Get to know our KTL team! This month, we are catching up with KTL Senior Consultant Scott Ackerson. Scott is a Certified Environmental Professional (CEP) with technical expertise in international environmental compliance and environmental system design and nearly 20 years of professional experience in managerial and strategic leadership supporting governments, private industry, and NGOs. He is based out of Arlington, Virginia. 

Tell us a little bit about your background—what are your areas of expertise?

During my career, I’ve worked with Peace Corps in Morocco and United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Global Fund as an Implementing Partner. In addition, I’ve lived and worked in over 17 countries working with various Ministries of Health to provide technical assistance in areas such as developing health care waste management (HCWM) strategies/framework and environmental systems for donor counterparts to strengthen environmental compliance in areas including general hygiene; waste management (non-hazardous and hazardous); health and safety; water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH); and HIV/AIDS prevention.

Some highlights over my career before joining KTL include the following:

• While working on the USAID-funded Supply Chain Management System (SCMS) project, I developed and successfully implemented large-scale organizational initiatives that have played integral roles in achieving the organization’s mission.
• I was assigned to support the Liberia Ministry of Health to establish a waste management strategy plan to dispose of unusable pharmaceutical waste in the supply chain. The assignment took about three months to successfully develop a waste management strategy plan that was used to properly collect and dispose of around 700,00 tons of unusable pharmaceutical waste.
• In 2013, I led a team of three international technical experts to develop a HCWM system for the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)-supported Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC) campaign in the Kingdom of Eswatini. The country required a proactive solution for the safe handling and disposal of more than 30,000 kg (66,000 lbs) of health care risk waste generated during its one-year lifespan. In collaboration with the Environmental Health Department within the Ministry of Health, the World Bank, and other relevant partners, the team was able to develop a sound policy that defines clear objectives, activities, roles and responsibilities, timelines, infrastructure, and control requirements for the execution of a new and improved national HCWM system. In addition, the team developed a VMMC HCWM toolkit for the safe and proper disposal of male circumcision hazardous waste.

What types of clients do you work with? What are the biggest issues you see them facing right now?

I’m currently part of an incredible KTL Environmental Compliance Support (ECOS) team that provides consulting services as part of the USAID ECOS contract. The ECOS contract provides USAID staff and Implementing Partners worldwide with technical, educational, and knowledge management assistance to facilitate compliance with 22 CFR 216, Foreign Assistance Act (FAA) Sections 117/118/119, regulatory requirements, and Executive Order and policy objectives.

In addition, the KTL ECOS team offers the USAID’s Bureau Environmental Officer (BEO) of Global Health (GH) and other BEOs a consistent, quality approach to environmental compliance to minimize duplication of systems and effort, facilitate the sharing of lessons learned, reduce compliance risks, and other related services.   

The most significant issue facing USAID’s BEO, much like many organizations in the public and private sector, is the lack of funding to ensure staff and Implementing Partners have the tools and knowledge to implement environmentally sound projects.  

What would you say is a highlight of your job?

I enjoy interacting with the KTL ECOS team to solve complex problems, while providing trainable moments for USAID staff and Implementing Partners.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I like traveling to places, learning about new cultures, and enjoying the food. Of course, I also enjoy the fine arts (i.e., symphony, musicals, and museums). But most of all, I enjoy life’s simple things with my partner, friends, and family, no matter the occasion.

Read Scott’s full bio.