Leadership
Abner F. Patton, P.G.
President
With over 38 years of experience in the fields of geology and hydrogeology, Mr. Patton has extensive expertise in various water resource management, waste management, mineral resource valuation, geologic hazard evaluation, geophysical surveys, and drilling. More specifically, he has performed or supervised karst investigations, municipal and industry water supply projects, pipeline corridor and crossing projects, hydrogeologic investigations, drilling and installation of water supply and monitoring wells, and gas/mineral exploration and evaluation in relation to conservation easements. Mr. Patton has also served as an expert witness in numerous litigation cases. In addition to overseeing daily operations, Mr. Patton provides technical expertise and leads the company’s entrepreneurial direction.
James “Jim” W. LaMoreaux, PhD.
Chairman of the Board
Dr. LaMoreaux has more than forty years of experience in project management and communications. During his career with PELA, he has served as Vice President and President, and now serves as Chairman of the Board. Dr. LaMoreaux also serves as Editor in Chief of the international journals Environmental Earth Sciences, Discover Water, Carbonates & Evaporites, and Sustainable Water Resources Management and five book series published by Springer Nature. He is also editor of the Environmental Geology Volume of Springer’s Encyclopedia of Sustainability, Science and Technology. Dr. LaMoreaux serves as an Adjunct Professor in the College of Earth Science and Engineering at Shandong University of Science and Technology in Qingdao, China.
In addition, he has participated in guest lectures to various universities in China, the University of Alabama Department of Geography, and in a Water Environment Federation training course in India. Topics of lectures include hazardous waste disposal, sustainable water resources management, history of karst hydrogeology, and water resources management in karst.
James “Mike” Lee
Vice President of Administration
Since joining PELA in 1981, Mr. Lee has overseen the company’s expansion, implementing methods of project accounting and quality control that have been verified and accepted by numerous federal, state, and local governments and agencies. Mr. Lee’s tenure with the company has been extensive, having served in many roles. His experience with contract and subcontract negotiation and maintenance of high-quality accounting and quality control measures, ensures that PELA continues to thrive upon a solid foundation of management practices. He is active in driving the company’s marketing strategies, as well as ensuring positive client relations. Mr. Lee is a certified management accountant and a certified financial manager.
Lois D. George, P.G., CEA
Vice President of Environment and Ecology
Mrs. George has over 40 years of experience with specialization in hydrogeological investigations spanning the United States. Since joining PELA in 1976, she has developed extensive expertise in karst/carbonate rock hydrogeology and various environmental issues. Particular topics of projects include: project development and management, drilling supervision, well inventories, ground and surface water monitoring programs, wetlands investigations, flood investigations, review and applicability of federal and state environmental regulations as related to permitting and operating procedures remedial investigations and feasibility studies at CERCLA and RCRA sites, remediation programs, studies and reporting to address the environmental consequences of the NEPA process, and natural resource evaluation and development. Expert testimony is also a notable component of Mrs. George’s expertise.
Daniel S. Green, P.G.
Senior Geologist/Chief of Operations
For over three decades, Mr. Green has managed a broad spectrum of geologic and environmental investigations at PELA. Project scopes include: groundwater remediation, remedial investigation/feasibility studies, sinkhole determination and remediation, hazardous waste investigations, design and performance of hydrogeological and environmental investigations, dye trace studies in karst terrain, land-use investigations, geophysical logging surveys, and technical assistance on pipeline corridor and crossing assessments. Highly experienced in drilling stratigraphic borings and installing monitoring/production wells, Mr. Green has developed, supervised and performed numerous comprehensive field investigations involving sampling procedures and monitoring methods.
Bashir Memon, PhD., P.G.
Senior Hydrogeologist
Dr. Memon has over five decades of expertise as a hydrogeologist across the U.S. and throughout the world. This experience includes the design and construction of water wells, remedial investigation and feasibility studies for hazardous waste disposal sites, characterization of hydrogeology at such sites, hydrogeological study of deep-injection well sites, and assessment of sanitary landfills. Throughout his tenure with PELA, he has led hydrogeologic investigations and interpretation specific to water resources evaluations, determinations of aquifer characteristics, aquifer analyses and management, assessment of groundwater quality and potential environmental impacts, and has provided expert testimony in relation to hydrogeologic investigations. Dr. Memon is a published author/contributor to numerous technical publications and three books: Environmental Hydrogeology; Field Methods for Geologists and Hydrogeologists; and Famous Springs and Bottled Waters of the World.