Welcome to Respirtek, a dynamic and innovative organization dedicated to achieving excellence in the biodegradability testing industry. Our staff and personnel are the cornerstone of our success, bringing together a diverse group of talented professionals who are passionate about their work and committed to our mission.
Our total combined staff and personnel, which includes contiguous affiliates, total 25. Below you will find information about company personnel that you are most likely to have contact with.
CEO/Senior Biologist – BJ Hook
(Note – BJ passed away on April 20, 2013, after a long battle with breast cancer. In honor of her extraordinary contributions to the company and as one of the founders of RespirTek, we leave BJ’s bio information on our website.)
BJ, RespirTek’s Senior Biologist (2001-2013), was a 30-year veteran of scientific and/or technical industrial and government work. She trained, worked, and collaborated with the top respirometric scientists in the world over the span of 23 years. Her work in the government sector included microbiological laboratory typing of human pathogens and inspection and compliance of edible and inedible seafood products for the US Department of Commerce. To her credit are two patents in the field of pollution control. She previously set up two laboratories for compliance purposes in the industrial sector. The laboratory installations included the operation and methods development of GC, GCMS, HPLC and wet chemistry analysis, while utilizing multiple respirometers. BJ was both a permit writer in the state of Mississippi and corporate waste management administrator for a fortune 500 company.
CEO/President – Jerry Hodges
As one of the two founders of RespirTek™, Jerry has provided the leadership in organizational and business development that has propelled the company into being recognized internationally for its superior bioenvironmental services (Since 2000). He began his career with an international CPA firm. Subsequent to this experience he began a consulting firm offering chief financial officer/business management expertise to businesses and organizations. After 30 years of experience and responsibility for the financial, business and systems development for numerous multimillion dollar startup organizations, he recognized the need for and the lack of customer service oriented laboratories. Jerry visualized a “consulting lab” that focused on client needs and concerns. The new corporation, RespirTek™, would focus on hiring the best potential staff team members with a commitment to long-term successful client relationships.
Vice President/Business Manager – Rebecca Watson
Rebecca’s business experience spans over 30 years. It includes 24 years as partner and Business Manager in a regional computer programming, sales and service organization. Her background and organizational skills enhance and support the RespirTek team’s ability to meet and exceed client expectations. (Since 2014)
Project Operations Manager – Jude Martin, B.S.
Jude graduated at the top of her class with the highest honors from the University of Southern Mississippi with a Bachelor’s of Science in Mathematics with a minor in Business Administration. She has 25 years of managerial practice and prides herself in offering superb customer service. Her strong organizational and management skills assist her in insuring that every client is treated with the special attention that they deserve. Her diligent efforts are much appreciated by the RespirTek team (Since 2009) and clients.
Quality Manager – Brenda Faz, Ph.D. (Candidate)
Brenda holds a bachelors degree in Bioenvironmental Science from Texas A&M University and a Master’s Degree in Environmental Management from the University of Maryland University College. Her career has been focused in environmental testing, with over 15 years of laboratory experience. Brenda joined the RespirTek team in 2005 and assisted in developing the Quality Assurance program that enabled RespirTek, Inc. in obtaining ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation. During the last several years, Brenda has focused on developing a superior quality program for the lab to ensure that accurate and reliable data is produced while maintaining and exceeding accreditation requirements with routine internal audits and reviews. Brenda’s experience in laboratory management, quality assurance and customer relations are an asset to both the RespirTek team and our clients.
Laboratory Director – Travis Lemco, B.S.
Travis graduated with honors from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology with a Bachelor’s of Science in Chemical Engineering and a minor in Biochemical Engineering. After over a decade of managerial experience in the manufacturing industry, he joined the RespirTek team in 2021. He brings to the table a strong commitment to teamwork and process engineering to put forth the highest quality work. Travis was responsible for the design and implementation of all of the closed loop systems within our new state-of-the-art bioenvironmental facility.
Laboratory Manager – Brittany Smith, B.S.
Brittany earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Southern Mississippi. While attending college, she was elected the President of the Women in STEM and the Treasurer of the BIO Club. As a native of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Brittany developed a passion for the natural flora and fauna of the coastline and national forests. Spending her childhood exploring the sandy shores of the Gulf of Mexico, kayaking the diverse rivers and streams, hiking the pine tree forests of South Mississippi, and volunteering with local clean-up initiatives provided inspiration for Brittany’s deep love for natural science. She is a passionate advocate for environmental conservation through the practical application of sustainable practices and is committed to providing the highest quality technical services by conducting consistent, reliable scientific studies. Brittany joined the RespirTek Team in 2020.
Additional Team/Staff
Our lab technicians hold degrees in either chemical engineering, biochemistry and/or biology.
Please contact us at 228.392.7977 if you have any questions about our company personnel.