Jorge Flores
Division Manager Explosives Safety Division
- Over 20 years of system safety engineering experience and program management
- Army Material Command Logistic Leadership Center’s System Safety Program
- Space and Missile Defense Command Safety Office
- AMCOM Safety Office, and Lockheed Martin Missile and Fire Control
- In the Explosives Safety Division served as the
- PM for the RBESCT support contract
- PM for the IMESAFR and ATF support contracts
- PM for DOT explosives hazard classification testing services
- Program Management Professional Certification
- Master’s Degree University of Arkansas /Mechanical Engineering Degree University of Central Florida
Jorge Flores
Al Webb
Explosives Safety Program Manager/Deputy
- Active-duty Munitions Systems Specialist and Weapons Safety Manager at the Wing, Major Command, and Headquarters Air Force Safety Center levels of responsibility for 26 years
- HQ AFSEC Conventional Weapons Safety Branch Chief for 11 years ensuring USAF explosives safety policies and practices complied with legal and regulatory requirements to include joint-Department of Defense Service and foreign military coalition partnership operations
- Represented the USAF on the DoD Explosives Safety Board with responsibilities in development and implementation of DoD explosives safety criteria
- MA Degree from Websters University in Management/ BS Degree from Southern Illinois University: Carbondale in Workforce Education
Al Webb
John Tatom
Technical Fellow for Explosives Safety
- Managed the development of the IMESAFR (Institute of Makers of Explosives Safety Analysis For Risk) software tool
- Serves as the IMESAFR scientific algorithm coordinator since 2005
- Led the development of the Ammonium Nitrate (AN) Module for IMESAFR
- Serves on the ATF-sponsored IMESAFR Science Panel
- Leads APT’s support of the U.S. Department of Defense Explosives Safety Board’s Risk Assessment Program Team
- Leads APT’s support of the DDESB Science Panel, the NATO Allied Ammunition Storage and Transportation Protocol Working Group, and the Klotz Group, an international explosive debris modeling organization
- One of APT’s DOT-approved explosives examiners for Hazard Classification
- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Auburn University
John Tatom
Mike Swisdak
Explosives Effects SME
- Specializes in explosives safety analyses, airblast, fragmentation effects, and underwater Development of IMESAFR 1.2 barricade blast shielding logic
- Development of the underwater explosion section of the DDESB-approved Buried Explosion Module
- Worked with IMESAFR, SAFER, and DIRE to support numerous special studies and technical papers on blast effects/consequences modeling
- Development of a specialized consequence summary front-end tool for quick review of batch-loaded IMESAFR results
- Test planning, data analysis, and test reporting as part of APT’s support of Project ESKIMORE and other international test programs
- Supporting the Missile Defense Agency on the Joint Services Insensitive Munitions Technical Panel (JSIMTP)
- Led special Navy studies for explosives safety site planning explosion phenomenology
- 1966 – 2009: Naval Surface Warfare Center, Scientist
- Navy Member of the DoD Explosives Safety Testing Steering Group
- Technical Advisor to the Program Development Division of the DDESB
- Chairman of the DDESB Science Panel
- Technical Advisory Group for the U.S. Army Munitions Survivability Program
- Explosive Sensitivity/Sympathetic Detonation Coordinator for the U. S. Navy High Performance Magazine Program
- B.S. Physics, & M. S. Physics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
Mike Swisdak
Paul Lahoud
Registered Professional Engineer
- A career specializing in design, construction and damage assessment of buildings and structures exposed to overpressure, fragmentation, and debris resulting from explosions.
- Experience with loadings ranged from nuclear weapons in the megaton range to small conventional weapons and commercial explosives
- Over 50 years of experience working on Army, Navy, Air Force and NASA facilities
- Served on numerous DoD Technical Advisory Groups on blast effects.
- Served as a technical expert on design and construction of new and renovated munitions, propellant and chemical weapons facilities as well as nuclear weapons during the “Cold war” (1966-1988)
- Worked on the NASA Apollo and SKYLAB Programs in stress analysis and structural vibration testing (1966-1974)
Paul Lahoud
Chad Grady
Explosives Safety
Senior ESSP Technician
- Retired from the United States Air Force with 10 years experience as a Munitions Systems Specialist and 14 years as Weapons Safety Manager
- Part of the A-P-T Explosives Safety team since June 2023. Experience ranging from the tactical through strategic levels
- Experience supporting all DoD components, foreign militaries, civil industries, and Defense Contract Management Agency
- Authored and reviewed a myriad of explosives site plans incorporating various criteria. In-depth experience in risk-based explosives site plan development
- Evaluated countless explosives safety programs for compliance in support of Inspector General and explosives safety requirements
- Supported federal planning ranging from bare base development to complex projects designed to modernize DoD, contracting, and civilian processes
- Taught various classes covering both ESS and explosives safety program management techniques
- BA from American Military University / AAS from Community College of the Air Force
Chad Grady
Lon Santis
Explosives Hazard Classifier & Explosives Safety SME
- BS and MS in Mining Engineering, University of Pittsburgh
- Technical Sales Representative for shock tube initiation systems, Ensign-Bickford Co.
- Principle Investigator for explosives research, US Bureau of Mines
- Manager of Technical Services, Institute of Makers of Explosives
- Site Manager for business and services, VibraTech Engineers
- Explosives Engineer SME in Technical Support Directorate, US Mine Safety and Health Administration
- Explosives Hazard Classifier, APT Research
Lon Santis
Lea Ann Cotton
Explosives Safety Testing SME
- Explosives Safety Testing SME for the APT Explosives Safety team since January 2023.
- USAF safety engineer for 18 years at Wing, NAF and HQ levels. Responsible for developing and implementing AF-wide space launch safety and explosives safety policies and criteria, and ensuring systems and operations complied with design and procedural requirements.
- DoD Explosives Safety Board safety engineer for 15 years. Responsible for developing DoD-wide explosives safety policies and criteria; defined and managed research, testing, and working groups to support revisions to DoD explosives safety criteria. DoD program manager for the DoD's automated explosives safety siting software (ESS), as well as numerous other DoD technical documents and associated software tools.
- Coordinated with US Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force organizations, other US governmental organizations, NATO nations, and non-NATO Klotz Group member nations on explosives safety criteria and testing programs.
- BS in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&M University, MBA from University of New Mexico.
Lea Ann Cotton
Neil Boddicker
Explosives Safety Expert
- Munitions Systems Specialist and a Weapons Safety Manager during 24 years of active duty
- Worked in Weapons Safety as a Weapons Safety Manager with 31st Fighter Wing at Aviano Air Base in Italy
- Chief of Weapons Safety for 16th Air Force at Numbered Air Force in Europe
- Air Force Weapons Safety Instructor at Lackland AFB, Texas
- Completed over 1000 explosive site plans that have obtained appropriate Department of Defense Explosives Safety Board approval
- Bachelor’s Degree from Park University in Social Psychology. Associate Degrees; Munitions Systems Technology and Instructor of Technology and Military Science from the Community College of the Air Force
Neil Boddicker
Michael Civil
Explosives Engineer
- Over five years experience in software development
- Over five years experience in data analysis, algorithm development, and scripting
- Over three years site planning and GIS Experience
- Experience in System and Software Safety for NASA and DoD
- Experience with Material Release
- B.S., Mechanical Engineering University of Alabama, Huntsville, Cum Laude
Michael Civil
Laura Murray
Project Manager
- Safety Engineer
- Skilled in Explosives Safety and IMESAFR
- Experience with Quantitative Risk Assessments and technical engineering analysis for commercial explosives and government customers
- Instructor for IMESAFR v2.2 training classes
- Experienced in project management, product engineering in manufacturing facilities, quality engineering, and technical writing
- Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of California, Irvine
Laura Murray
Jake Romano
Jr. Explosives Safety Engineer
- Provides Test Support for projects and lead author on recent Test Plans and Reports
- Instructor for the Explosives Safety and IMESAFR classes
- Perform quantitative risk assessments and beta testing new versions of IMESAFR
- Bachelor’s Degree in Aerospace Engineering from Auburn University
Jake Romano
Ben Tuck
Site Planning Expert/
Explosives Safety Siting Software User
- Retired from the United States Air Force with 12 years’ experience as in Aircraft weapons system maintenance and flightline operations.
- 11 years as USAF Weapons Safety Manager from the wing to HHQ level
- Conducted compliance inspections from work line to MAJCOM level
- Part of the A-P-T Explosives Safety team since June 2018. DOD, DOE and private industry experience in training, strategic planning, risk mitigation and site planning.
- Experience supporting all DoD components, foreign militaries, civil industries, DOE explosive safety and Defense Contract Management Agency
- Authored and reviewed a myriad of explosives site plans incorporating various criteria. In-depth experience in risk-based explosives site plan development
- AAS from Community College of the Air Force
Ben Tuck
Suzanne Comer
Budget Control and Program Analyst
- Budget Control and Program Analyst with the ES Division since September 2023
- Over 20 years experience in independent sales
- Experience in management positions building leaders as independent contractors
- B.A. in Communication, The University of Alabama
Suzanne Comer
