About Continuing Professional Education Services, Inc. (CPES), a not-for-profit corporation
Continuing Professional Education Services, Inc. (CPES) staff and in collaboration with its Board of Directors engages industry experts to provide accessible, quality, innovative, and relevant educational opportunities to a diverse population of professionals. In addition to providing continuing education credits to attendees with specific certification and/or licensure requirements, CPES provides all participants opportunities to learn new skills, advance careers, and provide personal enrichment. Whether live, online, in the place of business, or on a college or university campus, continuing education and professional development is our primary focus. Dedication to quality programs and customer service combined with the need to meet attendees' ever-changing training needs, makes CPES a leader in educational outreach.
Continuing Professional Education Services, Inc. (CPES) was established by Dr. Jorge H. Berkowitz and Philip I. Brilliant with Julianne Mosolgo as Executive Director after 5 years operating as PB&J Continuing Professional Education Services, LLC following discontinuation of the Continuing Environmental Education for Professional (CEEP) program at the College of Science and Mathematics (CSAM) at Montclair State University. Dr. Berkowitz and Mr. Brilliant were active participants in the CEEP courses and design of programs, while Ms. Mosolgo served as the Director and Liaison at the University. In order to better serve the community of professionals, Dr. Berkowitz and Mr. Brilliant stepped forward with a solution that has saved the ability to offer continuing education credit-bearing courses for certified, licensed and interested professionals.
Jorge H. Berkowitz, PHD, LSRP
Dr. Berkowitz has more than 40 years of professional experience in both the private and public sectors as well as academia. Dr. Berkowitz possesses a varied professional background. While at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), he served in various upper management level positions, including Director of the Division of Environmental Quality, Director of the Division of Water Resources, and Administrator of the Hazardous Site Mitigation Administration (New Jersey's Superfund program). Additionally, Dr. Berkowitz served briefly as the Acting Assistant Commissioner for Environmental Management and Control before becoming a professional consultant.
During his time with the NJDEP, Dr. Berkowitz formulated and administered several innovative, highly visible programs, including Superfund, air toxics, clean shores, hazardous site investigation and remediation, chemical and nuclear emergency response, toxic release prevention and radon control. Several of these programs received national recognition including the programs involving hazardous site remediation, air pollution control, radon control, and toxic release prevention.
Dr. Berkowitz is a recognized leader in the Brownfield redevelopment field in New Jersey. His abilities to forge public/private partnerships for remediating and redeveloping Brownfields, taking advantage of the numerous funding incentives, are well recognized in the environmental profession. His leadership position has allowed him to shape regulatory and legislative policy governing New Jersey Brownfield sites.
Dr. Berkowitz has professionally administered projects involving remedial investigations; feasibility studies; Phase I and Phase II real estate assessments; general environmental compliance audits; risk assessments; environmental remediation oversight; site suitability studies; expert witness reports and testimony; Underground Storage Tank (UST) evaluations and removals; Discharge Prevention Containment and Countermeasure/Stormwater Pollution Prevention (DPCC/SPCC) plans; and stormwater permitting. Dr. Berkowitz has developed uncommon insight and knowledge into Brownfields Redevelopment projects and is an acknowledged leader in Brownfields in New Jersey.
Dr. Berkowitz also serves as an expert witness involving environmental regulation, site remediation and assessments, and microbiological issues. Dr. Berkowitz has opined about the potential sources and transport of chlorinated solvents from a microbiological perspective.
Dr. Berkowitz serves in several capacities as an advisor to the NJDEP and is a member of various Boards of Directors and advisory committees for several professional organizations in New Jersey. Dr. Berkowitz was instrumental in helping formulate necessary changes to the original Site Remediation Reform Act in order to make the law achieve its desired purpose. He served on the Site Remediation Professional Licensing Board from 2010 to 2021 having been appointed by Governor Chris Christie.
He also is a member of the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences Executive Dean's Advisory Council at Rutgers University. Dr. Berkowitz serves as the President and CEO of CPES and Chairman of the Board of Directors.
Philip I. Brilliant, CHMM, LSRP
Mr. Brilliant is a founder and current owner of Brilliant Environmental Services, LLC (Brilliant) in 2006. He is responsible for day-to-day operations, marketing, business development, and administration of UST/Industrial projects. He is specifically responsible for UST closures and modifications, ISRA compliance, groundwater sampling, well installation, soil sampling, remedial system design, regulatory permitting, and report preparation. Additionally, he manages technical overview of investigations and interaction between clients and regulatory agencies. He is responsible for all UST testing activities and residential UST closures; providing expert services, including litigation support and NRD claims, for attorneys, major oil companies, and private land owners.
In 2010, Mr. Brilliant was nominated by Governor Chris Christie to serve on the inaugural Site Remediation Professional Licensing Board (SRPLB) and was approved by the State Senate. SRPLB was required by the Site Remediation Reform Act (SRRA). Mr. Brilliant is the Chairperson of the Professional Conduct Committee and played an active role on behalf of the Board in the recent changes to SRRA; known as SRRA 2.0.
Mr. Brilliant has managed several environmental due diligence portfolios for major national financial institutions and oversaw the investigation and remediation of those projects nationwide. He has also delivered expert testimony on the client's behalf at planning and zoning boards throughout New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, preparing comments on pending Federal and State legislation and regulations.
Mr. Brilliant has been a factual and expert witness for plaintiffs and defendants in cases relating to contamination, consultant/contractor malpractice, purchase/lease agreements and third-party liability. He has been accepted as an expert by the Courts of New Jersey in the fields of Site Remediation and Hydrogeology.
Mr. Brilliant is a frequent lecturer and instructor at professional courses relating to the field of site remediation, rules and regulations and remedial action. He has provided these services to many academic institutions and professional associations, including but not limited to Montclair University, Rutgers University, New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), Academy of Hazardous Materials Managers (ACHMM), Licensed Site Remediation Professional Association of NJ (LSRPA), and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP).
Mr. Brilliant's experience includes project management, field supervision of projects, quality assurance and control of field data and data acquisition techniques; development and implementation of site specific sampling methodologies for contaminants in air, soil, and water; design, installation, permitting, and operation of remedial systems for contamination in air, soil, groundwater, and surface water; soil boring and well installation supervision. Responsibilities include oversight of operations, marketing and business development, and administration of UST/Industrial projects. He was specifically responsible for UST closures and modifications, groundwater sampling, well installation, soil sampling, remedial system design, regulatory permitting, and report preparation. As well as technical overview of investigations and interaction between clients, regulatory agencies and responsibility for all tank testing activities and residential tank closures.
He was also responsible for environmental risk analysis for major oil corporations and financial institutions during property transactions; working with Cumberland Farms, Inc., Sunoco, ExxonMobil, LukOil and ConocoPhillips to successfully negotiate environmental liability transfers on over 500 retail service stations and 12 bulk storage terminals. He has provided expert testimony, report preparation and litigation support services for oil companies and landowners.
In 2022, Mr. Brilliant was honored by Commerce and Industry of New Jersey (CIANJ) as the recipient of the Environmental Leadership Award. Mr. Brilliant serves as CFO and Vice President of CPES.
Julianne Mosolgo
Julianne Mosolgo is the Director of Continuing Professional Education Services. Julianne has over 30 years of experience in continuing education and was previously the Director of Program Development under the former College of Science and Mathematics (CSAM) Continuing Environmental Education for Professionals (CEEP) Program at Montclair State University. She was instrumental in launching the continuing education unit that designed programs specifically for environmental professionals.
In her position at Montclair State University she was responsible for developing, coordinating, managing and delivering over 30 plus new programs that offer continuing education credits for LSRPs, Professional Engineers, Environmental Attorneys, Underground Storage Tank Professionals, Certified Public Works Managers, NJ Registered Environmental Health Professionals and other licensed professionals. Julianne collaborates with NJ's leading environmental, regulatory and legal professionals, along with subject matter experts from NJDEP, to ensure a first class educational experience that enhances professional skills and earns/maintains professional certifications and licenses.
In addition, Julianne's past experience includes 24 years of dedicated service to Rutgers University Office of Continuing Professional Education where she established the foundation of program offerings in the environmental management and compliance course area.
CPES engages with industry experts to provide high quality continuing education courses with specific certification and licensure credits. Whether on the campus of a major university in New Jersey, including Montclair State University, Rider University or Rutgers University, Live Online or in your place of business, CPES is the leader in continuing professional education. Register online today!
Donna Wilkey
Donna Wilkey represents CPES on the ground and on site for every program, course and event held. Donna is the onsite face of the program, processing every attendee, assuring registration for credits and assuring each student has ample supplies for the day including meals and beverages.
