19th Annual
Greater St. Louis Safety and Health
Conference
Presenter Bio's
Patte Ackermann, Industrial Outreach, SSM Health. For the majority of her career, Patte has dedicated herself professionally to working with employers to reduce workers’ compensation claims and their associated costs. Her expertise includes job site physical therapy and work conditioning utilizing the tools of the trade to ensure that therapy is as functional as is possible. She also specializes in on-site injury prevention classes, job-site flex and stretch programs, job analyses, ergonomic assessment and recommendations, individualized exercise programs, body mechanics coaching, job descriptions, Post Offer Employment Development and any other method of helping employees and employers with the common goal of improving jobsite safety.
Chris Archer, Principle of Archer & Lassa LLC. Chris has defended Missouri Employers for 32 years in the field of workers’ compensation. He is an editor/author of the Missouri Bar's lawyer desk reference book on Missouri workers' compensation, and for eighteen years has been the author and editor of the Missouri Bar's monthly “Courts and CLE Bulletin” summarizing workers’ compensation cases for attorneys statewide. He is a guest lecturer for St Louis School of Law and a perennial speaker for the DWC annual Lake of the Ozarks seminar held every Spring. Chris has served as an advising attorney for business lobbying groups with the Missouri Legislature and was the recipient of the Distinguished Lawyer of the Year Award in 2012 as voted by Kids’ Chance of Missouri and Bar Association of Metropolitan St Louis.
Brandon Anderson, Vice President, Safety, AGC of Missouri. With 24 years of experience in construction, Mr. Anderson, prior to joining AGCMO in 2020 as safety consultant, was employed by the Missouri Department of Transportation for 17 years, including 15 years as a lead safety instructor. With a background from working alongside and leading “boots on the ground”, employee development and safety training brings real world knowledge and experience to the table.
Dave Ballew, Quality Control Manager, Safety Coordinator, Guarantee Electrical Company Dave has many years of experience as foreman, general foreman, and site safety representative on commercial, industrial, and health care projects. In addition, he has performed on projects involving Power Distribution, Fire Alarm and Medical Testing Equipment, Nurse Call, Conveyor/Processing Controls, X-Ray, Cath Lab, MRI, and Linear Accelerator. Dave’s duties on site include maintaining and creating MoP jobsite documents.
Identifying and mitigating jobsite and task specific hazards. Planning and holding toolbox talks and safety huddles. Doing Job Hazard Assessments and Pre-Task Safety Assessments. Planning and scheduling energized equipment cutovers, and de-energizing and providing temporary power for maintenance.
Chris Brewer, PE, CIH, Principle, ATON Environmental Consulting
Russell Cantrell, MD, Pace Medical, LLC. Dr. Russell is a Board-Certified Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Specialist. Dr. Cantrell specializes in the evaluation and treatment of musculoskeletal and neurologic pain and injury. He is affiliated with medical facilities such as Missouri Baptist Medical Center, SSM Saint Clar Hospital, and Des Peres Hospital just to name a few. Dr. Cantrel received his Doctor of Medicine from the University of Tennessee.
Todd Cook, Director, Safety & Health for Guarantee Electrical Company. Todd is the Director of Safety & Health for Guarantee Electrical Company. He has over 20 years of construction safety experience working for general and specialty contractors. His education includes degrees in Construction Management from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and Industrial Hygiene from Montana Technological University. He holds the CIH and CSP certifications, and enjoys long walks on construction sites.
Leland Darrow, Consultant, HAZARDSGONE, LLC. Leland retired from OSHA after 30 years with the agency. He is the only compliance officer who developed a significant case against an employer in this century for willfully violating recordkeeping requirements. After nine months of retirement, Leland started his own consulting firm HAZARDSGONE, LLC, which operates in the nine counties comprising southeast Missouri and two counties in northeastern Arizona.
Angela Dartt, PHD, CIH Director, Office of Chemistry Safety, Washington University in St. Louis
Kevin Deitsch, Warning Coordination Meteorologist, National Weather Service. Kevin is the Warning Coordination Meteorologist (WCM) for the National Weather Service in St Louis, MO. In this job, he focuses on partner engagement with the media, emergency management and other local officials in 46 counties in Missouri and Illinois. Previously, Kevin had worked as a Lead Forecaster for NWS St. Louis before getting promoted to WCM in 2018. Prior to coming to the St. Louis office, Kevin worked as a forecaster in Louisville, KY and Des Moines, IA. Kevin has a passion for providing decision support services to important decision makers like schools and MoDOT/IDOT and for giving the local community timely and accurate weather information.
Chris Hicks, Consultant. Christopher (Chris) Hicks is an experienced, results-oriented, environmental, health and safety (EHS) professional with a successful career. He is multifaceted with experience and expertise in EHS management systems, regulatory compliance, process/project reviews, auditing, training, inspections, and incident investigations. Chris has over 45 years of professional EHS experience and as a subject matter expertise in the field with employers and while working with regulatory agencies for the benefit of employers and employees.
Chris holds a Master of Science Degree in Industrial Safety from the University of Central Missouri and a dual Bachelor of Science Degree in Safety Management and Environmental Safety from Indiana State University. He is a Certified Safety Executive (CSE) through the Certification and Accreditation Board of the World Safety Organization. Chris has taught Master and bachelor’s degree Safety Management and Engineering courses as an adjunct professor for the University of Central Missouri.
Austin Johnson, Safety Director, Sachs Electric Company. Austin Johnson joined Sachs on 11/30/20 from AECOM where he has spent the past six years as an Environmental Health & Safety Manager primarily focused on their Oil & Gas Division. Before AECOM, he also served in various safety roles on projects for companies such as Rosendin and Ash Grove Materials. He holds a BS in Occupational Safety & Health from Murray State and a Master’s in Occupational Safety & Health/Environmental Management from Columbia Southern University along with the CSP/CHST/STSc credentials from the Board of Certified Safety Professionals.
Cliff Johnson, Trucking Specialist, Acuity A Mutual Insurance Company. Cliff brings over 36 years of industry experience to the position, including industrial risk control with extensive field experience in loss control, fleet management in trucking and logging operations, and manufacturing settings. Cliff specializes in promoting safe operations of motor carriers in the trucking industry. His experience also includes his owning and managing his own trucking, logging, and road work construction entities. Cliff has his MS in Risk Control from the University of Wisconsin, Stout.
Samuel Kurtz, Research Assistant for the Healthy Work Center at Washington University in St. Louis. Sam works with Dr. Ann Marie Dale who has conducted research on reducing chronic musculoskeletal disorders and risks for opioid addiction and other substance use disorders over the past 20 years. Sam was involved in developing the Workplace Opioid Guidelines for Construction to be presented today.
Conner LaLonde, Safety Manager Cambridge Air Solutions. Cambridge Air Solutions is a manufacturer of industrial HVAC equipment that aims to help people leaders create more comfortable working environments for their hard-working people. Conner has been in his current role for 3 years, prior to that, he worked on the heater factory floor at Cambridge for 3 years. He also has experience in busy commercial kitchens, and outdoor summer camps. Conner will share his first-hand experience and safety knowledge with heat stress both on the job and off.
Bill McDonald, CSP, OSHA Area Director, St. Louis. Bill has served with distinction as Area Director in St. Louis Area since 2001. Throughout his career with OSHA, Bill has been tasked to serve on many national and regional task forces and serve in numerous leadership positions Nationwide. He has earned many leadership honors locally, regionally and nationally to include the Department of Labor’s National Leadership Award. He has also been fortunate to see his office earn the Area Office of the Year on two separate occasions.
Bill has also been recognized for his work in promoting private/public partnerships in the reduction of injuries, illnesses, and fatalities by the National Home Builders Association. Bill was privileged to serve in the US Air Force and has also earned the distinction of Certified Safety Professional (CSP ). Bill loves to hunt and fish as well as cheer on his favorite sports teams. He is proud husband and father to seven children and two grandchildren.
Domini Montgomery, Director of Safety & Risk Management, Saint Louis Zoo. Since June of 2015, Domini has managed all aspects of the Safety & Risk Management Department, as well as the First Aid Station. Domini works with all departments on training and record keeping, compliance, and maintains written policies and procedures. She is passionate about creating safe and enjoyable experiences for everyone; she works with both staff and guests every day and is focused on keeping safety a top priority and ensuring everyone goes home no worse for wear than when they arrived.
Domini has a background in biology, public health, and safety from which to draw experience, and has focused the last 7 years on guest and staff safety, disaster preparedness, and environmental health. 2020 brought with it new challenges for everyone, but an amazing Safety & Risk Management team and excellent dedication and commitment to safety across the organization meant that there was nothing that couldn’t be conquered!
Julie O’Keefe, Partner, Armstrong, Teasdale. For more than 25 years, Julie O’Keefe has proudly represented businesses in environmental and occupational safety and health matters brought by governmental agencies, including, among others, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and state counterparts, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state counterparts, and private entities. She has represented businesses in regulatory matters in virtually every state in the U.S. She also represents heavy industrial manufacturers in wide-ranging contract negotiations.
For businesses, Julie is the face of the company when dealing with the EPA, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the Illinois EPA and other state environmental agencies in matters involving laws such as the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Emergency Planning & Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), Clean Air Act, FIFRA, Clean Water Act and the negotiation and performance of remedial investigation/feasibility studies and engineering evaluation/cost analyses. She advises clients in matters involving site assessments, remediation activities, compliance violations, contracts, and due diligence during sale or acquisition of real estate, asset sales and stock sales. She also handles CERCLA cost recovery actions and California Proposition 65 actions.
As an OSHA practitioner, Julie counsels’ companies in willful, serious and repeat citations and criminal investigations. She has appeared before many administrative law judges in OSHA evidentiary hearings before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission and state administrative tribunals. Julie has been recognized several times on the list of Missouri/Kansas Super Lawyers Top 50 Women, which is based upon peer review.
Jay Petry, President, Process Marketing Group. Jay started the company back in 2000 with Mark Damon and Paul Gott who have since retired. Jay has grown the business significantly over the last few years, with a vision to keep growing.
Jay has been a manufacturer's representative over 25 years. Prior to becoming an agent, Jay was a territory manager for a distributor of industrial products for six years. Jay is very knowledgeable in the Fall Protection Industry and continues to provide solution selling to each of his customers.
Process Marketing Group’s partnership with Guardian Fall, the largest independent manufacturer focused solely on fall protection, was created to service the broadest range of individuals working at height. Guardian Fall offers an extensive line of fall protection equipment, custom-engineered fall protection systems, and construction Jobsite safety training. All products are designed to meet or exceed all applicable OSHA and ANSI requirements.
Ricky Reams, Vice President of Safety and Quality, Murphy Companies
Ricky W Reams serves as the Vice President of Safety and Quality for Murphy Company and has over 25 Years’ experience as a safety professional and consultant in a variety of industries in both the public and private Sectors with an emphasis on heavy industrial and large commercial projects. Mr. Reams recently served as the President of the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) and is an active member of several other local and national safety boards including
the American General Contractors (AGC), the American Subcontractors Association (ASA), the Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCAA), the St. Louis Council of Construction Consumers (SLC3), the Association of Union Contractors (TAUC), the National Association of Construction Boilermaker Employers (NACBE), The Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors National Association (SMACNA), the National Demolition Association (NDA), and the American Allied Safety Council (AASC). Recently appointed to the National Mental Health & Suicide Prevention Task Force.
Rebecca Smith, Security Manager, Spire
Dr. Douglas Swanson, Field Specialist in Labor and Workforce Development, the University of Missouri Extension. His work has focused on stressors that influence and impede advancements in the workforce such as opioid use, addiction, access to mental health care, a slowing of the birth rate, and rising retirement rates. Additionally, Doug is the Labor Studies Program Coordinator for the University of Missouri St. Louis. Dr. Swanson came to the University of Missouri after careers with the Illinois Department of Transportation and in the community of labor. He has degrees in the study of Social Justice at the UMSL College of Education (E.D.), an MS in Labor Studies from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, a BA in Union Leadership and Administration from the National Labor College, and an AAS in Management from Sauk Valley Community College.
Matt Simcox, Safety Manager, PayneCrest Electric. Matt has 16+ years in Construction Safety Management. Including 10 Years as Safety Director for PayneCrest Electric. He earned his BS, from the University of Central Missouri Graduate, in Safety Management. He can hold his breath underwater for over a minute... hoping this is not his Show and Tell at the conference.
Patrick Wineburner, CSP VP Safety & Risk Management, Budrovich. Patrick has worked in Construction Safety for 26 years in various capacities. For the past 16 years helping the employees of the Budrovich family of companies become some of the best in the business.