RICHARD J. GUIMOND, P.E.
Assistant Surgeon General
Rear Admiral, USPHS (ret.)
Richard Joseph Guimond was born in Massena, New York, in 1947. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame in 1969, a Master of Engineering degree in Nuclear Science and Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1970, and a Master of Science in Environmental and Public Health from Harvard University in 1973. He is a registered Professional Engineer in the District of Columbia. He is married to the former Catherine Lynn Helmer.
Richard Guimond was commissioned in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps in August 1970 and was assigned to the Food and Drug Administration’s radiological health training unit in Rockville, Maryland. Upon the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency in 1970, he was detailed to the Agency and was assigned to its Office of Radiation Programs where he focused on the review and assessment of Environmental Impact Statements for projects that present potential exposure to the public and the environment from ionizing and nonionizing radiation.
From 1973 to 1974, Guimond served as the Special Assistant to the Director of the Office of Radiation Programs in EPA. In this assignment he was the Chief of Staff to the leader of all of EPA’s radiation programs. From 1974 to 1978, he was a project engineer in the Criteria and Standards Division of the Office of Radiation Programs. In this capacity he developed the Agency’s strategy for assessing and developing controls for emissions and effluents associated with various industries.
From 1979 through 1982, Guimond was detailed to EPA’s Office of Toxic Substances as a Branch Chief where he managed teams of professional developing regulations to control human and environmental exposures to various toxic substances and chemicals. In late 1982, he was promoted to Director of the Criteria and Standards Division in the Office of Radiation Programs and through 1985 led all regulatory programs in EPA controlling exposure to industries and activities involving radioactive materials.
In 1985 he was assigned the task of developing a Federal strategy for assessing and reducing radon exposure to people throughout the United States. He established and led the Radon Division until 1988. He led the development of a national radon survey, Federal legislation to control radon and research on the best methods to control radon exposure in buildings. He was subsequently promoted and served as the Director of the Office of Radiation Programs from 1988 to 1991. In this assignment, he was responsible for all of the EPA programs controlling exposure to radiation from all industries and activities.
In 1989, Guimond was promoted to the grade of Assistant Surgeon General (Rear Admiral Lower Half) while concurrently serving as the Director of the Office of Radiation Programs. He was the senior Public Health Officer detailed to EPA. In 1991, RADM Guimond was selected as the Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for Solid Waste and Emergency Response and then as the Acting Assistant Administrator until 1993. In this assignment he managed the largest operational group in EPA. He was responsible for the Federal programs to control environmental and public health problems associated with hazardous waste, Superfund, solid wastes, underground storage tanks, and chemical and oil spill emergencies.
In late 1993, RADM Guimond was detail to the Department of Energy where he served as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management. He directed and managed all of the programs and activities of the former nuclear weapons plants in the United States. He was responsible for safeguarding weapons grade Plutonium and Uranium, cleaning up the environmental and safety problems in the nuclear industrial complex and developing sound programs for managing radioactive wastes generated during the Cold War. In late 1995, RADM Guimond was promoted to Rear Admiral Upper Half. In November 1996, he retired from the Public Health Service and the Department of Energy.
RADM Guimond has received over 28 awards during his career in the Federal government including the Public Health Service Distinguished Service Medal, the EPA Distinguished Career Award, and the Surgeon General’s Medal for Exemplary Service, the EPA Meritorious Service Award, and the Department of Energy’s Silver Medal for Excellence. He was also selected for the Executive Excellence Award for Federal Executives.
In 1997, Guimond began a new career in the private sector as the Vice President for Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) for Motorola at their corporate headquarters in Chicago. He directed the global EHS programs for the company. Motorola is a Fortune 100 corporation with manufacturing, distribution, research and sales in over 150 countries. While leading the EHS programs, injury rates improved by about 90 percent and environmental impacts were reduced over 60 percent. Under his leadership Motorola was named one of America’s safest companies. In 2006, Guimond was recruited to join Carrier Corporation as the Vice President for Environment, Health and Safety. He relocated to Farmington, Connecticut where Carrier has its World Headquarters. Carrier is a global leader in HVAC and refrigeration equipment and services with factories and operations in over 100 countries. At Carrier he is responsible for driving programs that establish and continue world class EHS and Sustainability performance.
Richard Guimond is a member of numerous professional societies. He has been a member of the Board of several trade associations. He currently serves on the National Advisory Committee to the Administrator of EPA regarding the environmental impacts of the North America Free Trade Agreement.
May 2008
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