosafety Program with both Internal and Institutional

Biosafety Committee. Ensured 100% compliance with required regulatory

agencies.

Achievements:

. Achieved full compliance with field trial activities inspections,

documentations, and reports.

. Inherited and quickly took over development, implementation,

monitoring, and preparation of Excellence Through Stewardship (ETS)

and Biotechnology Quality Management System (BQMS) programs for

successful internal and 3rd party audit. Achieved full conformance to

the standards of both ETS and BQMS.

. Developed and served as Board of Director and Treasurer for Executive

Committee of Excellence Through Stewardship (ETS) for biotechnology

derived products.

. Submitted the company's permit applications to APHIS-BRS-USDA for

field trials of crops including switchgrass, miscanthus, rice and were

all approved.

. Submitted the company's Letter of Inquiry to APHIS-BRS-USDA regarding

the regulatory status of crops that don't meet the standard within the

meaning under 7 CFR 340.1 and were confirmed by the agency.

. Developed biosafety proposals for USAID grant for international field

trials.

. Reviewed and developed stewardship program sections for collaboration

and grant contracts.

. Eliminated cost to create seed testing laboratory from ground-up for

rapid testing of germination and seed vigor, learning new technology

in minimal time, and restructuring and training existing team.

Directed all aspects of laboratory and facility operations including Media

Preparation Lab, Culture collection, Seed quality lab, and property

management. Administered Lab and Facility Operations budgets, personnel,

and daily activities. Managed activities relating to organization, space

allocation, process improvement and optimization, equipment,

infrastructure, building maintenance, budget planning and purchasing.

Worked closely with Human Resources, Finance/Accounting, Legal,

Intellectual Property, Information and System Technology regarding cross-

functional activities across the company.

Achievements:

. Organized general operations to centralize activities and budget that

resulted in more efficient and effective integration and deliverables.

. Successfully set up 2 new laboratories to manage all centralized

services including staffing, materials procurement, training,

organization, and budget development.

. Saved substantial costs while evaluating supplies, equipment, and

storage, slashing inventory, and selling viable but unnecessary

inventory; enabled transition to onsite storage.

. Oversaw all aspects of construction of new facility including

planning, executing, and ensuring on-time and within budget

completion. Organized the facility move from old to newly built

facility.

. Inherited and quickly turned around greenhouse facility including

adopting management, and immediately establishing testing to pinpoint

cause of various plant health problems

Directed all aspects of growth facility operations including project

designs, approval, and executions, insect and disease control through

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and/or pesticide application, biosafety

compliance, greenhouse construction, growth chamber installation, and

maintenance. In charged of all biotech-derived plant regulatory from its

containment in the growth facility and movement to its confinement during

the field trials.

Achievements:

. Inherited and quickly turned around greenhouse facility including

adopting management, and immediately establishing testing to pinpoint

cause of various plant health problems.

. Worked with scientists and research associates in the design and

approval of research studies including but not limited to salinity,

nutrient deficiency, water use efficiency, pollination, oxidative

stress, and other biotic and abiotic stress research.

. Managed growth facility activities: space allocation, soil and water

testing, pesticide application, maintenance, automation, plant

propagation, biosafety containment.

. Possess a valid QAC (Qualified Applicator Certificate) of California

Pesticide Regulation - expires on December 2014.

. Led the planning and construction of the new greenhouse and growth

rooms (Percival, Conviron, etc).

. Re-adjusted greenhouse facility to meet containment standards

appropriate for each biosafety levels.

. Developed, trained, and implemented biosafety policy in proper

handling of plant transgenic materials.

MENDEL BIOTECHNOLOGY, Hayward, California ( 5/1998 - 5/2001

Start-up developer of state-of-the-art plant biotechnology to optimize

plant productivity, resource efficiency, and product quality for global

agriculture via revolutionary genetic and chemical solutions.

Laboratory Operations & Safety Manager

Directed all aspects of corporate Environmental Health & Safety programs

and Media Preparation Lab including SOP and policy development, biological

and HAZMAT disposal, and lab personnel training. Performed variety of lab

activities such as DNA extraction, DNA sequencing, genotyping, phenotyping,

and tissue cultures.

Achievements:

. Pioneered Media Preparation Lab including material and supply

purchasing, staffing and training, development of templates for

chemical and reagent formula, and centralization of operations.

. Maximized efficiency and effectiveness of lab and growth operations,

establishing facilities including mentoring, training, and overseeing

lab assistants, and developing robust procedures.

. Saved significant time and costs, eliminating inventory waste,

centralizing all inventory, and assigning assistant to conduct weekly

inventory and purchasing.

. Achieved 0% accidents, despite abrupt departure of Environmental

Health & Safety Manager, quickly assuming role, learning all OSHA laws

and regulations, and providing program development, training, and

implementation, as well as job hazard assessment for injury and

illness prevention.

. Recognized in 1st 2 consecutive years for Outstanding Contributions to

company including volunteering for numerous roles and activities such

as learning different lab techniques and operations.

NOTE: Prior positions include: Senior Research Specialist I, Media

Preparation Lab Supervisor, and Lab Support Specialist, WESTVACO FOREST

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY. Details on request.

EDUCATION & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Master of Business Administration: Concentration in Project Management

(Magna Cum Laude)

Keller Graduate School of Management, Devry University, Sherman Oaks,

California

Bachelor of Science in Technical Management (Summa Cum Laude)

Devry University, Sherman Oaks, California

Associate of Science in Chemical Engineering

Trident Technical College, North Charleston, South Carolina

California Qualified Pesticide Applicator Certificate

Federal OSHA Training ( California OSHA Training ? EPA Training

40-Hour Hazardous Waste Operations

Professional Organizations Participated

Excellence Through Stewardship (ETS) - Member Board of Directors, Executive

Committee, and Program Development

American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) - Member of Stewardship Committee

California State University (Channel Islands) - Member of Institutional

Biosafety Committee

Computer Skills

Microsoft Office; Word, Excel, Access, Outlook, Visio, Project, PowerPoint,

Publisher

Enterprise Resource databases: Navision, Oracle, SAP, SharePoint

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