Greetings ASSP Safety Community!
I am very happy to be writing my first President’s Message to all of you. It was fifteen years ago that I attended my first ASSE meeting at Black Bear Diner with one of my safety mentors, Mary Hoskins. That was before the name change to ASSP with “E” standing for Engineers instead of the current “P” for Professionals. I cannot even describe how intimidated I was, I was not an engineer! And at the time I was a Human Resources Manager that had been given safety responsibilities due to cutbacks in the wood products industry when the housing bubble broke in 2008. So, not only was I not an engineer I also did not consider myself a knowledgeable safety professional. I was so nervous I am not sure I heard any of the meeting as all I could hear was my heart pounding. I could not wait to get out of there!
Fast forward three years and I attended my second ASSP meeting at the Red Lion. I was working for a new organization and was looking for a safety professional for my team. In those three years I gained more safety knowledge and credibility and was really able to engage in the meeting. I was impressed with the professionalism and sense of community. True care and respect was evident and the fellowship was very welcoming. Shortly thereafter I became a member, with pride. Not only did I find a safety professional for my team, I found a venue to learn and grow professionally and to build relationships with people I now consider friends.
The following year I was asked to join the Executive Committee to fill the role of Treasurer. While my career was in HR and Safety, my educational back ground was in Accounting. I love numbers and took to the role immediately, it felt so good to flex my accounting muscles again. I spent the next eight years as Treasurer refining our accounting and budgeting practices with the help and support of the Executive Committee. Last year I decided I wanted to broaden my horizons and moved into the Vice President role anticipating becoming President for our 2023-2024 year.
I have learned so much serving on the Executive Committee. Every year the make-up of the group changes slightly as new members move in and others move out. Despite these changes so much stays the same. True collaboration with the guiding principle of serving our safety community, psychological safety that fosters constructive dissent and reaching consensus, safety professionals that are generous with their time and selflessly volunteer. I never imagined I would get so much back from volunteering my time. And serving on the Conference Planning Committee has been even more fulfilling.
We are holding our first full three day Southern Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Conference since 2019 due to the pandemic. It will be held at Ashland Hills Event Center October 17-19. I am so excited to see familiar faces and meet new attendees to the event. And special thanks to Mike Hill and David Hanson along with the Conference Planning Committee for continuing to serve our safety community during the pandemic by providing online events in 2020 and 2021 and a hybrid conference in 2022. With Mike’s assistance we also pivoted to virtual monthly meetings immediately starting in April 2020 in order to consistently serve our safety community.
In closing, I urge you to grasp opportunities to be part of the Southern Oregon safety community. Join one of the monthly meetings, attend the Executive Committee prior to the monthly meeting to learn how the gears of the Executive Committee turn, and please join us at the Conference. What you give will come back to you exponentially. Thank you so much for being a part of our safety community and sharing the passion for protecting the safety of so many. Hope to see you in October if not sooner!
Patti McGuire, Chapter President
Greetings ASSP Safety Community!
I am very happy to be writing my first President’s Message to all of you. It was fifteen years ago that I attended my first ASSE meeting at Black Bear Diner with one of my safety mentors, Mary Hoskins. That was before the name change to ASSP with “E” standing for Engineers instead of the current “P” for Professionals. I cannot even describe how intimidated I was, I was not an engineer! And at the time I was a Human Resources Manager that had been given safety responsibilities due to cutbacks in the wood products industry when the housing bubble broke in 2008. So, not only was I not an engineer I also did not consider myself a knowledgeable safety professional. I was so nervous I am not sure I heard any of the meeting as all I could hear was my heart pounding. I could not wait to get out of there!
Fast forward three years and I attended my second ASSP meeting at the Red Lion. I was working for a new organization and was looking for a safety professional for my team. In those three years I gained more safety knowledge and credibility and was really able to engage in the meeting. I was impressed with the professionalism and sense of community. True care and respect was evident and the fellowship was very welcoming. Shortly thereafter I became a member, with pride. Not only did I find a safety professional for my team, I found a venue to learn and grow professionally and to build relationships with people I now consider friends.
The following year I was asked to join the Executive Committee to fill the role of Treasurer. While my career was in HR and Safety, my educational back ground was in Accounting. I love numbers and took to the role immediately, it felt so good to flex my accounting muscles again. I spent the next eight years as Treasurer refining our accounting and budgeting practices with the help and support of the Executive Committee. Last year I decided I wanted to broaden my horizons and moved into the Vice President role anticipating becoming President for our 2023-2024 year.
I have learned so much serving on the Executive Committee. Every year the make-up of the group changes slightly as new members move in and others move out. Despite these changes so much stays the same. True collaboration with the guiding principle of serving our safety community, psychological safety that fosters constructive dissent and reaching consensus, safety professionals that are generous with their time and selflessly volunteer. I never imagined I would get so much back from volunteering my time. And serving on the Conference Planning Committee has been even more fulfilling.
We are holding our first full three day Southern Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Conference since 2019 due to the pandemic. It will be held at Ashland Hills Event Center October 17-19. I am so excited to see familiar faces and meet new attendees to the event. And special thanks to Mike Hill and David Hanson along with the Conference Planning Committee for continuing to serve our safety community during the pandemic by providing online events in 2020 and 2021 and a hybrid conference in 2022. With Mike’s assistance we also pivoted to virtual monthly meetings immediately starting in April 2020 in order to consistently serve our safety community.
In closing, I urge you to grasp opportunities to be part of the Southern Oregon safety community. Join one of the monthly meetings, attend the Executive Committee prior to the monthly meeting to learn how the gears of the Executive Committee turn, and please join us at the Conference. What you give will come back to you exponentially. Thank you so much for being a part of our safety community and sharing the passion for protecting the safety of so many. Hope to see you in October if not sooner!
Patti McGuire, Chapter President
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