# Montressa "Monty" Elder

Environmental Program Manager

Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality

Oklahoma City, OK 73101-1677

## Biography

Monty Elder is currently the Risk Communication Manager and Media
Spokesperson for the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality. She
provides risk communication and community education for the state
Superfund sites as well as for high profile complaint situations
including emergency response. She was instrumental in developing the
National EPA Pilot Program for Superfund State Delegation. In addition,
she manages the state SARA Title III Program including Community
Right-to-Know, Toxic Release Inventory, and LEPC coordination.

She serves as the Public Information Officer for DEQ. She currently
coordinates risk assessment and public participation across media for
DEQ. Monty supervises the statewide Laboratory Certification program as
well as Graphic Arts for DEQ. She is responsible for the Customer
Services Division budget and divisional coordination with Information
Technology.

Monty is a Registered Sanitarian and Environmental Health Professional.
She is a member of several national organizations including President of
the National Association of SARA Title III Program Officials, TRI
Committee of the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission, the
Bioavailability workgroup of the National Environmental Policy
Institute, and the ECOS steering committee on Childhood Asthma. In 1994,
she was selected for the Lloyd Pummill Sanitarian of the Year Award,
given to a sanitarian in a mono-program area.

In 1997, Monty received a Governor's commendation as the Outstanding
State Employee. Twice, in 1993 and 2001, she was honored by the US
Environmental Protection Agency as a member of a Superfund Team of the
Year. In the fall of 2005, Monty was detailed by the Federal Emergency
Management Agency to Alabama to provide public information expertise as
part of the recovery efforts from Hurricane Katrina.

Her previous experience includes 15 years as a science educator at the
secondary as well as college level and 5 years experience in research
labs. Her educational background includes a bachelor\'s and master\'s
degree in microbiology from Oklahoma State University.

## What I Learned at EPHLI 

It has been a privilege to participate in the first Environmental Public
Health Leadership Institute. The coursework has been challenging. This
was my first exposure to systems thinking and I have used it to clarify
my thinking about a number of problems in both my professional and
personal life. I experienced a number of "ah ha" moments during the
study of archetypes and mental models. It was particularly helpful to
use the diagrams to explain the underlying causes of a problem. I am
excited about continuing to develop an understanding of these tools.

In the personal leadership development phase of the institute, I am
appreciative of the opportunity to use the Skillscope 360 Assessment.
For a number of years, I struggled with no success to get just that kind
of feedback from the folks I supervise. I gained valuable insight into
specific areas of management and leadership skills that needed
improvement and I have been able to take concrete steps toward
improvement in those areas. I also was unaware of change style
preferences and how they relate to working relationships with others.
This has also been a valuable tool for working with others productively.

Finally, the best part of the institute was the opportunity to get to
meet so many wonderful people. The staff was not only extremely
knowledgeable but also very helpful. The other fellows had a wide
variety of experiences and skills, which added texture to the learning
environment. Plus, they were all really fun to get to know outside of
class. The institute has given me a network of colleagues, which I can
draw on for assistance in the future. The hard work of the institute has
resulted in the acquisition of priceless tools, experiences, and
friendships. I can't express enough my gratitude for the opportunity.