Conference Call Board Meeting (12/13/2018)

Meeting Minutes and Notes

North Carolina Board for Licensing of Geologists

Minutes

Special Meeting on December 13, 2018 at 9:30 A.M.
Upton & Associates, 3733 Benson Drive, Raleigh NC 27609

Call to Order/Conflict of Interest Statement/Welcome and Introductions

Chair Bill Miller called the meeting to order at 9:30 A.M. With the exception of Kenneth Taylor who was present at the offices of Upton & Associations, the other Board Members, including Rachel Kirkman, Robert Mensah-Biney, Steve Stadelman, and John Stevens, participated by telephone. Also present at Upton & Associates was Executive Director Barbara Geiger, Board Counsel Mary Lucasse, and attorney Sarah Zambon. Dr. Miller read the Conflict of Interest Statement as required by the State Government Ethics Act. Dr. Taylor noted that, as the State Geologist and employee of the NC Department of Environmental Quality, he would refrain from participating in the deliberation or taking any action by the Board with respect to any matter involving an employee of the Department. In addition, Board Members Rachel Kirkman, Bill Miller and Kenneth Taylor recused themselves from consideration of their own CE audit submissions.

CE Audit

Working Session

Per NC GS § 143-318.11(6), motion was made by Dr. Taylor to move into closed session.  The motion was seconded by Dr. Mensa-Biney and carried.

Dr. Taylor moved to resume the open session. The motion was seconded by Dr. Mensa-Biney and carried.

Report on Actions taken during closed session
The number of licensees audited included approximately 10 percent of the active licensees and the active Board members. The Board considered information submitted by each of the active licensees selected for an audit of the continuing education taken in the 2017-2018 fiscal year. The Board also considered Staff’s review of the information submitted and the recommendation of the Board members who had provided a preliminary review each submission. The Board discussed each submission individually. For each submission, the Board determined whether the submission was complete and whether it substantiated the hours claimed for continuing education relating to the practice of geology.

Following its review, the Board directed the Executive Director to inform and thank the 112 active licensees whose submissions of CE hours were approved. The Board further directed the Executive Director to inform the seven licensee whose CE hours were not approved to remedy that deficiency on or before February 15, 2019 or face sanctions up to and including the loss of his or her license to practice geology in North Carolina. The Board also moved to thank Jenna Miller for her work to organize, review, and make available the CE audit submissions for the Board’s review.

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 11:00 a.m.

Respectfully submitted:

Kenneth Taylor, Secretary/Treasurer