Meet Our Team

Robert Scherer

Robert Scherer

President

Robert Scherer, a Florida native, has over 25 years of residential and commercial construction experience in southwest Florida. He has worked in many aspects of the construction industry–from heavy commercial structural projects to high-end complete residential remodels. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, he worked as a subcontractor for several large construction companies and developers installing over 50 thousand windows and sliding glass doors in several south Florida communities as a glass & glazing contractor.

In 1996, Robert became a Florida certified building contractor. From 1996 to 2000, he was involved in numerous construction projects ranging from light commercial to the complete constructing of residential homes. In 2000, he entered the indoor air quality field as a certified mold remediator. At this point his business ideas began to be directed toward water intrusion investigations and repair procedures. Later that same year, he was introduced to infrared thermography at a mold remediation conference in Atlanta, GA. It was then that Robert realized the incredible potential of infrared thermography in the building construction industry and purchased his first infrared camera, the first in southwest Florida.

Since infrared thermography was primarily utilized in large industrial electrical applications at that time, Robert became a pioneer in the field of moisture intrusion and building defect investigations with the use of infrared thermography. Since no one had utilized infrared thermography for building science applications, he literally had to develop his own procedures and sell the idea of this technology and its applications.

Robert also has extensive training in many phases of building diagnostics, from environmental issues to cause and origin investigations. He is a Certified Indoor Environmentalist, Certified Mold Inspector, and he is certified in Advanced Building Diagnostics. Robert started his building diagnostics company using the latest in infrared cameras in 2002, specializing in building defect investigations, water infiltration testing, and cause and origin investigations of building failures. Robert and his team have completed water testing and building investigations across the nation.

Building Diagnostics Group, Inc. (BDG) exclusively uses FLIR infrared camera equipment. FLIR is the world’s leader in infrared technology. Using only high resolution, specialty thermography equipment has allowed BDG to become one of the nation’s leaders in building science thermography. With several high-resolution infrared cameras, each designed for a specific use, and a highly trained team of professionals, BDG provides the most comprehensive non-destructive building investigations available today.

Robert has been called upon numerous times to provide expert witness testimony, field evaluations, and written opinions. He has provided these services for various counties, states, and legal jurisdictions throughout the United States. In his free time Robert enjoys spending time with his family in north metro Atlanta, Georgia, where he is active in his community. If Robert doesn’t answer his phone, he is most likely logging miles on his road bike cycling the hills of north Georgia.


Michael CantrellMichael Cantrell

Project Manager

Michael Cantrell was born and raised in a small town in the North Georgia mountains. He got started in construction doing residential remodels in a small, start-up, family run business that evolved into a very successful roofing company that serviced all of Georgia. In the time he spent in his family’s business, he learned hands on many of the aspects of construction from the ground up from laborer to management. Michael has extensive knowledge in building insurance claims and contract negotiations.

After pursuing a degree in construction management, he began his career here at BDG as a Project Manager. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family and living an active lifestyle utilizing the beautiful North Georgia mountains.


Jessica Miller

Jessica Miller

Administrative Assistant

Jessica is responsible for the overall functioning and efficiency of our office. She provides administrative support for all projects and handles the daily accounting functions.

Prior to joining BDG, Jessica served as mentor for a youth entrepreneurship non-profit helping students from under-resourced communities start their own small businesses and gain acceptance into college.

Outside of work, she enjoys anything outdoors, including fishing on Lake Lanier with her husband and son.


Steven D. Parkhurst, CIH, CSP, LIH, CIAQC

Steven D. Parkhurst, CIH, CSP, LIH, CIAQC

Sr. Environmental Scientist

Steve Parkhurst was the founder & President/Principal Scientist of Environmental Diagnostics, Inc. in Schaumburg, IL . Since 1989 he has been Responsible for management of projects and cases involving industrial hygiene; microbiological assessment and remediation; expert witness; chemical exposure assessments; indoor air quality studies, warning labels and MSDS development and compliance; asbestos project design, oversight, inspection and air sampling; UST management, HAZWOPER site safety and health plans; ambient air monitoring of hazardous waste sites and off-gassing of sanitary landfills; safe haven analysis; odor detection; safety audits; air emission permits; waste anesthesia gas detection, safety program development and review; ventilation system evaluation; and noise studies, hearing conservation programs, and community noise evaluations. He has also implemented employee training regarding hazardous waste operations.

He holds a Bachelors of Science (BS), Biology and a Masters of Science (MS), Environmental Science from the College of Medicine, Kettering Laboratories at the University of Cincinnati.

Since 1979 Mr. Parkhurst has been involved in all phases of the environmental health and safety industry. He has lead teams of industrial hygienists in field inspections of over 200 buildings involved with asbestos litigation. He has expertise in conducting a broad spectrum of industrial hygiene surveys and safety audits plus ergonomic evaluations of office work stations and assembly lines. Developed HAZCOM programs, audits for flammable and combustible solvents, and asbestos project design, management, inspection and air sampling.

During the development of corporate environmental, industrial hygiene and safety policies at an asbestos gasket manufacturing plant, Mr. Parkhurst advised on potential environmental and safety issues related to new product development. He developed sampling strategies and conducted industrial hygiene studies for detection of asbestos fibers. He also developed and implemented HAZCOM program including labeling, MSDSs and employee training.

In his work with the Industrial Commission of Ohio, Bureau of Workers Compensation, he performed over 500 industrial hygiene studies for automotive, food processing, foundries, microelectronics, chemical manufacturers, metal fabricators, heavy equipment, health care facilities, printing, pesticide producers, plating operations and paint applications. He also performed occupational disease investigations.

Due to his vast amount of experience, Mr. Parkhurst has been called upon almost 250 times to provide expert witness testimony, field evaluations, written opinions, case review and arbitration hearings. He has provided these services for various counties, states and legal jurisdictions throughout the United States and Puerto Rico.

Mr. Parkhurst has made many professional presentations to the American Industrial Hygienists Association Conference and has been published by Compliance Magazine, The Chicago Bar Association Web Cast, and in various columns on mold by Harris Martin Publishing.

He is affiliated with the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, the American Industrial Hygiene Association, the American Board of Industrial Hygiene, the American Society of Safety Engineers, the Board of Certified Safety Professionals, the American Indoor Air Quality Council and the Indoor Air Quality Association.