Sleep Apnea & Trucking Conference

Rochelle Goldberg, M.D. is President of the American Sleep Apnea Association Board of Directors and Medical Director for REM Medical Specialists West Phoenix in Phoenix AZ as well as the Regional Medical Director (Arizona) for SleepHealth Centers. She is a Diplomat of the American Board of Sleep Medicine and also boarded in Internal Medicine and Pulmonary Medicine.

Dr. Goldberg's active clinical practice includes diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders in both adults and children. She has a strong interest in both education and clinical research, and has mentored medical students, residents and fellows.

Dr. Goldberg was a recipient of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute's (NIH) Sleep Academic Award, a grant to promote the development of sleep education curricula. She has authored peer review articles and book chapters and regularly presents at the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) annual meeting.

Her volunteer efforts include frequent articles and presentations for local and regional community groups. Dr. Goldberg has served on several committees for the AASM, and is a current member of the American College of Chest Physicians Sleep Institute Steering Committee.

As the Senior Vice-President of safety for First Group America, Gary is responsible for guiding the safety of North American Operations including Greyhound, First Student, First Transit and First Vehicle Services. These operations span all of North America and involve over 100,000 employees operating from 1,800 locations in the US and Canada. Gary also is the chair of First Americas Safety Council which provides a safety review function for all First America companies.

As a member of the National Safety Council, Gary has served as past Chair of the School Transportation Section and currently serves as a member of the Board of Delegates along with being the Safety Council's representative to the Steering Committee to the National Congress on School Transportation. Gary also serves as the Vice Chair of the councils Transportation Safety Division. Gary has participated in the last two National School Transportation Congresses as a member of the New York State Delegation. 

Gary is a member of the National School Transportation Association and currently serves as its Chair of the Safety and Security Committee. He is also a member of the National Association of Pupil Transportation. 

Gary has worked the last 17 years as a transportation safety professional holding senior executive positions for large transportation companies. He holds a commercial driver's license, is a Defensive Driving Instructor and a New York State Certified School Bus Instructor. Gary is an OSHA Outreach Trainer with special training in incident analysis and collision investigation, he has investigated over 400 bus collisions and safety events and has authored many technical papers and manuals on school bus safety as well as co-authored a book on wheelchair transportation. He is a frequent presenter at many national conferences and training events on transportation safety across North America.

Prior to his career in school transportation, Gary worked for 15 years as a Consulting Engineer in the nuclear power industry. In this capacity, he worked with both startup and operating nuclear power facilities in the eastern U.S. Gary's work specialized in the area of on-site and off-site emergency planning and response.

Gary provided input to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on the development of Guidance for Emergency Planning at Nuclear Power Facilities. In addition, Gary helped develop the concepts behind the creation of a joint media information center. As an expert witness, he has provided testimony to the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board regarding emergency plans, procedures and human performance as well as communications to the public during an emergency. Gary remains a member of the American Nuclear Society and holds a Senior Engineering Certification.

Ms. Cullinan is a results-driven professional with over 20 years of expertise in public policy analysis and development; federal legislative/regulatory processes; issue advocacy; coalition-building; and, grassroots campaign management in both non-profit and corporate cultures. Currently, she is the Director of Workplace & Fleet Safety for the American Trucking Associations Inc. In this capacity, Ms. Cullinan is responsible for serving as an expert and primary advocate for ATA's workplace safety and health, CMV driver medical qualifications, labor/employment policies and initiatives. She also provides written/oral technical, analytical and strategic support to ATA's Safety Management Council's Occupational Safety and Health Committee and to the ATA Labor & Regulatory Policy Committee relative to pertinent legislative and regulatory issues. Additionally, Ms. Cullinan is ATA's liaison to several Executive branch agencies, advocacy and public interest groups.

The majority of Ms. Cullinan's career leading up to her employment with the American Trucking Associations was spent working primarily with the federal legislative branch in an advocacy role. Prior to joining ATA, Ms. Cullinan was employed by the American Industrial Hygiene Association, representing the legislative and regulatory interests of over 12,000 national and international occupational health and safety professionals. Previously she worked as lobbyist for the American Insurance Association and for the accounting firm of Ernst & Young, LLP.

Ms. Cullinan began her career in public policy by serving as a legislative assistant to the Honorable Bill McCollum (R-FL) after moving to DC from Richmond, Virginia. She is a graduate of Radford University where she received a B.A. in Political Science. Ms. Cullinan resides in Alexandria, Virginia.

Rick is a 38-year veteran of the transportation industry with experience in both common carrier and private carrier environments. He has experience in many levels of trucking operations and safety management.

Currently Director-Private Fleet Safety with Wal-Mart Transportation with previous experience managing the LTL (Centerpoint) cross-docks and 3rd party consolidators nationwide. He started with Wal-Mart as Safety Manager in Plainview, Texas and has been in his current role for 12 1/2 years. Rick has been a member of National Private Truck Council since 1997 and has served on the Legislative and Regulatory Review Committee since its inception. He currently serves on the NPTC Board of Directors and is incoming Chairman for 2010-2011.

Rick is also a member of ATA and the Safety and Loss Prevention Management Council serving on the Regulations, Accident Review and Hazardous Material committees as well as the Management Advisory Board. He was awarded the ATA National Safety Director of the Year Award in 2005.

Rick is also an active member of the Arkansas Trucking Association Safety Management Council and the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance.

NTSB Experience: Employed at the Safety Board since 1996 as the medical officer in the Office of the Director, Office of Research and Engineering. Advises the Board and interfaces with medical professionals from all federal transportation agencies, academia, and industry on all biomedical aspects of transportation safety, including pathology, toxicology, human performance, and biomechanics. Testifies before Congressional Committees regarding medical issues in transportation safety. Has participated in over 1000 Safety Board accident investigations in all transportation modes, written over 1000 factual and analytical reports, and coordinated major projects and ongoing Board concerns regarding medication use by transportation operators and medical certification of commercial and non-commercial drivers.

Other Experience: Flight surgeon and a Chief of Aeromedical Services, U.S. Air Force (1988-1994), participating in numerous Air Force aircraft mishap investigations. Completed active duty service at the rank of major.

Professional Honors and Awards: Fellow of the Aerospace Medical Association (2003). Received the Aerospace Medical Association Harry G. Moseley Award (2001) for significant contributions to flight safety. Received the NTSB Dr. John K. Lauber Award (2001) for technical accomplishments.

Education/Training:

• B.A., Psychology/Sociology (1982), Duke University (Magna Cum Laude)
• M.D. (1987), Emory University School of Medicine
• M.P.H. (1991), Harvard University School of Public Health
• M.S.M.E. Bioengineering (1996), Georgia Institute of Technology

Completed aerospace medicine residency at the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine (1992); Board-certified by the American Board of Preventive Medicine. Designated by the FAA as an aviation medical examiner (1995). Private pilot certificate (July 1996).

Dr. Hartenbaum, a Fellow of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medline is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Occupational Medicine with a Master’s of Public Health in Occupational Medicine and has been a certified Medical Review Officer since 1996.  She has extensive clinical and corporate experience and is recognized as a national expert in occupational fitness for duty with a special focus on transportation.

Dr. Hartenbaum is President and Chief Medical Officer of OccuMedix, an occupational medicine consulting firm, and is the editor of The DOT Medical Examination: a Guide to Commercial Driver Medical Certification, now in its fourth edition, and CDME Review, a quarterly newsletter for commercial driver medical examiners.  She has published and lectured nationally on various issues of fitness evaluations in the workplace.

Previous projects involving Dr. Hartenbaum include; Tri-Medical Society Task Force (American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, American College of Chest Physicians and the National Sleep Foundation) on Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Commercial Motor Vehicle Operators, Prescription and Over-the-Counter Medication Toolkit for the Transit Administration, Medical Standards for Railroad Workers for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and the Medical Expert Panels on Schedule II Medications and on Traumatic Brain Injury for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Dr. Hartenbaum is on both the clinical and teaching faculty of the University of Pennsylvania and also serves as the Medical Director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia and Chief Medical Review Officer of FirstLab.

Dr. Hartenbaum is currently President Elect of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine and a member of the Board of Trustees of the American Board of Preventive Medicine.

As the Director of Benefits of AAOPD, a non-profit organization founded to educate and empower professional drivers, Kevin Hight designs and implements insured specialty benefits for the transportation industry. He has served on several other panels and focus groups that specialize in insurance plans and benefit design. His previous work with mental health and rehabilitation programs has given him a first-hand look at the importance of health and safety.

Hight found his passion in the transportation industry eight years ago when he began working closely with motor carriers to create and refine health and wellness programs specifically built for fleet commercial drivers. These programs are currently offered through several insurance carriers with A.M. Best's Rating of A and better. Mr. Hight has also developed a strong membership program for AAOPD that combines his health and wellness programs along with numerous lifestyle benefits to provide a complete package designed for commercial drivers.

Don Osterberg currently serves as senior vice president of safety for Schneider National Inc., a premier provider of transportation, logistics and related services. In this position he is responsible for driver training, safety, regulatory compliance, and security. Additionally, Osterberg currently serves as the Chairman of the American Trucking Association's Safety Policy Committee and also chairs the Research Advisory Committee of the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI). Finally Don is a member of the Trucking Industry Committee of the Transportation Research Board (TRB). In March 2008, Heavy Duty Trucking magazine recognized Osterberg as their Fleet Innovator of the Year.

Previously, Osterberg served as vice president and general manager of Schneider Specialized Carriers, Inc., the company's flatbed and specialty transportation division. Prior to his career with Schneider, Osterberg served as executive vice president and chief operating officer for Kaufman Supply Co., a subsidiary of WATSCO, Inc., the nation's largest distributor of HVAC and after-market products to the manufactured housing industry.

Osterberg also served as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army, retiring at the rank of Colonel. His military career included tours of duty in Europe, Southwest Asia and the Continental U.S. He served as the strategic advisor to the President of the United States and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff while serving on the National Airborne Operations Center staff, battalion command of the Army's airbase defense battalion and Chief Plans Officer for the 1st Infantry Division during Operation Desert Storm. In his final military assignment, Osterberg led a U.S. delegation that assisted Romania in drafting their National Military Strategy as a precondition for NATO accession.

Osterberg holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, and a master's degree from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army's Airborne School, Ranger School (distinguished honor graduate); Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced Courses; Command and General Staff College; School of Advanced Military Studies; Armed Forces Staff College and the U.S. Army War College.

Don, his wife Terri and son Wade currently live in Freedom, WI.

Benisse Lester, M.D., FAAOS, FACOEM, is the Chief Medical Officer for the Federal Motor Carrier Administration, Department of Transportation.

Previously, Dr. Lester was Director of Occupational Medicine and Safety for the Office of Health Affairs of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). She began her service with DHS with the Federal Air Marshal Service, where she served as Chief of Medical Programs. Dr. Lester is a Senior Aviation Medical Examiner, with federal designation from the Federal Aviation Administration, and a Medical Review Officer. She was appointed as an Honorary Police Surgeon by the New York Police Department in 2001.

Prior to her work at DHS, Dr. Lester was Attending Surgeon in Orthopedic Surgery at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, where she held a faculty appointment as Associate Professor of Clinical Orthopedic Surgery. During her academic career, Dr. Lester has made numerous presentations at professional medical meetings, nationally and internationally. She has served as a leader and educator for the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, the Aerospace Medical Association, the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, among other professional organizations. Dr. Lester is the author of a highly-rated textbook, as well as many peer-reviewed scientific journal articles and chapters. She has contributed over one hundred publications, academic and scientific presentations and exhibits, and course instruction.

Dr. Lester graduated from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree cum laude from the College of Arts and Sciences, as well as a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the College of Art and Architecture. She received a Doctor of Medicine degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, with Alpha Omega Alpha Honorary Society membership. Dr. Lester completed a General Surgery Internship and Orthopedic Surgery Residency at the New York University Medical Center, followed by a Hand Surgery Fellowship at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. She is Board Certified by the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery, and has a Certificate of Added Qualification in Hand Surgery. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. She has been elected to membership in the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, the American Association for Hand Surgery, the Eastern Orthopedic Association, among other professional organizations.

Dr. Lester has received numerous awards and honors over the course of her career, with recent examples including the 2007 Sidney Leverett Environmental Science Award for Outstanding Contributions in Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine, and recognition for her contributions to DHS in 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008.

Barbara Phillips, MD, MSPH, received her MD from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine in 1977 and her Master of Science in Public Health from the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky in 1991. She completed her internal medicine residency and pulmonary fellowship training at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond.

Dr. Phillips is currently professor of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. Dr. Phillips is board-certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Medicine, Critical Care Medicine, and Sleep Medicine. She directs the Sleep Center at the University of Kentucky Good Samaritan Hospital in Lexington.

Additionally, Dr. Phillips serves on the Board of Regents of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), on the Medical Advisory Board of the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration of the Department of Transportation, and as Chair of the Steering Committee of the Sleep Institute of the ACCP. She is immediate past-chairman of the National Sleep Foundation, and has served on the boards of the American Lung Association, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, and the American Board of Sleep Medicine. She has received a Sleep Academic Award from the National Institutes of Health and has served on the advisory board to the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research.

R. CLAY PORTER received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Eckerd College in 1976 and a Juris Doctorate degree from Emory University in 1979. In 1985, Mr. Porter and Robert E. Corry, Jr., formed the law firm of Dennis & Corry, presently Dennis, Corry & Porter, L.L.P., for the express purpose of defending motor carriers and otherwise providing counsel to the truck and truck insurance industry. Mr. Porter has devoted his practice to motor carrier defense throughout the United States, with a particular emphasis on allegations directed specifically against the motor carrier (i.e., safety training, fatigue prevention, log analysis, driver qualification, drug and alcohol issues, defective equipment, logo and lease liability.)

In addition, Mr. Porter's practice has focused on truck insurance coverage issues, including primary/excess disputes, non-trucking and filing liability, cargo insurance, and customized insurance policy drafting. Since 1995, Mr. Porter has served as a faculty member for AAMGA (American Association of Managing General Agents) University on truck coverage issues. He has authored multiple insurance policies including truck excess coverage, non-trucking endorsements, cargo policies and endorsements, freight brokerage policies, and related claim handling forms. He co-authored Motor Carrier Liability published by C.C.H., Incorporated.

Mr. Porter frequently speaks at trucking defense seminars for the American Trucking Association (ATA), the Trucking Industry Defense Association (TIDA), the Southern Motor Carrier Freight Association (SMCFA), the National Truck and Heavy Equipment Claims Counsel (NTHECC), AAMGA University, American Bar Association (ABA) Transportation Mega Conference, Transportation Lawyers Association (TLA), and various trucking companies and truck insurers. He is a recipient of Exceptional Performance Citation, DRI 1997 and the Partnership Award from Schneider National Carriers.

From 1995 through 1996, Mr. Porter served as the President of the Georgia Defense Lawyers Association. He is one of the founding members of TIDA and held the position of Membership Chairman from 1994 through 1996. In 1997, the Georgia Supreme Court appointed him to a Special Committee of the Judicial Qualifications Commission.

Mr. Tom Weakley is the Director of Operations for the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association Foundation, Inc. The OOIDA Foundation is the Research and Education arm of OOIDA and is a 501 (C) (3) corporation founded in March of 1991. Mr. Weakley has a lengthy background in academic and corporate communications and training. He earned his B.A. from William Jewel College, M.A. from the University of Missouri and 36 hours post graduate from University of Missouri.

Mr. Weakley is currently a member of, or participates in, the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Science, Research Advisory Committee for the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI), founding member of the North American Council on Freight Efficiency and Associate Advisory Committee of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA).

Mr. Weakley has many years of real world experience in the trucking industry which includes working as a lumper and warehouseman. Driving experience includes making "peddle-runs", local runs and regional runs and operated under his own operating authority. He spent time as both a Less-than-Truckload and Truck load driver. Mr. Weakley has been a hazardous materials trainer in multiple states as well as a fleet manager and fleet owner. He was also a Manager of Transportation, Distribution and Storage Facility for hazardous materials in 5 states.

Through the OOIDA Foundation, Mr. Weakley has worked with the U.S. Census Bureau in establishing the important criteria needed to get an accurate estimate of the number of owner-operators in the United States for their Vehicle Inventory & Use Survey. Under Mr. Weakley's direction, the OOIDA Foundation conducts extensive surveys of the OOIDA membership to maintain up-to-date profiles of owner-operators and independent drivers. The Foundation has produced videos and DVDs and other educational materials that are widely used by truck driving schools, carriers and other interested parties to learn about fatigue, cargo securement and brake adjustment. The Foundation has produced information on obtaining authority for those seeking to become small business motor carriers and conducts a business seminar for those planning on getting their own authority.

Ellison H. Wittels is board certified in both internal medicine and occupational medicine. In 1996, he was named a Fellow of the American College of Physicians. For 24 years, he was on the full-time faculty in the Department of Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. He founded and was Chief of the Baylor College of Medicine Occupational Health Program. For the last 10 years he has been a physician at Concentra Health Services, the largest national occupational medicine provider and an urgent care provider. He provides direct patient care and does over 1,000 DOT certification examinations yearly.

Dr. Wittels chaired both the 1996 Federal Highway Administration's Panel on Anticoagulant Therapy and Commercial Drivers and the 2002 Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Cardiovascular Advisory Panel. Guidelines for the Medical Examination of Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers. He has authored 2 books on Medical Certification of Commercial Drivers.

He is the Senior Medical Consultant for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. As the Senior Consultant, he has provided input on the Medical Review Board and the National Registry for Certified Medical Examiners. He has worked with FMCSA Medical Expert Panels, including the Panel on Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Dr. Wittels has served on the Railroad Safety Medical Advisory Committee on Medical Standards for Safety Critical Employees. He advised on developing the United States Coast Guard merchant mariner medical program.