The National Safety Council welcomed a new chair and 11 new members to its board of directors. Andrew Johnson, executive vice president and chief risk control officer at Captive Resources LLC, is board chair. He succeeds Mark Vergnano, CEO and president of The Chemours Company.
The 11 new board members voted in are:
- Paul Aasen, president of the Minnesota Safety Council
- Dane M. Bremer, director of global business continuity, employee safety, enterprise security and business continuity for Liberty Mutual Insurance
- James W. Connell Jr., executive vice president and chief customer officer for Centuri Group Inc.
- Kathleen Eaton, vice president of safety, building services and energy management for The Home Depot
- Cheryl Gomez-Smith, director of operations excellence, personnel safety and global security at Exxon Mobil Corporation
- Rose McMurray, chief transportation safety advisor for FDRsafety LLC
- Travis Parsons, associate director of occupational safety and health for the Laborers' Health and Safety Fund of North America
- Jane Sinclair, general counsel and company secretary for Firmenich International SA
- Brad Thomas, president of First Transit and First Vehicle Services for FirstGroup plc
- Chantal Trépanier, president of SIM/Cognibox, Inc.
- Glenn Trout, CEO and president of VelocityEHS
“We are thrilled to welcome our new board members and excited about the depth and breadth of experience they bring to help advance safety,” said Lorraine M. Martin, NSC president and CEO. “I am eager to collaborate with them to enhance safety on the road, at work, and in our homes and communities, furthering the NSC mission.”
Johnson has stepped into his new role as NSC chair. Since 1992, he has been with Captive Resources, an independent captive consulting company that assists businesses in controlling their insurance costs. He holds both CSP (certified safety professional) and ARM (associate in risk management) designations.
“I am honored to be the new NSC Board chair and look forward to the positive impact the new board members will have on the work the Council is doing,” Johnson said. “As an NSC Board member since 2012, I am well-versed on the important role our members play when it comes to furthering the NSC objective of eliminating preventable deaths in our lifetime. I am confident the new board members have the understanding and know-how to meaningfully contribute to the mission.”
Aasen is president of the Minnesota Safety Council, a chapter of NSC. His work has included advocating for and helping to pass hands-free cell phone and farm safety legislation. In addition, Aasen is chairman of the Minnesota OSHA Advisory Council. He serves as chapter representative on the NSC Board.
Bremer has been with Liberty Mutual for 27 years. In his current role, he is responsible for implementing Liberty Mutual's safety and environmental health strategy companywide, which has generated significant reductions in key injury and prevention metrics.
Connell Jr. is responsible for enterprise strategic planning, business development, corporate communications, marketing and brand management for Centuri Group Inc., a utility infrastructure services company. He joined Centuri in 2006.
Eaton joined The Home Depot in 2005. She is responsible for providing a safe, efficient and functional environment across the enterprise. Prior to joining the company, she worked in the third-party property and energy management industry and worked for a decade in the logistics industry.
Gomez-Smith began her career with ExxonMobil in 1990. With nearly 30 years of experience in the oil and gas industry, she is currently responsible for helping to deliver the world’s best personnel safety and security solutions to drive meaningful improvements in operational excellence throughout ExxonMobil’s global operations. Previously, she was president of ExxonMobil Kazakhstan Inc.
McMurray is chief transportation safety advisor for FDRsafety LLC, a company that provides training and services to make workplaces productive, safe and healthy. In her role, McMurray provides transportation safety advisory services to clients, while also offering federal regulatory compliance strategies. She serves as a Division representative on the NSC Board.
Parsons is associate director of occupational safety and health for the Laborers' Health and Safety Fund of North America. His work includes working as a safety and health advocate for signatory contractors and members of the Laborers' International Union of North America, and serving as a subject matter expert in occupational safety and health. He serves as a Division representative on the National Safety Council Board.
Sinclair leads the legal and compliance functions for Swiss-based Firmenich International SA, a privately owned fragrance and flavor company. Her duties across Firmenich’s worldwide operations include direct oversight for quality, health, safety, security and environment.
Thomas joined First Transit and First Vehicle Services in 2003 and was named president in 2009. With more than 25 years of experience in the transit industry, he is well versed in traditional markets, including fixed-route, paratransit, shuttle and vehicle maintenance, as well as new emerging mobility services. Committed to the safety of the community, passengers and employees, he oversees all Transit operations across North America.
Trépanier has been the head of SIM/Cognibox for nearly 20 years. She launched the technological shift that led to the creation of Cognibox software, a leader in contractor risks and compliance management. In 2015, she won the Investissement Québec CEO of the Year Award, given by executive leaders in the tech field.
Trout since 2000 has been CEO and president of VelocityEHS, a cloud-based environmental, health, safety and sustainability software platform. Previously, he worked at Ernst and Young LLP in its mergers and acquisitions advisory group. He also served in the U.S. Air Force as an air weapons controller.
More information about the National Safety Board of Directors is available here.
About the National Safety Council
The National Safety Council is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to eliminate preventable deaths at work, in homes and communities, and on the road through leadership, research, education and advocacy. Founded in 1913 and chartered by Congress, NSC advances this mission by partnering with businesses, government agencies, elected officials and the public in areas where we can make the most impact.
