Laboratory Services Team

Robert B. Leggat, PhD – KTA Laboratory Services Manager
(412) 746-4271, rleggat@kta.com

Robert Leggat is the KTA Laboratory Services Manager and has over 15 years of experience in the protective coatings industry.  He holds a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Virginia and successfully completed the KTA Level I Basic Coatings Inspection training course.  Mr. Leggat joined KTA in August 2016 as the Laboratory Services Manager overseeing the operations of the Analytical and Physical Testing Laboratories.  In this position, he oversees all laboratory services which include paint, corrosion and material testing services, coating failure investigations, coatings research, and compositional analysis. Under his oversight, senior chemists, chemists, and research and development specialists provide clients with independent, accurate analyses of coating problems and advance the industry’s understanding of the performance characteristics of protective coatings and abrasive media. Prior to joining KTA, Mr. Leggat held various senior research and technical management positions with the United States Steel Corporation in Pittsburgh, PA.  Contact Me

Valerie D. Sherbondy – Technical Director – Analytical Laboratory
(412) 722-0544, vsherbondy@kta.com

Valerie Sherbondy is the Technical Director-Analytical Laboratory for KTA, where she has been employed for over 25 years. She is an SSPC Certified Protective Coatings Specialist (No. 467-921-0326) and has worked on hundreds of coating failure forensic investigations in addition to conducting and supervising numerous product testing programs, some of which involved litigation support and expert witness testimony. She is currently the project manager for testing of coating systems (according to the Saudi Aramco Material & Systems Specifications, or SAMSS) for Saudi Aramco.  She also provides technical support to the KTA coatings consulting staff for coating failure analysis projects. Ms. Sherbondy has experience with formulations evaluations; infrared spectroscopy, atomic absorption spectroscopy, gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy; scanning electron microscopy; statistical design of experiments and analysis of data; testing and evaluations according to ASTM, ISO, military specifications, and various other methods. As the technical director for the laboratory, she oversees the operation and verification of the analytical testing equipment and data reporting. During her previous tenure as Laboratory Quality Assurance Officer, the laboratory gained A2LA accreditation for a scope of test methods and she continues the commitment to quality laboratory analysis and results reporting for the laboratory. Ms. Sherbondy is a member of the American Chemical Society, SSPC, the Pittsburgh Society for Coatings Technology (PSCT) and the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM International), and NACE International. She is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh with a B.S. in Chemistry and Business. | Contact Me

Carly M. McGee – Materials & Physical Testing Laboratory Manager (412) 722-0983, cmcgee@kta.com

Carly McGee is the Materials & Physical Testing Laboratory Manager for KTA where she has been employed since 2001. In this position, Carly is responsible for facility operations including abrasive blast-cleaning and coating of specimens, corrosive and accelerated weathering exposure of specimens, and evaluation of exposed panels. Carly is an SSPC Certified Protective Coatings Specialist, a member of the Pittsburgh chapter of the American Concrete Institute (ACI), and ACI Certified Concrete Field Testing Technician Grade 1, a member of ASTM Committees G01 (Corrosion of Metals) and C09 (Concrete and Concrete Aggregates), and a Director for the Research Council on Structural Connections. She has over sixteen years of experience in coatings analysis (including materials testing and failure analysis). Carly also has experience with copper refining analysis; the manufacturing and analysis of petroleum distillates; infrared spectroscopy, inductively-coupled plasma-atomic emissions spectroscopy, gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy; scanning electron microscopy; corrosion testing methods; statistical design of experiments and analysis of data; testing and evaluations according to ASTM, ISO, military specifications, and various other methods; and operation and verification of accelerated exposure equipment. She has a B.S. from Grove City College (Chemistry major) and additional industry-specific training through ASTM, ACI, and SSPC. | Contact Me

Chad S. Quatman – Project Manager/Coating Application Specialist
(412) 746-4284, cquatman@kta.com

Daniel G. Chasky – Project Manager/Coating Application Specialist
(412) 746-4253, dchasky@kta.com

Kaley M. Stanczyk – Project Manager/Chemical Technician
(412) 746-4293, kstanczyk@kta.com

Julie A. Glover – Project Manager/Chemical Technician
(412) 746-4262, jglover@kta.com

Melissa A. Swogger – Project Manager/Chemical Technician
(412) 746-4294, mswogger@kta.com

Joe Barush – Project Manager/Coating Application Specialist

(412) 746-4243, jbarush@kta.com

Ryan Wilson- Project Manager/Coating Application Specialist

(412) 746-4302, rwilson@kta.com

Amy Ignatz- Quality Assurance Officer

(412) 746-4264, aignatz@kta.com