Meet the Team

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David Forney

David served as Chief of the United States Public Health, Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Before devoting his work fulltime to the VSP, he undertook a tour of duty in Bangladesh with the World Health Organization in their Smallpox Eradication Program and assisted Ministries and Commissions around the world on policies and regulations for national public health initiatives.

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David Forney

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Jon P. Schnoor

Jon’s experience is entirely in the maritime regulatory and enforcement field. He has successfully led others in the United States Coast Guard and served as Assistant Deputy Chief of the United States Public Health, Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP). He is convinced that the protection of cruise line public health remains with international standard-setting and systems capability.

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Jon P. Schnoor

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Catherine Arthur-Hirschenfang

Catherine has developed, implemented and managed Florida state tourism, cruise line and hotel initiatives with governmental organizations and public-private partnerships. She maintains the distinction of serving as the sole coordinator for the United States Public Health, Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) workshops. Knowing that what we learn is decisive to how we perform our jobs, she recognizes career education as a key value for working professionals.

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Catherine Arthur-Hirschenfang

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George H. Vaughan, Jr., DrPH

Ranked Captain and serving as Epidemiologist with the United States Public Health, Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP), George performed duties of Field Epidemiologist and Inspector. Over the past few years, enormous challenges like the influenza A(H1N1)pdm09, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus and the SARS-CoV-2 have highlighted threats to global health. Epidemiology’s contribution is aimed at analyzing and monitoring their scope and excessive effects.

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George H. Vaughan, Jr., DrPH

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Markus Dietl

Markus is a certified HACCP-Team Leader, as well as a certified ISO 22000 Auditor for Food Safety. He is currently a CQI/IRCA-certified Lead Auditor for Quality Management Systems (QMS) candidate. With a 15-year career in sea and shoreside public health management, Markus’ focus on ISO 22000 is a continuous journey of Food Safety Management. He makes the business case for adopting VSP and EU SHIPSAN requirements as a ‘one system model’.

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Markus Dietl

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Ben Hirschenfang

Ben was Deputy Director of the JASSM cruise missile program at Lockheed Martin Corporation for the United States Air Force. His initiative in establishing Lockheed Martin’s quality-based auditing process, “Process Verification Program” for the JASSM program has been adopted as a Lockheed Martin Best Practice, as well as a USAF practice across other weapon systems. The end result is that many validation processes are streamlined and production delays eliminated.

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Ben Hirschenfang

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Thomas Hill

Thomas has thirty-five years with the US Public Health Service (USPHS), retiring at the rank of Captain. He is credentialed by the US National Environmental Health Association as a Registered Sanitarian, and certified Professional-Food Safety. He is a Diplomate in the American Academy of Sanitarians. While at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) he served as the Program Technical Expert for the InterstateTravel Program (ITP) providing consultation and training to ITP Specialists and Investigators in the field inspecting interstate conveyances, including passenger aircraft, vessels, trains, buses, caterers and watering points.

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Thomas Hill

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Daniel Harper, DrPH

Dan served at four U.S. federal agencies among them as Captain with the United States Public Health, Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP). He was Professor at the Environmental Health Science Program at Eastern Kentucky University and maintains his credentials as Registered Environmental Health Specialist (REHS) and Registered Hazardous Substances Professional (RHSP). Dan has written and co-authored manuals and articles for industry and academia.

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Daniel Harper, DrPH

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Kristijian Horvatek

Kristijan holds a master of science degree (M.S.) in environmental engineering, and a bachelor’s degree (B.S.) in environmental health engineering. He has more than ten years’ experience in the fields of public health and environmental engineering compliance, and has been an officer with management responsibility and an internal inspector. His certification training includes Pool/Spa Operator of Aquatic Facilities and development and implementation of HACCP-based food safety system. Kristijan believes in healthy cruising supported by education, development and implementation of the highest public health standards.‍

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Kristijian Horvatek

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Dumitru Zamfir

Dumitru runs a consulting practice that audits and inspects cruise line hotel and technical operations, as well as food and beverage facilities. Previously, Dumitru served as Corporate Sanitation Officer and advisor with Apollo – BSSL and Celestyal Cruises, where he focused on public health and food safety.

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Dumitru Zamfir

Testimonials

Oliver Gerbig

Managing Director
sea chefs Cruise Services GmbH

“GPHS Consulting is an industry accelerator that allows food handlers as well as their supervisors and managers to learn new skills and to be updated on new regulations and recommendations in regards of Public Health on board Cruise Ships. Cruise operators benefit from GPHS Consulting to always deliver a very high standard experience in matter of Public health and are rewarded by satisfactory scores during worldwide Public health Inspections.”

Philippe Faucher

Vice President, European Operations & Global Business Development
The Apollo Group

“I like the fact that you are well resourced and in the zone; no doubt your reputation supersedes you guys.”

About Us

Global Public Health Services (GPHS) provides public health guidance to business and non-governmental organizations, environmental and medical firms, and industry associations. The company was formed in 2009.

GPHS is a collaborative enterprise and an expansion of existing public health, environmental health and engineering businesses. Our market exists within the cruise line industry, specifically cruise ships, shipyards, hotel and spa operations. Growth has occurred by word of mouth recommendations.

Our consultants are key subject matter experts and executives, who provide:

  • Cruise Ship Inspections and Audits - Technical, Operations, Construction & Compliance Surveys, Systems Design and Development
  • Industry Training and Development - Operations, Construction, Regulatory Standards
  • Outbreak and Response Plans

GPHS puts special emphasis on partnerships to support business goals.

Mission Statement

As Preferred Public Health Partners for several companies, Global Public Health Services guides owners and management to achieve public health standards as a business priority through Audit Assessment Strategies as well as Training and Document Review Support.

Strategy

We provide Clients with risk assessments, compliance audits, and training based upon industry standards to promote an informed decision when implementing public health compliance.

Solutions

We provide detailed means and expertise to improve and differentiate Clients’ products and services.

  • Construction and Hotel and Technical systems inspections
  • Shipyard Construction Compliance Inspections and Consultation during equipment
    delivery/assembly/installation
  • Shipboard Inspections and Audits
  • Outbreak Management Plans and Investigation

Benefits Statement

Global Public Health Services (GPHS) – Championing public health as a driver of quality assurance. We advocate the paradigm shift: Public Health as driver of Quality Assurance

GPHS offers onsite and online training as well as shipboard audit services, onsite and remote plan reviews with consistency achieved through experience in leadership and excellence in delivery.  

GPHS will independently ensure through assessment and verification that high standards are maintained across cruise ships and cruise companies.

  • Define and enhance a more desirable knowledgebase for shipboard crew, supervisors and managers, who are concerned with risk management, outbreak surveillance, and regulatory compliance.
  • Focus on public health accountability amongst crew through a combination of onsite and online training that appeal to busy practitioners.
  • Provide competitive advantage through risk-based measurements and proprietary crew, supervisory and leadership training programs, each designed to uniquely benefit the passenger-guest.
  • Verify public health performances for ownership and manning companies through a rigorous inspection and assessment process.  Major elements that influence the onboard passenger-guest experience will be carefully evaluated and measured as part of an audit process.  

Market

Our market is the cruise industry, specifically cruise ships impacted by the United States Public Health Services, the World Health Organization International Health Regulations, Public Health Agency of Canada, and Europe’s SHIPSAN program. Additionally, we expect to serve destinations and resorts that have an invested interest with cruise companies.

Serving Clients

AIDA; APOLLO SHIP CHANDLERS, INC.; AZAMARA CRUISES; CARNIVAL CRUISES; CARNIVAL UK; CARNCORP; CELEBRITY CRUISES; CHANTIERS DE L’ATLANTIQUE; CHINA MERCHANTS HEAVY INDUSTRY; CLIA; COSTA CRUISE LINE; CRYSTAL CRUISES; CUNARD LINES; DISNEY CRUISE LINE; GOJO INDUSTRIES (PURELL) FOR PRINCESS CRUISES; FINCANTIERI S.P.A., HOLLAND AMERICA LINES, HURTIGRUTEN; ISSA -THE WORLDWIDE CLEANING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION; KALMARINE; KLEVEN; LINDBLAD EXPEDITION CRUISES, MARELLA CRUISES, MEDITERRANEAN SHIPPING COMPANY; MEYER TURKU; MEYER WERFT; MV WERFTEN; MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.; NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE; OCEANIA CRUSES; PRINCESS CRUISE LINE; P&O; PHOENIX REISEN; RATIONAL; RITZ-CARLTON YACHT COLLECTION; ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL; SAGA; SEABOURN CRUISE LINE; SEA CHEFS; SILVERSEA; STX, FRANCE SA; VARD; VIKING OCEAN CRUISE LINE; V-SHIPS; VIROFORCE; ULSTEIN; THE WORLD – RESIDENCES AT SEA.

Contact

P.O. Box 1257
Windermere, FL 34786-1257
United States of America

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