Practical Experience. Regulatory Depth. Trusted Guidance.
At HMEx, our leadership team brings decades of experience in hazardous materials compliance, code interpretation, and technical innovation. We’ve worked alongside fire marshals, building officials, manufacturers, and environmental health and safety teams to solve real-world compliance challenges — from lithium battery risk assessments to complex code negotiations.
We don’t just build tools — we’ve used them in the field, across industries, and in regulatory conversations that shape policy.
Meet the Leadership Team
Lynne M. Kilpatrick
CEO & Managing Director
Lynne Kilpatrick brings over 30 years of experience working at the intersection of hazardous materials, fire codes, and enforcement. She specializes in interpreting complex regulatory frameworks and translating them into actionable solutions for facility owners, code officials, and project engineers.
Before joining HMEx, Lynne served in both public and private sector leadership roles, including as Fire Marshal for the City of Sunnyvale and Technical Code Development Director for the Seattle Fire Department. She has led hazardous materials enforcement programs, developed fire prevention initiatives, and helped shape both local ordinances and statewide fire code amendments. Her fluency in NFPA 400, IFC Chapters 50–67, and HMBP/EPCRA requirements has made her a trusted advisor in high-stakes permitting projects nationwide.
Lynne’s approach ensures that HMEx outputs are not only technically defensible — they stand up to scrutiny from both regulators and reviewers.
“Fire code compliance shouldn’t be about fear — it’s about understanding what the code is really asking of you, and why.”
Background
Lynne holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Oregon State University, where she built a strong foundation in thermodynamics, process safety, and materials compatibility. Her academic training in chemical process design, hazard analysis, and reaction engineering continues to inform her grounded, engineering-first approach to fire code compliance.
After graduation, Lynne’s career quickly aligned with code enforcement and regulatory interpretation. She began by supporting fire departments and building officials with hazardous materials classification, plan review, and code adoption. Over time, she became a recognized expert in Maximum Allowable Quantity (MAQ) calculations, Group H occupancy criteria, and the critical connections between fire codes and federal chemical reporting systems.
As CEO at HMEx Assistant, Lynne leads the firm’s code consulting and platform development work, building software tools that help facilities evaluate chemical inventories against MAQ thresholds and hazard class triggers. She currently serves as Chair of the NFPA 400 Technical Committee and is widely recognized for her technical accuracy, strategic insight, and ability to build consensus among both regulators and regulated entities.
Whether developing defensible code interpretations or crafting permitting strategies, Lynne’s approach balances technical precision with regulatory realism — a skill set honed over years of working on both sides of the permit counter.
“She is by far the brains and foundation of the hazardous material codes in place in the City of Seattle, which are models in many respects.”
– David Daniels – Health, Safety and Environmental Professional
“Her many years as a senior hazardous materials expert and seasoned chemical engineer were evident in the way she approached tasks and achieved her outcomes.”
– Sean Tobin, PE, PMP, CC Chemical Engineer
Andrew C. Hoover
Principal Consultant – Permitting & Chemical Classification
Andrew brings deep expertise in hazardous materials compliance, risk analysis, and fire code strategy to HMEx. Known for his ability to navigate complex regulatory landscapes, he combines technical precision with forward-thinking insight — helping clients solve some of the industry’s most challenging permitting and classification problems.
Throughout his career, Andrew has led permitting and regulatory strategy at large industrial facilities, including lithium-ion battery operations and chemical manufacturing sites. His work spans process hazard analyses (PHAs), alternative means and methods (AM&M) reports, and frontline negotiations with Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs) nationwide.
Andrew is a driving force in national efforts to modernize chemical classification and battery safety standards. He contributes actively through the International Code Council (ICC) and serves on several technical committees, including: NFPA 401 (Prevention of Fires and Uncontrolled Chemical Reactions from Wastes), UL 9540 and 1974.
“The true test of a hazard classification isn’t just getting it right — it’s being able to defend it under scrutiny.”
Background
Andrew holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from Virginia Commonwealth University, where he focused on particle physics, and materials analysis. His academic research included the paper “Chemical and Mineralogical Characterization of Fly Ash from Virginia’s Coal-Fired Power Plants,” which explored the trace metal behavior and mineral content of combustion residues — an early indication of his long-term interest in industrial risk and exposure science.
Andrew’s professional background includes specialized work in industrial hygiene and toxicology, particularly involving toxic and highly toxic materials, combustible dusts, and new materials such as lithium-ion battery electrolytes and cathode active materials. He has conducted exposure assessments, IDLH/AEGL screenings, and onsite health risk reviews in manufacturing and energy sectors.
“Andrew is the person you want in the room when code interpretation turns gray. He doesn’t just know the regulations — he understands how to defend a position with logic, science, and confidence.”
– Joseph Mayonado, PE, Fire Protection Engineer (Jensen Hughes)
“Few people can bridge fire code, chemical classification, and real-world permitting like Andrew. His ability to translate regulatory complexity into actionable strategies is what sets him apart.”
– Aaron Worlie, Process Safety Engineering Leader
Pawel Fudala
Principal Consultant – Developer & System Architect
Pawel is the technical force behind the HMEx Assistant’s evolution into a high-performance web-based tool trusted by facilities, fire officials, and consultants. He combines full-stack development expertise with a deep understanding of regulatory logic — ensuring that every feature is built for accuracy, speed, and usability in the field.
His work powers key features like automated GHS hazard classification, MAQ summaries, and inventory normalizations. Whether mapping code rules into logic trees or optimizing data structures for large-scale inventories, Pawel’s development philosophy is grounded in clarity, defensibility, and real-world utility.
He collaborates closely with the consulting team to ensure every release reflects the needs of compliance professionals and the expectations of regulators.
“Software is only valuable if it reflects the complexity of its users’ reality — and helps simplify it.”
Background
Pawel earned his Bachelor of Science in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he focused on advanced chemical systems, fluid mechanics, and computational modeling. His academic coursework covered heat and mass transfer, reaction engineering, and physical chemistry, complemented by active involvement in technical organizations such as Omega Chi Epsilon, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and the American Chemical Society.
While his foundation is deeply technical, Pawel’s career has been defined by a shift toward software engineering for regulated industries — building tools that transform dense rulebooks into clear, interactive systems. Prior to joining HMEx, he developed workflow automation systems for industrial safety, environmental compliance, and data traceability. These systems needed to be auditable, logic-driven, and fail-safe, much like the code logic now embedded into the HMEx Assistant.
Pawel continues to work hand-in-hand with regulatory experts to translate new code changes, chemical data sets, and use-case feedback into intuitive and technically sound software updates.
His unique blend of engineering and system architecture allows HMEx to remain both technically credible and operationally efficient, ensuring that code professionals can work smarter — not harder.
“Pawel doesn’t just build software — he builds trust into every line of code. The reliability and transparency of HMEx’s platform is a direct result of his design philosophy.”
– Connor Lake, Software Development Professional
“Pawel’s uncanny ability to truly understand the complexity of hazardous materials regulations and translate them into clean, usable tools, is unmatched. He’s the reason our system works the way professionals need it to.”
– Steven Schmidt, Chemical Consultant
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