The Northwest Chapter of the ASSP is pleased to announce that students may now apply for the 2021 Chapter Scholarship program. Multiple scholarships totaling $4000 are available for students pursuing a graduate degree, Master of Science in Risk Control, at University of Wisconsin-Stout, Master of Environmental Health & Safety, at the University of Minnesota-Duluth or Master or Doctorate in Public Health or an Occupational Safety, Health or Environmental field of study at the University of Minnesota.

Click here to download the application form!

Applications must either be postmarked by March 3, 2021 for applications sent by US Mail or be received by email no later than Friday March 5, 2021.

If you have questions, please contact Tim Flint at 763-528-8422 or Scholarship@northwest.assp.org.

OK, we know that you would rather climb out of your basements and not have to look at yet ANOTHER webinar.  But, where else can you see a terrific lineup of top-notch HSE speakers, get CEUs and do it all in your pajamas?

Keeping with ASSP guidelines for in-person meetings, the ASSP Northwest Chapter is leveraging the power, flexibility, and access of virtual events to bring you our PDC in a new way, with the same opportunities for professional development and CEU credit!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!

2021 ASSP Northwest PDC Agenda

2021 ASSP Northwest PDC Brochure – Final

Please join us for this exciting list of speakers!

Noon Keynote Session with Tom Wilson, Moments of Impact

Adele Abrams – President, Law Office of Adele L. Abrams P.C.

“OSHA, MSHA and the New Administration”

Stephen Moore, CEO/Co-Founder of Culture Booster

“Leading at a Higher Level: Leveraging Psychological Safety and Communication to Influence Hearts and Minds”

Kahlilah Guyah, CHMM, CSP – CEO of EHS Compliance Services, Inc.

“Blurring the Lines: Integrating Mental Health”

Linda Tapp, ASSP Vice President of Finance

“ASSP Society Update & Using Training Games to Increase Retention”

Kristen Ehresmann, Director of Infectious Disease, Epidemiology, Prevention and Control (IDEPC) Division, Minnesota Department of Health 

“COVID-19: Midcourse Review”

Technical TED Talks with UMD MEHS Students

Proceeds from the PDC supports Chapter programming and scholarships including an annual contribution to the ASSP Foundation, multiple scholarships awarded each year by the chapter, and our annual contribution to MN SafeKids Coalition.

The Northwest Chapter is pleased to announce the election results for the Chapter Board of Directors for the 2020-2021 Chapter year.

Vice President

Scott Huberty, ARM

Scott is a Risk Management Consultant for Mackinaw Administrators, LLC where he provides loss control and workplace safety services to Minnesota companies in workers compensation self-insurance groups. He has been involved in occupational safety from an insurance vantage point for over thirty years.

 

Scott has also been very active in ASSP and the Northwest Chapter since first joining the organization back in 2005. During this time, he served as Chapter President in 2009 – 2010 and again from 2011-2012. During his first term, Northwest Chapter was recipient of the Society’s Large Chapter of the Year Award.

Scott has also served several terms as Chapter Treasurer and has also been part of the Chapter’s PDC Planning Committee. Another role he has played over the years is Organizer of the annual Summer Boat Cruise for EHS Professionals.

Scott currently lives in the Hudson, WI area but he and his wife are currently in the process of moving to Lake Elmo, MN. When not working at Mackinaw or busy with ASSP activities, Scott enjoys driving “Miss Lucy” – his 1931 Ford Model A Roadster, social dancing, traveling, and flying his fleet of radio control model airplanes.

Treasurer

Chris Flegel, CSP

Chris is a Senior Safety Specialist at TBG in Eagan, MN. Chris received his degree in 1998 from the University of North Dakota in Occupational Safety and Environmental Health. Chris has worked in various aspects of construction, industrial, mining and various other types of environments. Chris is currently a delegate for the Northwest chapter and served previously as the NW Chapter Treasurer. Chris served ASSP as an administrator for the IH practice specialty for two years. Chris has various experience serving ASSP in many different facets.

Member at Large

Nick Ravetto, CSP, CESCP

Nick has been a member of ASSP since 2015. He is a Safety Manager at Egan Company based in Brooklyn Park, MN. Nick’s career in safety began when he was an inside wireman for 13 years in and around the Twin Cities. Working with electricity every day makes a person want to work safely! Nick joined the Egan Safety Department in 2014. In 2019, he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Occupational Safety and Health and became a Certified Safety Professional in 2020. Nick is also a Certified Electrical Safety Compliance Professional with the NFPA.

Nick feels the greatest impact a safety professional can make is through personal connections. His recent focus has been to help new-to-construction workers feel like they have a voice when it comes to their safety and helping them to realize they have an increased risk of getting hurt just by being new to the construction industry.

When not at work, Nick likes riding his bike with his wife and two boys. They like to camp, garden, and try to travel as much as possible, but not nearly enough!

Nick says that he has enjoyed the ASSP NW Chapter meetings that he has been to so far, and really enjoyed the Professional Development Conference in 2019. The monthly meetings that he has attended have been very high quality with a lot of very useful information, which has helped him to stay focused on safety and carry that message back to work. If elected to the Member-at-Large position, I would work towards maintaining that quality level and professional message with all of my involvements with the Chapter.

Bill Wuolu, CSP, CHST

Bill is a seasoned safety professional with 15 years of experience. His time has been spent working in multiple industries during his career; from manufacturing to industrial construction and consultation with the North Dakota Safety Council, to where he is today. Bill was a member of the Central Dakota Safety Association where he served on the Board of Directors as the Program Coordinator and Vice President. For the past four years, Bill served as an officer, Vice-Chairperson, Chairperson, and Past President for the Northwest Chapter’s Northern Plains Section and for the past two years has been a Member-at-Large of the Northwest Chapter.

Bill holds two Certifications through the Board of Certified Safety Professionals; the Construction Health and Safety Technician (CHST) and the Certified Safety Professional (CSP). In 2019 Bill had the honor to receive the Northwest Chapter’s Safety Professional of the Year (SPY) for his assistance in the growth and development of the Northern Plains Section of our Chapter. Bill currently works for Butler Machinery Company, a CAT and agricultural equipment dealer headquartered in Fargo, ND and multiple locations across ND, SD, and NE, as their Safety & Risk Manager.

Bill lives in Lincoln, ND, just outside of Bismarck, where he lives with his wife and 2.5 year old son; with another due in July. In his spare time, he enjoys doing various outdoor activities. He has also recently helped to start up a Safety/Security team at the church that his family attends to help ensure the safety of our congregation.

Bill looks forward to the opportunity to continue to help support and lead ASSP and the Safety Profession by serving as a Member-at-Large for the Northwest Chapter of ASSP.

Victorio Angulo Escudero, PE CSP, CIH

Victorio is an engineer with degrees in mechanical and agricultural engineering who had focused his professional career to the field of health and safety. He earned a master degree in Safety at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. He is a registered professional engineer PE, Certified Safety Professional CSP and Certified Industrial Hygienist, CIH with  more than 27 years of professional experience in the safety and health field working for diverse industries such as petrochemical, mining, manufacturing, transportation and logistics.

Currently, Victorio works at 3M for the Personal Safety Division. He is a member of the ASSP American Society of Safety Professionals and AIHA American Industrial Hygiene Association and is a member of the Risk Control Advisory Board at the University of Wisconsin-Stout.

Victorio would like to provide a more direct support for the ASSP NW Chapter and has submitted his name for the member at large position.

House Delegate

Jeffrey Jarvela, CSP, OHST

Jeff is currently the Corporate Health & Safety Manager for Cleveland-Cliffs Inc., a U.S. iron ore mining company supplying taconite pellets the U.S. steel industry. He is responsible for providing guidance, support, oversight, and coordination to Cliffs’ mine GMs and Area Safety Managers in capital projects, program development, incident prevention and investigation, regulatory compliance, and related training.

Jeff has been an ASSP Member since 1997 and a Professional Member since 2004. He is currently serving in the Chapter House of Delegates, appointed to the position in January 2018. He also serves as the UMD Student Section Liaison for the NW Chapter. In this role, Jeff acts as the link for the Master of Environmental Health and Safety students to the local ASSP Chapter and the Society. He is proud to be able to provide guidance and support for the students of his alma mater. Jeff has also served his local Chapter in Region V as Vice President (2009-10) and as President-Elect for a short while before having to resign due to relocating to northern MN for a new opportunity. Jeff has also volunteered at the Society level as the Award & Honors Committee Chair for the Mining Practice Specialty (2014-17), now known as Oil, Gas, Mining and Mineral Resources, where he remains an active member.

Jeff holds certifications as a Certified Safety Professional (CSP) and Occupational Hygiene and Safety Technician (OHST). He earned his B.A.S. in Industrial Technologies (1996) and Masters Degree in Industrial Safety (1997) from the University of Minnesota – Duluth, and has over 20 years of professional safety experience. Prior to Cliffs, Jeff gained 13 years of experience in the manufacturing, warehousing, and airline industries. He is also a member of the National Safety Council, Minnesota Safety Council, American Industrial Hygiene Association, and National Fire Protection Association.

Jeff looks forward to continuing to serve the NW Chapter in the House of Delegates, as the UMD Student Section Liaison, and acting as a resource for the Chapter in northern MN.

Megan Rooney, CSP

Megan has been a safety and OSHA compliance professional for 20 years. She has driven OSHA compliance and injury reduction in Stores and Supply Chain at Target Corporation for the last 7 years and is known for collaboration among cross-functional groups from safety to operations to employee relations. She got her start at IEA, Inc., a local environmental, health and safety consulting organization where she worked in the field as a technician, managed client accounts, and finally led her own division of EHS professionals.

Megan joined ASSP in 2007 as a way to connect with other safety professionals in similar careers. She was Treasurer of the board for 2 years in 2008-2010, served on the PDC planning committee from 2012 to 2017, was a Member at Large 2016-2018, and held the delegate role the previous two years. She served as Co-Vice President and Co-President of the board of the Parent Teacher Student Organization for her children’s school from 2013-2017 and is currently involved with the Arthritis Foundation as a member of the Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis committee.

Megan lives in Woodbury with her husband of 18 years and her two kids, Taylor age 13 and Liam age 9. She most enjoys spending time with her family at the cabin, watching her kids play soccer, basketball, volleyball, lacrosse, golf, curl, and downhill ski, and occasionally reading a book for fun. She really enjoys working with the Northwest Chapter and, if elected, is excited to continue in this role!

The Northwest Chapter awarded four students with $4000 in scholarships. Alyson Harding from the University of Minnesota, Dadee Saye from the University of Minnesota, El’gin Avila from the University of Minnesota, and Luke Fena from the University of Minnesota – Duluth. The students presented themselves very well and the Northwest Chapter board wishes them the best of luck with their future Safety and Environmental Health careers.

Alyson Harding, U of M School of Public Health – Scholarship Recipient – $1200

Ms. Harding will graduate with a PhD – Environmental Health Sciences in 2023 from the University of Minnesota. She holds a Master of Public Health, Epidemiology from the University of Pittsburgh and a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry and Anthropology from North Carolina State University. Ms. Harding has worked in leadership roles for Habitat for Humanity in New Orleans and Denver. Her other leadership roles include Student Public Health Epidemic Response Effort and Epi Give Back. Ms. Harding has research experience at multiple institutes that include University of Minnesota, University of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, PA, North Carolina State, and the Smithsonian, Washington, DC.

 

Dadee Saye, U of M School of Public Health – Scholarship Recipient – $1200

Mr. Saye will graduate with a Master of Science – Industrial Hygiene from the University of Minnesota in the Spring of 2021, holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from the University of The Gambia, West Africa. He also holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Cuttington University, Liberia. He is currently working as a Graduate Research Assistant for the University of Minnesota and a Direct Care Professional for Mary T Inc., Coon Rapids, MN. Mr. Saye has worked as Acting Chief of Medical Staff and General Practitioner at Phebe Hospital & School of Nursing, Liberia. He’s was a part time lecturer at Cuttington University, Liberia and worked as an Intern Doctor at the JFK Medical Center in Monrovia, Liberia.

 

El’gin Avila, U of M School of Public Health – Scholarship Recipient – $800

Mr. Avila will graduate with a PhD, Environmental Health Sciences – Industrial Hygiene from the University of Minnesota in the Summer of 2020. He holds a Master of Public Health – Environmental Health Sciences from George Washington University and a Bachelor of Science – Psychology and Biology from Easter Michigan University. Mr. Avila is the founder of Equitable Health Solutions, LLC, and has worked as a Graduate Teaching Assistant at the University of Arizona, an Administrative Assistant at George Washington University, a Patient Transporter at Henry Ford Health Systems, a Television Researcher at Joyce Julius and Associates, and as an Independent Tutor. Mr. Avila has research experience at multiple institutes that include University of Minnesota, University of Arizona, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, George Washington University and Eastern Michigan University.

Luke Fena, UMD Master of Environmental Health and Safety – Scholarship Recipient – $800

Mr. Fena will graduate with a Master of Environmental Health and Safety from the University of Minnesota – Duluth in May 2020. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from The College of St. Scholastica, Duluth and an Associate of Arts from Hibbing Community College. Mr. Fena currently works as a Direct Support Specialist at Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Residential and Community Services. He has also worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant at Keystone Bluffs Assisted Living, and as a General Laborer for Max Gray Construction.

During this COVID-19 time, local students are having difficulty securing internships.

Students in EHS programs need not only knowledge but experience to bring to future employers,  We have a great group of talented people at schools within our Chapter including the University of Minnesota, Duluth and the University of Wisconsin-Stout.

If you might have an internship or are looking for a high-quality summer staff person, please send an email to the student faculty and liaison contacts listed below.

UMD Student Section Faculty Advisor:  Katie Schofield, PhD, CSP, ARM umdfaculty@northwest.assp.org

UMD Student Section Liason: Jeff Jarvela, CSP  umd@northwest.assp.org

UW-Stout Student Section Faculty Advisor: Brian Finder, CIH uwstoutfaculty@northwest.assp.org

UW-Stout Student Section Liason:  Garry Kroft  uwstout@northwest.assp.org

Thank you!!