Meet Our Team

Sephira Environmental is a small business operating with low overhead costs.  Because of this, we are able to apply high level experience to your project at competitive and flexible billing rates.  ​

Education:  MSc Geological Engineering, University of Missouri-Rolla, BA (Hons) Geology, State University of New York-Potsdam, USA. She achieved 'Professional Geologist' status in Pennsylvania. Site Safe Supervisor Certified.

Helen Mongillo, PG

Principal Environmental and Engineering Manager, Hydrogeologist

Helen has 30 years of experience in contaminated land, water and sediment investigation and remediation.  Christchurch-based for nine years Helen has worked for south island developers, councils, New Zealand Defense force and the mining industry. She worked for 20 years in the USA, specialising in contaminated site investigation, risk assessment, remedial options assessment, remediation oversight and sediment projects.  

Helen's project management skills include preparation of work plans, health and safety plans, contract documents and technical reports, developing budgets, tracking and managing costs and schedules, and managing field activities, subcontractors and laboratories. 

Helen employs pragmatic and adaptive solutions to contaminated site issues based on her understanding of the New Zealand regulatory framework, Ministry for the Environment Contaminated Land Management Guidelines, her knowledge of risk management and her understanding of innovative remedial technologies.

Education:  BS Chemistry, University of Missouri-Rolla, USA; Site Safe Supervisor Certified; HAZWOPER 40 hr Health & Safety Training; First Aid Trained

Brett Mongillo

Principal Environmental Scientist, Chemist, Compliance Specialist

Brett has 30 years of professional experience in identifying, remediating and managing contaminated land, water and air issues.  

He served as a Principal Contaminated Sites Advisor for Environment Canterbury for over five years.  In this role he experienced the regulation and management of contaminated land issues at every level of government, including serving on an advisory council to MfE for the development of the National Environmental Standard for Assessing and Managing Contaminants in Soil for the Protection of Human Health which came into effect in January 2012.  

Prior to his time with Environment Canterbury he was employed as a consulting environmental scientist by various consultancies in the United States.  This combination of consulting and New Zealand based government experience affords him the ideal set of skills to provide sound advice and educational services on contaminated land management. ​

Education: BSc Chemistry, University of Canterbury, NZ; Site Safe and First Aid Trained

Sylvia Mongillo

Environmental Scientist...and webmeister

Sylvia joined the team in 2016 after completing her Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of Canterbury.

She coordinates sampling events, interfaces with the analytical laboratories and is competent in all forms of soil sampling for inorganic and organic contaminants and asbestos. She also has experience with groundwater, air and sediment sampling. Sylvia has received hands-on, in-the-field training from Brett and Helen and is a vital part of Sephira Environmental’s sampling team.

Sylvia, with oversight, is primarily responsible for Preliminary Site Investigations and contributes to the data compilation and write ups for Detailed Site Investigations.
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Education: BE (Hons) Electrical and Electronics Engineering, University of Canterbury; Site Safe Consultant Certified; First Aid Trained

Tom Wilson

Environmental Engineer

Tom started with Sephira Environmental in 2017 upon finishing his Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) in Electrical and Electronics Engineering at the University of Canterbury.

Tom supports our engineering design and modelling projects and has a strength in information technology and drafting. While working with Helen, Tom has gained experience in groundwater monitoring and hydrologic and hydrogeological assessments. Tom is a critical resource in Sephira Environmental’s developing remediation and water management team.

Tom has received hands-on, in-the-field training from Brett in soil sampling for asbestos and other environmental contaminants and is gaining experience in Contaminated Land Preliminary Site Investigations and Detailed Site Investigations. He has been involved with review of historic property information, field sampling events, coordination of laboratory samples, and report writing