Session I

AI in Remediation: From Business Strategy to Site Solutions

Moderator: Eugene (Gene) Jones, Executive Director, Southern Waste Information eXchange, Inc.

Panelists:

Vincent Hunt, Founder & CEO, The Bureau of Creative Intelligence

Peter Lakanen, President, Platinum Web Development

Tracy Wittenkeller, President & Founder, T-WORX, Inc.

Brendan Brown, PWS, Principal Scientist and Nature-based Solutions Discipline Leader, CDM Smith

Jevins Waddell, P.Tech., Eng., President & Co-Founder, TRIUM Environmental Inc.

Session Description:

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the remediation industry—redefining how projects are planned, managed, and executed. This dynamic panel brings together five experts to explore both the business applications and the cutting-edge site technologies that AI makes possible.

Panelists will share insights on how AI is shaping the modern workplace and driving advances across the sector. Topics include leveraging AI for promotion and outreach, streamlining website development, and harnessing AI-powered remote sensing to revolutionize site restoration monitoring. The session will also highlight the use of advanced AI tools for real-time detection of hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and chlorides with a high degree of confidence.

Attendees will walk away with a practical understanding of how AI can support business growth, strengthen communication, and deliver innovative solutions for site remediation challenges today and in the future.

Eugene (Gene) Jones

Eugene (Gene) Jones, Executive Director, Southern Waste Information eXchange, Inc.

Bio:

Gene Jones serves as Executive Director of the Southern Waste Information Exchange (SWIX), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which has been operating since 1981 assisting businesses and municipalities with their waste management and remediation issues.

With over 40 years of experience, Gene specializes in building strategic relationships with waste and remediation firms. He brings a vast knowledge of various environmental sectors from organizing and managing conferences such as;

• the PFAS Forum,

• the Agricultural Plastics Recycling Conference & Trade Show,

• the Waste Conversion Technology Conference & Trade Show,

• the Southeast Recycling Conference & Trade Show,

• the New Life for Closed Gas Stations Conference and Exhibition,

• the International Symposium on the Redevelopment of Manufactured Gas Plant Sites,

• the National Conference on Waste Exchange and Resource Reuse, and

• Florida Remediation Conference.

as well as in managing associations such as:

• Florida Agricultural Plastics Recycling Cooperative

• Florida BioFuels & BioEnergy Association, Inc.,

• Recycle Florida Today, Inc.,

• International Society of Technical & Environmental Professionals, Inc.,

• Florida Brownfields Association, Inc., and

• Keep Florida Beautiful, Inc.

Gene is a Martial Arts practitioner and has his 8th degree black belt in Shaolin GoJu and a 5th degree black belt in Nisei GoJu. Gene is also the Author of Instant Self-Esteem: Empowering Self-Confidence and The Mindful Sensei.

Gene is also the inventor of the Soap Bag Saver, which he designed for the reuse of leftover soap bars.

Vincent Hunt

Vincent Hunt, Founder & CEO, The Bureau of Creative Intelligence

Bio:

Frontier Technologist | Author | Founder & CEO, The Bureau of Creative Intelligence | In Pursuit of Creative Excellence Since 1995 🦉

Vincent Hunt is a Frontier Technologist and Author whose work lives at the intersection of technology, human creativity, and the future. For over two decades, he has explored the edges of innovation—where imagination meets machines, and possibility becomes practice.

Recognized for his human, future-facing approach to complexity, Hunt helps people and organizations preserve, expand, and amplify their creative capacity in a time of rapid technological change. Whether delivering keynotes that inspire bold thinking, facilitating immersive experiences that unlock creativity, or writing works that illuminate the path ahead, his mission is clear: to safeguard and scale human creativity in the age of machines.

Rooted in transformation and driven by a lifelong curiosity for the frontier, Hunt equips visionaries to see beyond the horizon—and to create futures only imagination can reach.

Favorite Quotes:

"I believe this passionately: that we don't grow into creativity, we grow out of it. Or rather, we get educated out of it..." ~ Sir Ken Robinson

"The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn..." ~ Alvin Toffler

Tracy Wittenkeller

Tracy Wittenkeller, President & Founder, T-WORX, Inc.

Bio:

Tracy Wittenkeller is an AI & Automation Consultant and entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience helping businesses leverage AI and automation to drive efficiency, growth, and innovation. Tracy is the founder of T-WORX, Inc., leading projects spanning web development, CRM optimization, and AI-driven workflow solutions for clients including municipal governments. An early adopter of cutting-edge AI tools and platforms, Tracy combines technical expertise with strategic insight to deliver scalable, real-world solutions while empowering teams to succeed.

Brendan Brown, PWS

Brendan Brown, PWS, Principal Scientist and Nature-based Solutions Discipline Leader, CDM Smith

Bio:

Brendan V. Brown, PWS is a Principal Scientist and Nature-based Solutions Discipline Leader at CDM Smith with over 20 years of experience in environmental data collection, remediation, and ecological restoration. He leads the Sky Wave at CDM Smith, which integrates AI and remote sensing to assess and manage environmental sites. Brendan is a registered Professional Wetland Scientist and FAA-certified drone pilot, with extensive field experience across the southeastern U.S. His work includes pioneering patent-pending digital data collection methods and leading R&D projects using UAVs to collect multispectral, thermal, and LiDAR data. He holds an M.S. in Biological Science from Virginia Tech and a B.S. in Forest Environmental Resources from the University of Georgia.