Texas Radiation Advisory Board

Roland Benke, Ph.D.

Representing Industry. Appointed to the Texas Radiation Advisory Board by Governor Greg Abbott in 2021.

As an entrepreneur, technology pioneer, and subject matter expert, Dr. Benke directs business development at Renaissance Code Development, provides technical support to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and leads commercialization of the Tac-Alert radiation detection technology. With over 25 years of experience in nuclear engineering, radiological health, and risk analysis, he holds a Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering and Masters in Radiological Health Engineering from the University of Michigan; certification by the American Board of Health Physics; and Radiological Operations Support Specialist Type 2 credentials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to support state and local authorities in responding to major radiological incidents such as dirty bomb attacks and nuclear weapon strikes. Dr. Benke also serves as an associate editor of Health Physics, The Radiation Safety Journal, and maintains an unpaid appointment in the Nuclear Engineering Teaching Laboratory at the University of Texas at Austin to conduct radiation detection experiments and validate new technologies.

Beyond scientific journal publications, technical reports, and conference presentations, Dr. Benke’s advanced detection technologies and measurement techniques have been featured in R&D Magazine, customized by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency to detect radioactive hot spots from aerial drone surveys, selected by the U.S. Department of Defense for on-site demonstrations, and invited by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for emerging technology briefings. His professional roles include: Independent subject matter expert to EPA’s Science Advisory Board to review the revision of the Multi‑Agency Radiation Survey and Site Investigation Manual (MARSSIM); Space science consultant and collaborator on shielding design in harsh radiation environments including irradiation experiments at domestic and international particle accelerators; and Technical staff member at the Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analyses responsible for radiological dose analysis, risk assessment, fieldwork, licensing review, environmental impact, regulatory evaluation, and guidance development activities pertaining to high‑level radioactive waste management, uranium recovery, spent nuclear fuel storage, and severe accident mitigation alternatives for nuclear power plants.

Renaissance Code Development

P.O. Box 200954 Austin, TX 78720

210-294-0097 

Representing the Insurance Industry. Appointed to the Texas Radiation Advisory Board by Governor Greg Abbott in 2021.

Michael Britt is the President of Britt Claims and Consulting Services LLC. Operating in the lower 48 states. Married for 16 years with a 13 year old daughter.  Mr. Britt sits on the Board of Directors for the Comal County Senior Citizens Foundation, which delivers more than 11,000 meals per month. He is also a trustee with the Fraternal Order of Eagles and a member of the Lions Club

Representing the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners. Appointed to the Texas Radiation Advisory Board by Governor Greg Abbott in April 2024.

David Dutton, DVM is a Professor of Practice at Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine and a Clinical Coordinator for the veterinary students’ clinical rotations. Dr. Dutton received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Colorado State University, completed a large animal Internship at the University of Georgia and a large animal surgery Residency at Texas A&M University.  He is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons. He was in equine practice for 20 years focused on equine surgery, lameness, and sports medicine.  He is a board member for the Texas Equine Veterinary Association and the Kendall County Youth Agriculture and Equestrian Center.  He is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Texas Veterinary Medical Association, American Association of Equine Practitioners, and the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association.

Dr. Dutton has served as a continuing education speaker for local, state, and national veterinary meetings. Previous areas of research involved developmental orthopedic diseases in foals and nerve injuries in horses. Current areas of research involve clinical applications of equine amniotic allografts for treatment of several equine medical conditions. His teaching efforts have focused on veterinary surgical principles, large animal surgery, equine lameness, and clinical surgical instruction in equine practices.

DSHS Veterinary Inspection Checklist

Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine

7671 Evans Drive Amarillo, TX 79106

806-834-3446

Representing Medical Professionals in Nuclear Physics. Appointed to the Texas Radiation Advisory Board by Governor Greg Abbott in June 2016.

Dr. Harvey is an Assistant Professor at Texas Southern University. He is a member of the Health Physics Society, American Association of Physicists in Medicine and the National Society of Black Physicists. Dr. Mark Harvey received a B.S. in physics from Virginia State University (Petersburg, VA). He completed his graduate studies in physics at Hampton University (Hampton, VA) where he earned his M.S. in physics and Ph.D. in experimental nuclear physics. Dr. Harvey’s doctoral research experiment in medium energy nuclear physics was carried out at the National Institute for Nuclear and High Energy Physics in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. After completing his doctoral work, Dr. Harvey went on to become a postdoctoral research assistant in the PHENIX collaboration at the Brookhaven National Laboratory (Upton, NY) where he collaborated on research in the field of relativistic heavy ion collision physics. After completing his postdoctoral tenure at Brookhaven, Dr. Harvey accepted a visiting assistant professorship at the Rochester Institute of Technology (Rochester, NY) where he taught introductory physics courses for one year, before returning to research as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, TX). Dr. Harvey has over 15 peer-reviewed publications and numerous presentations on his research at both national and international conferences. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) have awarded him federally funded grants. Dr. Harvey’s current research focuses on radiation dose assessment in medical health physics using Monte Carlo computer simulation techniques and also radiation detection apparatuses. He actively mentors students on various research projects in radiation physics, which include computational modeling and measurement of stray radiation in radiotherapy. Dr. Harvey currently serves as the director and primary instructor of the health physics program at Texas Southern University. He is also a technical reviewer for the NRC.

Department of
Physics

3100 Cleburne St
Houston, TX
77004

713 313-1864 

Sockalingam Sam Kannappan

Representing the Public. Appointed to the Texas Radiation Advisory Board by Governor Greg Abbott in April 2024.

Sockalingam Sam Kannappan of Houston is president of ABI Enterprises, Inc and is the founder of Kannappan Art Museums, Pearland. He is the past enforcement committee chairman of the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and a member of Texas Onsite Wastewater Treatment Research Council. He is the author of book Introduction to Pipe Stress Analysis, first Mechanical design data handbook in metric units and technical publications on management of carbon.

Kannappan founded nonprofit organizations such as Houston Bharathi Kalai Manram, Meeankshi temple, Pearland cricket club, Tamil studies chair at the University Houston and Annamalai University alumni association SA. Kannappan received a Bachelor of Engineering from Annamalai University and Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from UT Austin.

April 16, 2029

ABI Enterprises Inc
11415 Sagemorgan Dr.  Houston, TX 77089    

713-724-4399
 

Joseph Markham

Representing Labor. Appointed to the Texas Radiation Advisory Board by Governor Greg Abbot in April 2024.

Joseph (Joe) Markham is a Lieutenant with the City of Arlington Fire Department. Originally from Beaumont, Joe moved to North Texas in 2008 to accept his job with the Arlington Fire Department. Joe enjoys serving others through his role in the Fire Department, but he also has a history of serving communities in other areas.  Joe served on the Zoning Board of Adjustment for the cities of Burleson and Keller. Also, Joe is a member of the Keller Rotary Club and an endowed member of Tolerance Masonic Lodge No. 1165 in Beaumont.

Joe graduated with a B.S. in Health from Lamar University in 2008 and is completing a Master of Science degree in Human Resource Development from Texas A&M University this year. Joe is serving his third term as Secretary/Treasurer of the Arlington Professional Fire Fighters, which represents roughly 400 active and retired firefighters from the City of Arlington. Serving in this role, Joe is a delegate to the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) and the Texas State Association of Fire Fighters (TSAFF) which allows him to build relationships with other fire departments and city and state legislators. Joe has been married for 11 years, and he and his wife have a 4-year-old son.

City of Arlington 

620 W. Division St Arlington, TX 76013

409-781-4060

Representing Medical Professionals in Dentistry. Appointed to the Texas Radiation Advisory Board by Governor Greg Abbott in April 2021.

Dr. Lisa Masters grew up in San Antonio and later in Boerne, Texas where she graduated from Boerne High School.  She attended Texas A & M University for her pre-dental requirements and a Bachelor of Science degree.  She graduated with a D.D.S. degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio in 1992 and was accepted into a three-year specialty program in Periodontics, graduating in 1995 with a Masters of Science degree and a Certificate in Periodontics.  Lisa joined her father’s dental practice in 1995.

Dr. Masters is a Board Certified Periodontist whose expertise is in the diagnosis and treatment of all types of gum disease and performing both surgical and non-surgical periodontal therapy.  Her special areas of interest are cosmetic, regenerative and dental implant surgery.  She is also certified in various types of sedation and has been trained in laser therapeutics.  Dr. Masters is an active member and officer in a of number of professional organizations.

In addition to private practice, since 1995 she has been a Clinical Associate Professor at the UT Health School of Dentistry.  She is strongly committed to advanced education for specialty dental care, and continuing education for dental team members. 

DSHS Dental Inspection Checklist

Representing Nuclear Medicine. Reappointed to the Texas Radiation Advisory Board by Governor Greg Abbott in April 2019.

Darlene Metter, MD, FACR is a Professor of Diagnostic Radiology and Family and Community Medicine in the Department of Radiology at UT Health San Antonio (UTHSA). She is board certified by the American Board of Radiology (ABR) and the American Board of Nuclear Medicine.

Dr. Metter’s current involvement in organized nuclear medicine includes membership on the Regulatory Commission’s Advisory Committee on the Medical Uses of Isotopes, ABR Nuclear Radiology certifying /MOC exam, and Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Nuclear Medicine Technology. Other current radiology leadership positions include the Texas Radiological Society, the American College of Radiology and the UTHSA Radioactive Drug and Research Committee. Dr. Metter has also received several teaching excellence awards, is a multi-invited local to international lecturer and has been invited for over thirty professorships.

Univ. of TX
Health Science Center at San Antonio

Dept of Radiology

7703 Floyd Curl Dr
San Antonio, TX 78229

210-567-6488

Representing the Public. Appointed to the Texas Radiation Advisory Board by Governor Greg Abbott in April 2019.

Sanjay Narayan of Dallas is currently an attorney at Loewinsohn, Flegle, Deary, Simon LLP. He is a member of the Texas State Bar, the New York State Bar, the Federalist Society, and the South Asian Lawyers Association. Additionally, he is a member of the Duke University Alumni Association, the University of Pennsylvania Law School Alumni Association, a Pro Bono contributor to the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program, and active in the community. His history of public interest and service includes interning for Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) in Washington, D.C.

Sanjay received a Bachelor of Science in Economics and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Duke University; a Juris Doctor from the University of Pennsylvania Law School; and a　Certificate of Study in Business Economics and Public Policy from the Wharton School of Business.

Loewinsohn Flegle Deary Simon LLP

12377 Merit Dr., Ste. 900

Dallas, TX 75251

Dr. William Pate, Ph. D 

Representing Hospital Administrators. Appointed to Texas Radiation Advisory Board by Governor Greg Abbott in April 2019

Dr. William Pate is Program Director for Radiation & Occupational Safety for the University of Texas Medical Branch and serves as Radiation & Laser Safety Officer for the organization. He has over 10 years of experience in health & safety and holds two master's degrees (public health & business administration) and a doctorate in public health with a focus on environmental & occupational health sciences.

Dr. Pate holds several board certifications including Certified Health Physicist (CHP), Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH), Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM), Certified healthcare Safety Professional (CHSP), Certified Laser Safety Officer (CLSO), Certified in Public Health (CPH), and Certified Healthcare Facility Manager (CHFM). He is also licensed as a medical physicist in Texas with a specialization in medical health physics.

Dr. Pate is a member of the State of Texas Chapter of the Health Physics Society, and previously served as president and secretary. He is a professional member of the American Society for Healthcare Engineers, a member of the Health Physics Society and the NFPA Laser Fire Protection Technical Committee, and a plenary member of the American Academy of Health Physics. Additionally, he is chair of the UT System Radiation Safety Advisory Group and a member of the Laser Subcommittee of the American National Standards Institute.

University of Texas Medical Branch

Department of Environmental Health & Safety

301 University Blvd
Galveston, TX 77555-111

409-772-2270 

Representing the Nuclear Utility Industry. Appointed to the Texas Radiation Advisory Board by Governor Greg Abbott in April 2019.

Mr. Peters is the Senior Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer for Vistra Energy/Luminant.  Luminant is a competitive power generation subsidiary of Vistra Energy.  In his role as Chief Nuclear Officer, Mr. Peters is responsible for directing the safe, reliable and cost-effective operation and maintenance of the Comanche Peak nuclear power plant (CPNPP).  

In addition to providing strategic direction of CPNPP, Mr. Peters also represents Luminant with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO), and the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI).  He also serves as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for the Utilities Service Alliance (USA).

Prior to joining Luminant, Mr. Peters held various managerial roles at other nuclear power stations, including Plant Manager and Vice President, Engineering and Projects. 

Mr. Peters is a graduate of the New Jersey Institute of Technology, and received a master’s degree from Virginia Tech. He has attended several executive programs, including the Wharton Executive Development Program and the Goizueta Directors Institute at Emory University.

Vistra Energy Luminant

6555 Sierra Dr. Irving, TX 75039

Dr. Suresh Pillai, Ph.D.

Representing Agriculture. Appointed to the Texas Radiation Advisory Board by Governor Greg Abbott in April 2024.

Professor Suresh Pillai is the Director of Texas A&M University’s National Center for Electron Beam Research and Professor of Molecular Microbiology and Senior Faculty Fellow. He is also the Associate Department Head in the Food Science & Technology Department at Texas A&M University. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) and Fellow of the International Forum on Industrial Processes. Has served on the FDA’s Science Advisory Board for the National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR), and on advisory panels to the Foundation for Food & Agricultural Research (FFAR) and the Department of Homeland Security’s Center for Advanced Microbial Risk Assessment (CAMRA). His research is funded by a variety of federal agencies including the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration’s Office of Radiological Security, the Department of Defense, the EPA and a variety of other entities. He is a subject matter expert for the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the US National Nuclear Security Administration’s Office of Radiological Security.

Texas A&M University

Texas A&M AgriLife Research          Department of Food Science & Technology

1500 Research Pkwy                  College Station, TX 77843           

979-229-8250

Representing the Radioactive Waste Industry. Appointed to the Texas Radiation Advisory Board by Governor Greg Abbott in 2016.

Mr. Powell is the President and Chief Executive Officer for STP Nuclear Operating Company. In this role, he is responsible for the strategic oversight of the overall safe and reliable operation and maintenance of all aspects of the South Texas Project Electric Generating Station including management of the regulatory interface with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the Institute for Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) and management of radioactive waste. Mr. Powell represents STPEGS on the Nuclear Energy Institute, Board of Directors. He also serves on the Texas A&M Nuclear Engineering Advisory Council, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Nuclear Power Council Chairman and is the chair of the Advisory Council for the Nuclear Power Institute (NPI). He also had the opportunity to serve on the Bay City Independent School District Board of Trustees for 14 years.

In his more than 30 years with the company, Mr. Powell has advanced through positions of increasing responsibility including Chief Nuclear Officer, Vice President, Technical Support and Oversight, Vice President of Engineering, Site Engineering Director, Systems Engineering Manager, Performance Improvement Manager, Radiation Protection Manager and Shift Supervisor Operations. During his time in Operations Mr. Powell was licensed as a Senior Reactor Operator by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. He was also certified in Health Physics by the American Board of Health Physics in 1992.

Mr. Powell is a graduate of Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nuclear Engineering and a Master of Business Administration. He is also a graduate of the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations’ Senior Nuclear Plant Manager course and the Senior Nuclear Executive Seminar.

South Texas Project Nuclear Operating Co

P.O. Box 289 
Wadsworth, TX
77483

361-972-7566

Representing the Uranium Mining Industry. Appointed to the Texas Radiation Advisory Board in 2000 by Governor Bush, twice reappointed by Governor Perry and reappointed by Governor Greg Abbott.

Kevin Raabe is Chairman of the Board’s Industrial, Nuclear Power, Uranium and Waste Committee.

Mr. Raabe currently works as Rio Grande Resources Corporation’s South Texas Operations Manager and Radiation Safety Officer for General Atomics Uranium Resources Corporation (GAUR). Mr. Raabe also serves on the Board of Directors for Rio Grande Resources Corporation (RGR) and Sequoyah Fuels Corporation (SFC).

Mr. Raabe continues in a 35-year career in the Uranium Mining Industry with General Atomics. He worked 18 years previously for Chevron Resources Corporation as a Reclamation Specialist, Environmental/Safety Manager, and Radiation Safety Officer. 

Mr. Raabe work experience includes licensing, permitting, mining, milling, safety, reclamation and decommissioning activities associated with the Panna Maria Uranium Mines and Mill, Jack Pump Uranium Mines, Rhode Ranch Uranium Mine and the Palangana In Situ Uranium Operations. He continues in an advisory role to GAUR’s Cotter Corporation in Colorado and Wyoming, RGR’s Mt. Taylor Mine in New Mexico, GAUR’s Beverly Uranium Production Operations in South Australia and SFC’s decommissioning of the Gore Oklahoma Uranium Conversion Plant.

Mr. Raabe is a 1980 graduate of Texas A&M University with a degree in Agricultural Engineering with graduate studies in Land Reclamation and is a Registered Environmental Manager (REM 7610) with the National Registry of Environmental Professionals. Mr. Raabe has co-authored several papers on reclamation and decommissioning of uranium mines and mills. He has served on DOE’s Local Task Force for the Falls City Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Project, TAES Surface Mine Reclamation Workshop Planning Committees, the Ad-Hoc Committee on Radioactive Waste Disposal and as a guest lecturer for the Basic Radiological Health Course at the University of Texas Health Science Center.

General Atomics/Rio Grande Resources

Falls City, TX

Sandra Ramirez

Representing Health Physicists. Appointed to the Texas Radiation Advisory Board by Governor Greg Abbott in April 2024.

Sandra is the Director for Radiation Safety in the Environmental Health and Safety, Sustainability, and Emergency Management Department for the University of Texas (UT) MD Anderson Cancer Center (MD Anderson). She also serves as the radiation safety officer and laser safety officer of the MD Anderson. Sandra is a certified health physicist from the American Board of Health Physics and a Texas licensed medical physicist in medical health physics from the Texas Medical Board. She is also a certified laser safety officer from the Board of Laser Safety and a certified safety professional by the Board of Certified Safety Professionals. She is a member and nominations chair for the State of Texas Chapter of the Health Physics Society, a member of the Science Support Committee of the Health Physics Society, and a former chair of the Campus Safety, Health, and Environmental Management Association. Sandra is also a certified leadership coach through the CoachRICE Leadership Coaching Program at Rice University Doerr Institute for New Leaders in collaboration with the MD Anderson Leadership Institute. Sandra received a Bachelor of Science in Radiological Health Engineering from Texas A&M University and a Master of Health Physics from the Illinois Institute of Technology and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental Science from UTHealth Houston School of Public Health.

April 16, 2029

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

1515 Holcombe Blvd. Unit 1716 Houston, TX 77030

713-563-9339

Dr. Jeannette Ruiz, MD

Representing Pathology. Appointed to the Texas Radiation Advisory Board by Governor Greg Abbott in April 2024.

Dr. Ruiz is a pathologist and Director of Surgical Pathology at Clinical Pathology Laboratories in Austin. She attended the University of Texas at Austin where she received a B.S. in biochemistry, and University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas. She completed her residency training in anatomic and clinical pathology at the University of California San Francisco, as well as fellowships in surgical pathology and cytopathology. She is a member of the College of American Pathologists and the American Society for Clinical Pathology.

Clinical Pathology Laboratories

9200 Wall Street Austin, TX78754       

Robert (Bob) Redweik

Representing the Oil and Gas Industry.  Appointed to the Texas Radiation Advisory Board by Governor Greg Abbott in 2019.

Mr. Redweik is the Director of EHS/Regulatory for Citation Oil & Gas Corp.  Citation is a privately held exploration and production company with onshore operations in 13 states in U.S. mid-continent area stretching from Montana to Texas and from Indiana to Utah.  Mr. Redweik has over 40 years of experience in environmental and regulatory compliance and health and safety including the handling, transportation, and disposal of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM).

Mr. Redweik started his oil and gas career with Shell Oil Company as an environmental engineer and has worked both onshore and offshore operations.  He has represented Shell and the oil and gas industry on various American Petroleum Institute committees, oil and gas association committees, and the Groundwater Protection Council and was a prior member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers. 

Darshan J. Sachde

Representing the Public. Appointed to the Texas Radiation Advisory Board in 2014 by Governor Greg Abbott. Reappointed April 2019 

Mr. Sachde is a Chemical Engineering consultant for Trimeric Corporation in Buda, Texas. He has lived in Austin, Texas since 2001, with degrees in Engineering and Public Policy from the University of Texas at Austin, culminating with a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering. During his time at UT, Dr. Sachde worked on research projects that involved the technical and policy aspects of uranium extraction from seawater and carbon capture from power plants. He has also held positions with Samsung Austin Semiconductor and Austin Energy before his current role with Trimeric Corporation.

Trimeric Corporation

100 S. Main St. Buda, TX 78610

512-295-8118

Representing Radiology. Appointed to the Texas Radiation Advisory Board by Governor Greg Abbott in June 2016. 

12554 Riata Vista Cir
Austin, TX
78727

512-795-5100