Board of Directors

Elizabeth Carpenter, President (Oregon State Police) **2007

Beth Carpenter is the laboratory director of the Oregon State Police Laboratory in Portland, Oregon. The laboratory provides services in all aspects of forensic science and houses the statewide DNA, Questioned Documents, and Breath Alcohol programs.

Beth’s educational background is in chemistry and molecular biology. She has also participated in numerous law enforcement leadership training programs, such as the Northwestern University Traffic Institute School of Police Staff and Command.

Throughout her 28 year career, she has participated in nearly all laboratory disciplines. Beth has led many projects including the establishment of the statewide clandestine laboratory safety program and the DNA program.

Professional affiliations include:

• Northwest Association of Forensic Scientists (past board member, member of various committees, and president)
• American Crime Laboratory Directors (member, committee member, and past board member)
• American Society of Crime Lab Directors/Laboratory Accreditation Board (delegate assembly member, past PRC Chair and inspector)
• American Association of Forensic Science (member)

Karolyn Tontarski, Secretary (Montgomery County, MD Crime Laboratory) **2009

Karolyn Leclaire Tontarski is currently the technical leader of the Montgomery County, Maryland, Crime Laboratory Forensic Biology Unit.  Ms. Tontarski’s career in forensic science began at the Massachusetts State Police Crime Laboratory in 1984, where she worked for just over eleven years. Kary also worked for the Virginia Division of Forensic Science in their Northern Laboratory (Fairfax, Virginia) before beginning her tenure with Montgomery County in 2001.

Over the course of her career, Ms. Tontarski has performed examinations in and qualified as an expert with respect to DNA analysis, body fluid identification/serology testing, crime scene examination,and evidence recovery, bloodstain pattern interpretation and crime scene reconstruction, trace evidence analysis, and footwear impression evidence analysis.

Kary attended Mount Holyoke College from 1979 to 1983, graduating with a B.A. in Biochemistry. In 2002, she earned an MA in Biotechnology from Johns Hopkins University.

Ms. Tontarski is the past-president of the Northeastern Association of Forensic Scientists and of the American Board of Criminalistics. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and a National DNA Index System (NDIS) Audit Review Panel member.

Joseph P. Polski, Treasurer (Chief Operations Officer, IAI) **2008

Joseph P. Polski is the Chief Operations Officer for the International Association for Identification (IAI) and a past president of that association. He is a retired commander with the St. Paul, Minnesota Police Department where he served for thirty one years. During that time he held many positions dealing with identification and forensic science including that of Laboratory Director.

Mr. Polski has long been active in the field of criminal identification at the local, state and national levels. He is Chair of the Consortium of Forensic Science Organizations (CFSO), a group of organizations consisting of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS), the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors (ASCLD), the National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME), the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors-Laboratory Accreditation Board (ASCLD-LAB) and Forensic Quality Services, (FQS) and the IAI.

In addition to serving on the Board of Directors of the NFSTC he is a member of the Finance & Audit Committee of that Board. He is also a member of the Forensic Specialties Accreditation Board and a member of the Forensic Science Committee of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP).

Frank Dolejsi (Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension) **2008

Education: Bachelor of Science (Chemistry)

University of Wisconsin, LaCrosse Professional Affiliations:

• American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors
• NFSTC Board (2005-present)
• ASCLD/LAB Board of Directors (2003-present)
• ASCLD Board of Directors (1999-2002)
• ASCLD-LAB Inspector (Legacy Program)
• American Academy of Forensic Sciences
• Society of Forensic Toxicologists
• The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists
• Midwestern Association of Forensic Scientists

Barry A. J. Fisher (Los Angeles County Sheriff Office, California) **2007

Barry Fisher holds a BS degree in chemistry an MS degree in organic chemistry and an M.B.A. degree. In 1969, Barry joined the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department crime laboratory and has worked in most of the sections of the laboratory. In 1987, he was appointed the Crime Laboratory Director.

Fisher is a member of many professional organizations. He is a Distinguished Fellow and past-president of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences; a past-president of the International Association of Forensic Sciences hosting the 15th triennial meeting of the IAFS in Los Angeles in August, 1999; a past-president of the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors; and past-chairman of the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors – Laboratory Accreditation Board. He serves on the Board of Directors of the NFSTC and represents the AAFS on the Consortium Forensic Science Organizations, whose mission is to influence public policy in forensic science in Washington, DC.

Fisher serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Forensic Sciences, the Journal of Forensic Identification, Forensic Science, Medicine and Pathology, and the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. He is a member of the International Association of Chiefs’ of Police Forensics Committee. Since 2003, he served on the ABA Criminal Justice Section’s Ad Hoc Committee to Ensure the Integrity of the Criminal Process.

His textbook, Techniques of Crime Scene Investigation, is in its 7th edition. Fisher has lectured in Canada, England, Australia, Singapore, France, Israel, Japan, Turkey, China and Hong Kong on forensic science laboratory practices, quality assurance and related topics. In 2000, he lead a forensic science delegation to lecture in Beijing to Chinese forensic scientists.

Marie Samples (New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner) **2009

Marie Samples is an Assistant Director with the Department of Forensic Biology, which is part of the Office of Chief Medical Examiner, in New York City. The laboratory is the forensic DNA testing laboratory for the city, with current responsibility for the analysis of homicides, sexual assaults, and selected other cases. Within the laboratory, Marie manages a casework group of criminalists, the training group, and contract casework.

Prior to joining the Department of Forensic Biology, Marie was a Criminalist with the California Department of Justice crime laboratory system. Her experience includes serology, controlled substance identification, clandestine drug labs, blood/breath/urine alcohol analysis, and general crime scene responsibilities.

A native Californian, Marie has a B.S. in Biochemistry from the California Polytechnic State University (San Luis Obispo) and two master’s degrees (chemistry and biochemistry). She has been active in many professional organizations, including the American Board of Criminalistics, the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, and the Forensic Education Program Accreditation Commission.

Carl M. Selavka, PhD, D-ABC (Forensic Analytical Chemist) **2008

Carl Selavka is a forensic scientist specializing in explosives, arson, and esoteric toxicology. He is currently serving as a consultative forensic specialist with a number of operational and academic agencies and programs. Carl left his post as Director of the Massachusetts State Police (MSP) Crime Laboratory System in March 2007 after almost nine years of service. He was responsible for the full service central laboratory in Sudbury, the satellite crime laboratories in Agawam, Danvers, and North Sudbury, and the DNA Databank for the Commonwealth.

Prior to joining the MSP in July 1998, Dr. Selavka spent two years as the Director of Forensic Services with the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, where he worked with the state’s 25 public forensic science laboratories. In New Your, he helped the laboratories achieve accreditation and was responsible for the State DNA Databank and Forensic Science Commission. Carl also worked for five years as a Director at National Medical Services in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania and four years as an Operations Officer with the Army Forensic Toxicology Drug Testing Laboratory in Hawaii.

From 2002-2003, he served as a Senior Program Manager at the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), Office of Science & Technology. In this capactiy, Carl was responsible for $45MM+ in Cooperative Agreements within the Crime Laboratory Improvement Program and the coordination of NIJ Forensic Resource Network activities.

Carl attended Indiana University from 1978 to 1982, majoring in Chemistry and Forensic Studies. In 1987, he graduated with an MS and PhD in Forensic Chemistry from Northeastern University in Boston. Carl is past-President of the American Board of Criminalistics and is currently active with FEPAC, ASTM E-30, and the National Laboratory Certification Program for urine drug testing laboratories. His research and publications have focused on esoteric toxicology, bomb, and arson analysis, and laboratory leadership.

Michael G. Sheppo (Illinois State Police) **2007

Michael G. Sheppo has worked in various capacities in the forensic sciences since 1972. He received a BS degree in chemistry from Davis & Elkins College, Elkins, West Virginia, and a M.S. degree in forensic chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh. While working on his master’s degree, Mr. Sheppo entered into the science profession as a high school science teacher in physics and chemistry.

He began his career in the forensic sciences in 1972 as a Forensic Chemist and then a Forensic Serologist for the Atlanta Division of Forensic Sciences, Georgia Bureau of Investigation. He was later promoted to the Director of the Augusta Georgia Crime Laboratory. Since 1985, Mr. Sheppo has been employed by the Illinois State Police, Forensic Sciences Command as an Assistant Bureau Chief, Bureau Chief, and has served as Commander. Mr. Sheppo’s duties have included supervising the eight operational laboratories and training facilities, the Quality Assurance Program for all of the laboratories, and the Research and Development Laboratory. In 2006, he retired from his position as Commander and chief administrator for the Illinois State Police, Forensic Sciences Command, which includes eight operational laboratories and a Research and Development Laboratory. The Illinois State Police, Forensic Sciences Command is the third largest forensic science laboratory system in the world.

As an active member in the field of forensic science, Mr. Sheppo is a member of several professional societies, including the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors (President 1999-2000), American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors/Laboratory Accreditation Board Delegate Assembly, International Association of Forensic Sciences, American Academy of Forensic Sciences, Forensic Sciences Foundation, Midwestern Association of Forensic Scientists, Southern Association of Forensic Scientists, and the National Forensic Science Technology Center (President of the Board of Directors - 1997-2005).  His final term as a member of the NFSTC Board of Directors ends in May 2007. He has served as a speaker on numerous forensic science topics, to include quality assurance and management in forensic science laboratories.

Presently, Mr. Sheppo is working for Lockheed Martin Information Technology as a contractor to the NIJ. As a Visiting Scientist, he directs the Grant Progress Assessment Program (GPA), which includes all of the DNA grants and the NFSIA (Coverdell) grants.  He will also serve as a forensic science resource for other portions of the NIJ that are involved in research related to the forensic sciences. 

Don Wyckoff (ASCLD/LAB) **2009

Don Wyckoff holds a BA degree in biology and BS degrees in nuclear and mechanical engineering.  He became the business manager for ASCLD/LAB after serving more than 28 years as a laboratory manager and forensic scientist with the Idaho State Police (ISP) Forensic Services.  Prior to beginning work in forensic science, he was employed in chemical and engineering R&D in the private sector.

During his tenure with the ISP, Don worked in most sections of the laboratory and held the position of laboratory manager for over twenty years.  Don has traveled extensively throughout the world during his professional career, working with scientists both in and out of the field of forensic science.

He is a member of several professional forensic science and engineering organizations including: past Board member and President of the Northwest Association of Forensic Scientists, past Board member and Secretary of the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors, past Treasurer and Chair of the Laboratory Accreditation Board, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Consortium of Forensic Science Organizations and the International Association of Chiefs’ of Police Forensic Science Committee.

In addition to serving on the Board of Directors of the NFSTC, Don is a member of the Finance and Audit Committee.