EnSafe’s very own Heather Govenor, PhD has just earned her certification as an “IBERA Diplomate” – making her one of the first of her peers to receive this certification – and we could not be prouder to have her on our team!
IBERA, International Board of Environmental Risk Assessors, was established by the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry in 2021 and is “the first association to identify and maintain a standard for professionals working in environmental risk assessment through a global certification program. IBERA aims to promote the conduct of scientifically robust and technically advanced assessments of risks from chemical exposure through certification of individuals with demonstrated expertise in environmental risk assessment.”
This is an impressive feat as individuals are only eligible to sit for the examination to achieve certification after demonstrating expertise in environmental risk assessment through education and experience. 2022 marked the first year for applicants to take the examination, with the first cohort of diplomats announced only recently.
IBERA’s site states the certification “is a significant achievement that demonstrates expertise in environmental risk assessment.” IBERA diplomates are internationally recognized for their broad and high-level expertise in their field and certification should lend enhanced credibility in consulting and expert testimony.
Of course, we are not surprised by this accomplishment. Heather is a published expert in the field of risk assessment and has endlessly pursued further education in her area of expertise (as evidenced by her dozens of training courses in her CRM personnel record alone).
One of Heather’s favorite elements of ecological risk assessment is that it presents constant learning opportunities given the variety in projects. And as the field continues to grow and sites become increasingly more complicated, Heather relishes the investigative and collaborative nature of the work that leads to positive environmental solutions.
“While there is certainly guidance and structure in what we do, there is also a lot of room for varying ideas,” she enthused.
Heather embodies that old adage, “If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.”
“I’ve always had a fascination with the natural environment and how living things interact with non-living things,” she explains, attributing her love of nature to her childhood memories of exploring the outdoors with her dad.
“My job is a cool way to help the environment,” Heather continued. “Restore the natural world, help it interface with the human world, help reverse the harm that we’ve done. Ecological risk assessment is a great way to fix some of the chaos.”
As an IBERA diplomate, Heather now has enviable access to a professional international network of her peers and the opportunity to contribute to keeping IBERA relevant. Moreover, her new status is indisputable proof of her scientific credibility and expertise, which is not only a significant personal benchmark for Heather but advantageous to EnSafe as well.