Meet the people who test with integrity

Jacob “Jake” Jessup is an Indoor Environmental Professional with a background in building science and hands-on field investigation. He helps ESG evaluate indoor air quality, moisture conditions, building materials, ventilation, and other factors that can affect the health and performance of a home or commercial building.

Jake is a Council-certified Residential Indoor Environmentalist (CRIE) through the American Council for Accredited Certification. This board-awarded credential recognizes his professional knowledge of indoor environmental investigations, building conditions, occupant concerns, and industry-accepted assessment practices. He is also certified in BPI Infiltration and Duct Leakage testing, providing additional expertise in airflow, pressure relationships, duct systems, and building-envelope performance.

A graduate of Appalachian State University, Jake brings a systems-based perspective to ESG's investigations. His building science education helps him understand how construction methods, airflow, moisture, HVAC operation, and building materials work together. Rather than focusing only on visible staining or a single laboratory result, Jake looks for the larger conditions that may be contributing to the concern.

Before joining ESG in 2025, Jake gained experience in sustainable agriculture, mushroom cultivation, data analysis, and operational logistics. Working in these varied environments strengthened his adaptability, observation skills, and ability to carefully document changing conditions.

Jake is known for being hardworking, thoughtful, and dependable in the field. He takes his time, pays attention to the details, and helps clients feel comfortable asking questions throughout the assessment process.

Outside of work, Jake enjoys watching basketball and football, visiting local hobby shops, and spending time with friends. His curiosity about how environmental and structural systems function continues to drive his professional development at ESG.

Susan Burns joined ESG in 2018 and serves as the company's lead technical writer and data analyst. She specializes in reviewing field observations, laboratory results, photographs, moisture measurements, and indoor air quality data to help turn complex investigations into clear and useful reports.

Susan plays an important role in developing mold remediation protocols and supporting ESG's work under the ANSI/IICRC S520 Standard for Professional Mold Remediation. Her careful review helps ensure that ESG's reports are technically accurate, clearly communicated, and practical for clients, contractors, property managers, and other project stakeholders.

Susan holds the Council-certified Indoor Air Quality Manager (CIAQM) designation. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Public Health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master of Public Administration from East Carolina University. Her previous experience in home-health quality improvement gives her a strong understanding of how environmental conditions, occupant needs, and professional standards must work together.

Clients may not always see Susan during the field investigation, but her attention to detail can be found throughout ESG's reports, recommendations, and remediation plans. Outside of work, Susan and her husband, Chuck, enjoy coastal getaways and spending time with their two children. She is also an active volunteer with Juliet's House Animal Rescue, where she fosters and helps rehome cats and kittens.

Kristin Wampler joined ESG in the summer of 2017 and supports both the administrative and creative sides of the company. In addition to assisting with accounting responsibilities, Kristin helps manage ESG's marketing, social media, photography, and overall public presence.

Kristin works to make ESG's highly technical services easier for clients and the community to understand. Through social media updates, project highlights, educational content, photography, and other creative materials, she helps communicate who ESG is, what the company does, and why indoor environmental work matters.

Her creative eye has helped ESG maintain a professional but approachable presence that reflects the company itself: knowledgeable, hardworking, and made up of real people who care about helping their clients.

Kristin graduated from Guilford College with a Bachelor of Arts in English. Her background in writing and visual storytelling gives her the ability to turn technical information into content that feels clear, interesting, and accessible. Outside of ESG, Kristin teaches yoga and works in photography. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, spending time outdoors, and making films with friends.

Tara Dunston joined ESG in October 2022 and plays a central role in keeping the company's day-to-day operations organized and moving forward. She helps coordinate clients, projects, schedules, records, and the many details required to support ESG's field and technical teams.

Tara holds bachelor's degrees in Business Management and Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. Throughout her career, she has worked in a wide range of professional settings, including human resources, the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and property management for a housing authority.

Her varied experience gives Tara the ability to communicate with many different types of clients while keeping complicated projects organized behind the scenes. She brings patience, professionalism, and a welcoming personality to the office and is often one of the first people clients speak with when contacting ESG.

Originally from Washington, D.C., Tara is the proud mother of two daughters and a devoted dog mom to her German Shepherd, Bella.

Jinny Whittaker has been part of Environmental Solutions Group since its founding in 2002, when she worked alongside her husband and ESG founder, Craig Whittaker. Following Craig's passing in August 2014, Jinny stepped into the role of company owner and helped guide ESG through an important period of growth and transition.

Her professional experience extends well beyond ESG. Jinny has worked as a North Carolina Realtor and was the co-owner of the Whittaker Group, an independent health and wellness products business she started in 1992. Within several years, the company grew to include more than 200 distributors across the United States, with annual sales increasing by at least 50 percent. In 1996, Jinny was recognized as one of the country's top 50 distributors and received the Shaklee Corporation's President's Club designation.

Jinny also brings 25 years of experience teaching in higher education. Her background in education, national marketing, business management, and team development continues to provide valuable guidance to ESG. Today, Jinny serves as a trusted company advisor and remains an important part of the values, history, and family foundation on which ESG was built.

Tucker is ESG's information technology, systems, automation, and digital marketing specialist. Working remotely from Kentucky, he helps connect the many technological tools ESG uses to serve its clients and manage projects.

Tucker specializes in designing systems and automations that allow information to move smoothly between ESG's office, field technicians, reports, monitoring equipment, and client communications. His work supports everything from internal project coordination and automated updates to environmental monitoring programs and new technology-based services for ESG clients.

As ESG continues to develop more advanced monitoring, reporting, and communication solutions, Tucker helps turn innovative ideas into reliable systems that can be used in the real world. His behind-the-scenes work allows the rest of the team to spend more time assisting clients and less time managing repetitive administrative tasks.

Tucker combines technical problem-solving with an understanding of how technology should feel to the people using it. His goal is not simply to add more software, but to make ESG's work more connected, efficient, and helpful. He is also ESG's most dedicated taco enthusiast. When Tucker is visiting the Greensboro office, the team can usually expect tacos to appear on the lunch schedule at least once, and frequently every day he is in town.

Kira Edwards is an intern at ESG and a current Environmental Studies student at North Carolina State University. Her work combines environmental science, client communication, research, and hands-on exposure to the indoor environmental field.

Kira assists ESG with developing clear and useful ways to communicate environmental information to clients. She helps research solutions for commercial properties, healthy-building programs, environmental monitoring projects, and other advanced services designed to help clients better understand and manage their indoor environments.

Her work also includes supporting educational materials, outreach efforts, and programs that connect ESG's technical findings with practical steps clients can take. Through these projects, Kira is gaining experience in how environmental data can be used not only to identify problems, but also to help businesses and property owners make better long-term decisions.

Kira can also be found participating in field and site visits for indoor air quality testing. This gives her firsthand experience with environmental sampling, building investigations, field documentation, and the everyday work required to evaluate indoor spaces.

Her interest in environmental studies and communication makes her a valuable addition to ESG as the company continues developing new ways to educate clients and deliver practical, science-based environmental solutions.