I’ve spent the last 20-plus years working in Safety, Health and Environmental departments. My primary functions have been program development, training (presentation and development), performance tracking and evaluating, job auditing and evaluation and creating and delivering initiatives that address areas of weakness in various organizations. Some were built within firms that were starting at Ground Zero (Powerline Services, McKinney Fence, various Permian Basin contractors), while many were for multinational organizations (BHP, Quanta Services) that needed to rebuild tough-to-crack, established systems that no longer were effective.

Identifying areas of potential improvement is one thing. The culture shift is the real trick. This requires cooperation from all levels of the organization and a constant drive. In my experience, the best way to pull this off is by having a solid plan, getting input from everyone involved and following up to make sure everything is flowing smoothly. The only way that works is by staying in touch and being accessible.

I believe my greatest strength is communicating. I am comfortable speaking to groups in a boardroom or a job trailer. I have put together presentations that graph and chart past performance as well as those that look toward the future. I’ve completed projects that have spanned months and delivered training on 30-minutes’ notice.

Another thing I like to think makes me different is my focus on health and wellness. While many of my contemporaries went the direction of obtaining a CSP, or other advanced qualification in HSE, I chose to add Certified Personal Trainer and nutrition specialist to my base. Many of my friends are CSPs, and I think we need those folks in the industry, but I decided to take my passion for fitness and use it to help the workers in the field. Body mechanics and positioning, warm-up and stretching and proper fueling and hydration strategies are things I pass on to the workers. In my opinion, (a) it works, and (b) the employees appreciate someone looking out for their particular well-being.

Coming up with a solution is what I love to do.