Principal Bios
Some teams are assembled. Some teams are engineered. The PSARA Technologies leadership team was specially created to be a rare blend of intellect, dogged determination, and soaring spirit. You’ll see it in every team member’s face - everyday.
Working side-by-side, this experienced group has developed the perfect balance of energetic performance and technical excellence for every client – whether large or small. With their single-minded attention to detail and the pursuit of enduring client relationships, they have set high standards by exceeding our clients’ expectations and redefining the perception of a trusted EHS consultant.
This diverse, high-performance leadership team brings an unmatched combination of EHS consulting expertise and client-side experience; and together they’ve forged a unique culture focused on doing only the best work to deliver a higher value to our clients. This enviable track record of exceeding our clients’ needs fuels the pride behind this tight-knit, hard-working group.
PSARA’s leadership team includes four experienced managers who combine technical excellence with enthusiasm and dedication to direct our various service groups. Together these individuals provide a vision for the company, serve as role models for the staff, and cultivate client relationships.
Michael C. Hessling, PE – President and CEO – mchessling@psara.com
The founding principal of PSARA Technologies, Mike has more than 30 years of consulting experience in environmental site investigations, remedial project management, hazardous waste site safety, regulatory compliance, and training. A nationwide expert in the assessment, remediation, and redevelopment of environmentally impacted properties, he has completed more than 150 Superfund and PRP-led cleanups over a 20-year span, including remedial operations at more than a dozen former landfills and municipal dumps. Currently, Mike directs $10 million per year in site remediation services for a Fortune 200 company and supervises a national environmental services account for a major petroleum retailer. He specializes in negotiating and implementing advantageous remedial solutions in a variety of regulatory frameworks, including state voluntary programs, agreed orders, and consent decrees.
Michael P. O’Connell, PG – Vice President – Director of Environmental Assessments – mpoconnell@psara.com
Mike is a professional geologist with more than 20 years of experience in environmental project management, UST regulatory compliance, state petroleum trust funds, subsurface investigations, and remediation technologies used in the cleanup of chlorinated compounds and petroleum constituents. As director of PSARA's Environmental Assessment Group, he leads our field investigations of potentially contaminated properties. Before his career at PSARA, Mike managed teams of technical document reviewers and claims reviewers on behalf of the IDEM ELTF Program and participated in policy-making discussions and decisions regarding reimbursement, investigation, closure levels, and risk-based site evaluations of LUST sites. Mike is a registered professional geologist in Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Georgia.
Jason Van Dyke, CIH – Director of Environmental Compliance – jmvandyke@psara.com
Jason is a Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) with almost 20 years of experience in environmental health and safety management at environmentally impaired sites. Jason conducts industrial hygiene sampling as well as asbestos and mold inspections at a wide variety of sites and structures; he is currently licensed in six states as an asbestos inspector and management planner. As Director of Environmental Compliance, Jason provides environmental management support to manufacturers, including electronic, pharmaceutical, and food manufacturers. Jason also serves as technical lead and developer for PlanTRAK, PSARA’s web-based EHS compliance tracking system.
