Dr. Adam M. Finkel is a Clinical Professor of Environmental Health Sciences at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, and is also an expert witness for plaintiffs exposed to toxicants in the workplace and general environment. From 2009 to 2017, he was Executive Director of the Penn Program on Regulation at the University of Pennsylvania and a member of its law faculty. From 2004 to 2009, he was a Visiting Professor of Public and International Affairs at the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University, and Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health at the Rutgers (UMDNJ) School of Public Health. From 2000 to 2003, Dr. Finkel was Regional Administrator for the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in Denver, Colorado, responsible for OSHA’s regulatory enforcement, compliance assistance, and outreach activities in the six-state Rocky Mountain region (Region VIII). Prior to that (1995-2000), he was Director of Health Standards Programs at OSHA headquarters, and was responsible for promulgating and evaluating risk-based regulations to protect the nation’s workers from chemical, radiological, and biological hazards.
Between college and graduate school (1980-1983), he was editor-in-chief of the industry newsletter Hazardous Materials Intelligence Report (Cambridge MA), and wrote weekly updates about the ongoing issues at Love Canal NY, Elizabeth NJ, and similar controversies worldwide. In 1985, he worked in central Mexico, and helped write the book Manejo de los Desechos Industriales Peligrosos en México (Management of Hazardous Industrial Wastes in Mexico). He is currently very active in the NH General Court, drafting landfill legislation and testifying about scientific, economic, legal, policy, and “good government” deficiencies in our state.
Dr. Finkel holds an Sc.D. in environmental health sciences from the Harvard School of Public Health, a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, an A.B. in biology from Harvard College, and is a Certified Industrial Hygienist. He is co-author of four books, including the 2014 volume Does Regulation Kill Jobs? (Univ. of Pennsylvania Press). In 2006, he received the David P. Rall Award for Advocacy in Public Health from the American Public Health Association, for “a career in advancing science in the service of public health protection.” He lives in Dalton, NH (spring-summer-fall) and Pennington, New Jersey (winter) with his wife (a clinical psychologist) and 25-year-old daughter; he is also a professional singer and choral conductor.
Benoit Lamontagne has been employed at the State of New Hampshire’s Department of Business and Economic Affairs in the Division of Economic Development since 2007, serving as the North Country Industrial Agent for the good people of Carroll,Coos and Grafton Counties doing Business Retention, Expansion, and Recruitment. Benoit describes the importance of his position as connecting the businesses of our Northern 3 counties with state and federal resources necessary to succeed and grow. His fluency in French makes his work far more meaningful for recruiting companies in neighboring Quebec when highlighting the State of NH business advantages.
Benoit L. Lamontagne was born in Granby, Quebec. Within the first few months of his life, his parents moved to Stewartstown, New Hampshire where he grew up. His fluency in French is due to his parents insistence on speaking French in the home and attending 8 years of grade school with the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary who insisted on a half day in English and half day in French.
Benoit was a business owner for 30 years in Colebrook and Littleton operating two Radio Shacks. Throughout the years he has served on many boards including Selectman in Colebrook, the Coos Economic Development Corp. as Chair & Board of Directors for 16 years, the Community Development Finance Authority in Concord for 12 years, Currently, Benoit is a member of the New Hampshire-Canadian Trade Council since 2013. Benoit also currently serves on the board of Directors of the Bank of New Hampshire and is chair of the board of trustees at the NH Franco American Center, the board of directors at the Dartmouth Regional Technology Center and the Tri-County Cap agency in the North Country. Previous boards Benoit has served include: The Tillotson
Center for the Arts, Founding member & former member of Board of Directors, and the North Country Chamber of Commerce.
Benoit was married for 23 years to Karen McNeely from Colebrook and their love story lasted until the day she lost her battle to cancer in 2011, Karen and Benoit had a great love of the North Country through their years together. Benoit enjoys speaking French on the State of New Hampshire Trade Missions, as well as with family and friends. His greeting when anyone call his phones is in both English and French which offers a great opportunity for beginners in learning French English to start by calling him. He also enjoys playing keyboards in a classic rock band “Best for Last” in the North Country and spending time boating on Squam Lake and and Maidstone Lake in VT.
Benoit currently lives in Ashland, but his heart and love of his work remains in the North Country.
Matthew R. Rose
Environmental Planner
Lakes Region Planning Commission
“Matt graduated from SUNY ESF in New York with a Batchelor’s Degree in Sustainable Energy Management. During his college career, he worked for the Madison County Solid Waste Department as a transfer station operator and recycling coordinator intern. Since 2022, Matt has worked for the Lakes Region Planning Commission as their Environmental Planner. Since joining the planning commission, he has provided technical assistance for solid waste operators and has helped start new waste diversion programs in the Lakes Region. “