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Donald D. Button P.E.
Donald D. Button is a Licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Georgia, with a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Delaware. He is a member of both local and national chapters of the Society for Professional Engineers as well as a member of the International Association of Arson Investigators and National Fire Protection Association. He is the Director of Forensic Electrical Engineering at Forensic And Scientific Testing, Inc (FAST), a company that specializes in forensic electrical engineering and chemical analysis for both fire investigators and the insurance industry. In addition to extensive experience in the laboratory focusing on electrical devices, electrical failures, and potential electrical involvement with fire, Donald has a 20 year career as an electrical engineer and has experience in a myriad of areas including electrical design, failure analysis and residential and commercial electrical code compliance. Donald’s extensive technical knowledge of electrical devices, and specific experience in electrical failures as they relate to ignition, make his instruction and demonstrations an invaluable asset to students at The Institute.
Elliott Feldman
Elliott R. Feldman chairs Cozen O’Connor’s National and International Subrogation and Recovery Department. Cozen O’Connor is a national insurance litigation law firm with 20 offices in the United States and 2 international offices, with 135 subrogation and recovery attorneys. Elliott serves on Cozen O’Connor’s Executive and Management Committees, and practices exclusively in the subrogation and recovery field. As a member of the Board of Directors for the Institute of Fire Science, Elliott reviews courses and provides feedback to faculty on courses that deal with subrogation and litigation. Additionally, Elliott serves on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Subrogation Professionals, and is a frequent lecturer before numerous insurance industry groups, including the Property Loss Research Bureau, the Loss Executives Association, the National Association of Independent Insurance Adjusters, and the National Association of Subrogation Professionals. He is the author of numerous publications about subrogation issues which have appeared in Claims Magazine, The Subrogator, The Journal of Accountancy, and authoritative insurance texts. He has tried in excess of 35 substantial subrogation matters, and has secured numerous six-figure and multi-million dollar recoveries for his insurance and commercial clients.
Michael E. Hennessy C.F.I., C.F.E.I., C.F.V.I.
Michael E. Hennessy was the first fire official in Massachusetts to become a Certified Fire Investigator through the International Association of Arson Investigators. Over the course of his career, he has investigated hundreds of accidental fires, pursued numerous successful arson cases and has been an essential asset in successful recovery through subrogation cases. He has also been court-qualified as an expert witness in fire cause and area of origin in District, Superior and Federal Courts. Michael is a Senior Fire Analyst and member of the Large Loss team at New England Fire Cause & Origin. He maintains memberships in local and national chapters of the IAAI, as well as the National Association of Fire Investigators and is a certified Fire & Explosion Investigator and a Certified Vehicle Fire Investigator through NAFI. He has also been certified by the National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications as both Fire Investigator and Fire Instructor.
Henry R. Poydar Ph.D, P.E.
Henry R. Poydar holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Tufts University in addition to a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Tufts and a Masters in Civil Engineering from Northeastern University. He is the President of AXYZ, Inc, In Sudbury, MA, an Engineering Consulting Group specializing in the application of computers and advanced technology as well as engineering analysis and design. Dr. Poydar is a registered Professional Engineer and has served as an Assistant Professor at Tufts University, held positions as a Professor and Dean of the College at Wentworth Institute and as a special consultant for M.I.T. Center for Advanced Engineering Studies.
Laurel V. Waters
Laurel V. Waters is the President of Analytical Forensic Associates in Lilburn, Georgia, a fire and arson laboratory that is trusted in the field that has tested over 60,000 samples for the presence of flammable and combustible liquids. She has a BS as well as considerable training specific to the field and is considered an expert in analytic testing. She has assisted in the development of the ATSM standards and offered testimony in the courts of 14 US States. Laurel has been published in the Journal of Forensic Scientists as well as in Fire & Arson Investigator and Chaired the IAAI Forensic Science Committee between 1999 and 2001. Laurel’s expertise is enhanced by her day to day management of the fire and arson lab and constant attention to this important and dynamic aspect of fire science.
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