Membership - Texas Radiation Advisory Board

Roland Benke

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

Representative of Labor.

Representing Health Physicists. Reappointed to the Texas Radiation Advisory Board in 2011.

Mr. Hageman is a Certified Health Physicist. He is Co-Chair of the Texas Nuclear Sector Working Group, which is tasked to develop a state-wide program for Preventive Radiological/Nuclear Detection to assure Texas can avoid an attack with a Dirty-Radioactive Bomb or an Improvised Nuclear Device. He is also Vice Chair of the Texas Private Sector Advisory Council and the Nuclear Reactor, Materials and Waste sector representative.

Mr. Hageman has served as the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) since 1996, As the SwRI RSO, he is responsible for the safe use of a large variety of radionuclides under a Texas broad scope Radioactive Material License issued for research and development. He is also responsible for the safe operation of a large variety of radiation producing machines used for laboratory analysis and for the SwRI High-Level Radiation Effects Facility.

Mr. Hageman has served as a consultant for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in the design and for the operation of a portable hot cell used for the safe and secure dispositioning of irradiators and radioactive sealed sources. He has managed projects for radioactive source recovery, exchange, disposal, and security projects for the IAEA, Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories, and for several commercial clients.

Mr. Hageman, with the SwRI Geosciences and Engineering Div. managed several projects related to the NRC high-level radioactive waste (HLW) disposal. Prior to this he was the Health Physicist in SwRI’s Nuclear Nondestructive Testing and Services Div.

Before joining SwRI, he worked for Westinghouse Electric as a Nuclear Plant Trainer, where he supervised nuclear plant operations and the training of Naval officers in the Idaho Naval Reactors Facilities

Southwest Research Institute

6220 Culebra Rd
San Antonio, TX
78238

210-522-2633

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

 Dr. Harvey is as 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 

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

Representing the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners.

DSHS Veterinary Inspection Checklist

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 .

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

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

Representative of Pathology. 

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