HSES Manager

• May 2023 - Present

Sr. Manager - Safety - Midwest Region

• Jun 2013 - May 2023

Responsible for managing environmental, health, and safety in Midwest Region, managing EHS for over 8,500 employees consisting of 20+ fulfillment, administrative, and pharmacy facilities in Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Canada with ~18 MM annual work hours. Responsible for managing environmental, health, and safety in Midwest Region, managing EHS for over 8,500 employees consisting of 20+ fulfillment, administrative, and pharmacy facilities in Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Canada with ~18 MM annual work hours.

Environmental, Health, Safety, and Security Manager

• Jun 2010 - Jun 2013

• Ensured corporate and site environmental, health, safety, & security programs (EHSS) were implemented in compliance with federal and state regulatory requirements. • Developed site safety and health programs for new and existing employees. Developed, prepared, and modified 50+ EHSS management system documents. • Delivered over 2 years injury free through implementation of a new safety accountability program and hands on work for employee engagement. • Partnered with Corporate EHS Department to audit other ConAgra facilities. Individually assisted three other ConAgra facilities in wastewater/CIP processes, energy studies, near miss process implementation and other environmental work. • Directed and recommended industrial hygiene (IH) improvements in working conditions based on upon IH sample collection. • Learned and implemented TPM/CPS (Continuous Improvement) processes to focus on and eliminate EHSS losses. • Partnered to reduce yield loss and determine the associated environmental/sustainability consequences. Team saved over $1.5MM on an annual basis and was awarded 1st place at the 2012 ConAgra Sustainable Development Awards. • Successfully passed several internal ConAgra Assessments (Insurance/Fire Protection, EHS, Electrical, Environmental, Security, & Wal-Mart). One of the auditors commented that he has been on over 400 audits during his time with ConAgra, and this was the best environmental audit he had experienced. • Developed 5 self-functioning safety subcommittees (with myself as a resource): Behavioral, Ergonomics, Lock Out Tag Out, Sustainability (Green Team), and Near Miss. • Increased plant landfill diversion rate from 30% to 56% in 2 years through implementation of single stream recycling and a new tracking system. • Worked with Metropolitan Sanitary District (MSD) to reduce wastewater costs for the facility related to BOD surcharges. MSD approved, resulting in cost savings of approximately $50,000 per year. Show less

Safety & Environmental Engineer

• Jan 2005 - Jun 2010

• Contributed to a team that created an innovative Management of Change process and tracking software system that became a model program, which was adapted at several other company locations. • Directed and recommended industrial hygiene (IH) improvements in working conditions based on upon IH sample collection. Developed and modified facility IH plan, establishing similar exposure group classifications. • Recognized specific employee exposure hazards in several facility areas, completing projects to install engineering controls (modifying equipment and procedures and improving ventilation). • Supervised 20+ Process Hazard Analyses (PHAs) for new processes and revalidations. • Spearheaded SHES compliance effort for construction of new plant processes worth over $25 million. Teamed with site management, corporate management, and state regulatory agencies to facilitate project success. • Participated as an active member of Lonza Emergency Response Team (Assistant Chief). Directed training activities and participated in emergency response exercises. • Promoted to manage five wastewater and product packagers. Successfully led packaging team to reduce packaging time and costs. • Maintained several cost centers for SHES and logistics packaging. Successfully reduced costs in several areas as part of a plant wide cost-reduction initiative. • Monitored and audited plant-wide environmental activities. Reduced permit violations in wastewater management system by 50%. • Developed plant infrastructure database, which led to improved energy efficiency and cost savings. • Served as a key member of the Plant Safety Committee, implementing numerous safety projects to eliminate/reduce potential for accidents in the plant. • Served as member of Mapleton Community Advisory Panel, working with local residents to address SHES concerns. Show less

Staff Environmental Scientist

• Mar 2003 - Jan 2005

• Provided safety, health, and environmental consulting to a variety of clients. Completed Environmental Protection Agency reports, including: Annual Emission Reporting, Tier II Chemical Inventory Reporting, Toxic Release Inventory Reporting, Energy Usage Reporting, and Hazardous Waste Reporting. • Planned and conducted IH monitoring for various contaminants. Performed noise exposure assessments, detection system calibrations, and collected samples for several clients. Recommended changes to clients based upon sample results. • Conducted Phase I, II, and III Environmental Site Assessments. Researched property history for potential contamination. Collected soil and groundwater samples if history indicated any potential for contamination. Contributed to a team to create site specific remediation systems for various contamination sites. Show less