Faculty
Logan Barr
Nucor Steel Gallatin
831 US-42
Ghent, KY 41045
nucor.com
Ms. Barr served as Safety Advocate at Nucor Steel Gallatin and is now the Pickle Line Shift Supervisor.
Seth Bendorf, CHST
Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet
Department of Workplace Standards
Division of OSH Compliance
500 Mero Street, 3rd Floor
Frankfort, KY 40601
elc.ky.gov
Mr. Bendorf is a graduate of Eastern Kentucky University with a degree in Fire and Safety Engineering Technology with an emphasis in Industrial Safety and Rish management. He joined the Education and Labor Cabinet in 2002 and has worked in a number of positions in the Division of Occupatinal Safety and Health (OSH) Compliance, serving as the Director of OSH Compliance since May 2020. He holds a certificate from the Board of Certified Safety Professionals as a Construction Safety and Health Technician.
Chris Breetz
Nucor Steel Gallatin
831 US-42
Ghent, KY 41045
nucor.com
Mr. Breetz was born and raised in Kentucky, has his master’s in mechanical engineering, and most importantly is married to a schoolteacher with four (4) grown children and two (2) grandchildren. Chris started his career in the steel industry in 1991. He worked in various roles at North American Stainless in Carroll County, ultimately managing capital expansion efforts as well as hot-rolling mill operations. With that experience, he joined Nucor Steel Gallatin in 2017 as its Engineering Director to help with the expansion of its facility in Gallatin County. Since then, the team at Nucor has successfully started up its Pickle Galvanizing Line and is in the final stages of an expansion that is doubling its melting and hot rolling capacity. In total, Chris has been involved in capital expansion activities in the steel industry totaling over $2 billion.
Ted Buck, QSSP
Draeger Safety
7256 South Sam Houston West Parkway
Houston, TX 77085
draeger.com
Mr. Buck has over three (3) decades of experience working in industry, construction, utilities, and other hazardous environments. Ted specializes in respiratory protection, program development, and regulatory guidance. He provides guidance in a wide variety of industrial applications as he works with clients to ensure life safety. Ted has a B.S. degree in Safety Management and is a former NFPA 1991 committee member on chemical protective clothing.
Tracie Burchett, MSN, RN, TCRN
University of Louisville Hospital Trauma Institute
401 East Chestnut, Suite 180
Louisville, KY 40202
uoflhealth.org/locations/uofl-hospital/services/trauma
Ms. Burchett has a bachelor’s degree in nursing from St. Louis University and a master’s in nursing education from Bellarmine University. Tracie has been a nurse for thirteen (13) years, ten (10) of which have been at the University of Louisville Hospital. Treating trauma patients her whole career, Tracie took the position of Trauma Education and Outreach Coordinator at U of L Hospital in 2021.
Michael Chapman, EdD., LAT, ATC
Amazon.com and University of Louisville
2904 Arden Road
Louisville, KY 40220
amazon.com
Dr. Chapman is a Global Sr. Ergonomics Program Manager at Amazon.com, specializing in injury prevention, ergonomics, and organizational change management. In addition, Michael is an adjunct professor at the University of Louisville teaching the Care and Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorder coursework. With over ten (10) years as a healthcare worker and ten (10) years supporting operational leadership, Michael’s drive is to support new and established Kentucky businesses as they set out to reduce root cause risk factors associated with chronic musculoskeletal disorders.
Tanner Cloyd
Nucor Steel Gallatin
831 US-42
Ghent, KY 41045
nucor.com
Mr. Cloyd is a Safety Coordinator at Nucor Steel Gallatin in Ghent, KY. Previously, Tanner spent ten (10) years in Operations as a Mill Operator/Team Lead, as well as serving as Safety Team Leader and Safety Advocate.
Jake Davis, OT, CHT
Foundation Hand and Physical Therapy
350Radio Park Drive, Suite 1
Richmond, Kentucky 40475
foundationhandandpt.com
Mr. Davis is a certified hand therapist and occupational therapist. Jake attended graduate school at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, KY. He has worked in outpatient therapy for four (4) years and has worked in an industrial rehab setting for the last four (4) years at Toyota Manufacturing of Kentucky. As part of his outpatient experience, he has worked with multiple local companies to provide FCE services, work conditioning programs, and consultations.
Scotty Dunlap, EdD, CSP
Eastern Kentucky University
521 Lancaster Avenue - Stratton 250
Richmond, KY 40475
eku.edu
Dr. Dunlap holds a Doctorate of Education (Ed.D.) from the University of Memphis and an MS in Loss Prevention and Safety from Eastern Kentucky University. Scotty is a professional member of the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) and is a Board-Certified Safety Professional (CSP). He has had a fifteen (15) year career in practice and over twelve (12) years in academia. He began his career in safety as a Safety Specialist at a state psychiatric hospital in a suburb of Baltimore, Maryland. He then moved on to be a Safety and Security Manager at an AutoZone distribution center in central Ohio and then spent six (6) years in the grain industry working for Cargill in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) in Decatur, Illinois. He served as corporate health and safety director for both organizations in their respective grain divisions. He then led Environment Safety and Health initiatives for Nike in Memphis where most of the equipment, footwear, and apparel is distributed in the U.S. and Nike’s dot-com business is operated. In his most recent role, Scotty is a tenured Professor in EKU’s graduate Safety Security and Emergency Management program. In addition to his work responsibilities, Scotty served in several leadership roles in two-grain industry trade organizations, the Grain Elevator and Processing Society and the National Grain and Feed Association. He was a featured grain industry speaker at numerous national and regional conferences throughout the U.S. and Canada. Scotty has also been a previous speaker at ASSP Professional Development Conferences and the National Safety Congress. Scotty is a past member of the ASSP Risk Assessment Institute and Technical Advisory Group for ISO 45001 (PC 283), a global standard on Occupational Safety and Health Management. Scotty is a published writer on such topics as OSHA compliance, DOT compliance, behavior-based safety, and organizational safety culture. His most substantial works have been publishing books on motor carrier safety, loss control auditing, and school safety. He also published “Protecting Our Most Valuable Asset”, a safety leadership book for operations management. His current research is in the areas of health and safety management systems and the impact of females on the decline of the volunteer fire service. His research on females in the volunteer fire service resulted in his production of the mini-documentary “Frametown”, which has aired on PBS affiliates in West Virginia and Kentucky and is now available to the public on YouTube. The film has been nominated for an Ohio Valley Region Emmy Award.
Mark French, PhD., MBA, CSP, ASP, SPHR, EMT
TDSA Consulting
616 Knob Creek Road
Fulton, KY 42041
tdsaconsulting.com
Dr. French is focused on creating a workplace that is both physically and psychologically safe. As CHRO of Dalkia US, Mark’s focus has been on creating leadership training and empowerment programs, safety systems, and total wellness initiatives. As the owner of TDSA Consulting, he spends time helping organizations learn about their leaders’ unique strengths to create a culture of total safety. He also is a blogger and podcaster about safety leadership. Mark lives on a small farm in rural west Kentucky with his wife, two (2) children, three (3) cats, one (1) dog, and an assortment of woodland creatures. In his spare time, he enjoys golf, Xbox, and being the family dungeon master.
Peter Gentles
UAW Health & Safety
8000 Jefferson Avenue
Detroit, MI 48214
Mr. Gentles is a UAW local 600 Reg 1A employee, as well as the UAW H&S Representative (LUDL) and Authorized OSHA Outreach Trainer
Tyler Henson, OT, CHT
Foundation Hand and Physical Therapy
350 Radio Park Drive, Suite 1
Richmond, Kentucky 40475
foundationhandandpt.com
Mr. Henson is an Occupational Therapist and Certified Hand Therapist with eleven (11) years’ experience. Tyler has experience with industrial rehabilitation and worker’s compensation patients, including two (2) years of experience on-site with the Hand Clinic with Toyota Manufacturing of Kentucky.
Steve Hilton
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
200 Mero Street
Frankfort, KY 40601
transportation.ky.gov
Mr. Hilton has been in safety since 2016, starting with the Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet as a compliance officer. This position consisted of investigating workplace accidents and fatalities. Steve’s current position is with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet as a Safety Administrator. As a safety professional, he understands the value of promoting a safety culture where the employee’s safety is the Cabinet’s first priority.
Sarah Jemison, BA, CPS
Seven Counties Services, Inc.
10401 Linn Station Road, Suite 100
Louisville, KY 40223
sevencounties.org
Ms. Jemison, Military Family Resiliency Specialist, works for Seven Counties Services, Inc. Sarah works with local, state, and national agencies and organizations to develop and coordinate evidence-based strategies to increase resilience within military and veteran families. She provides training and consultation on capacity building, community engagement, and best practices in working with military families. Sarah developed and currently coordinates the Kentucky Purple Star Award Program and the Yellow Ribbon Resiliency Program. Her innovative work supporting and advocating for military and veteran families has been recognized throughout the state. She received a Certificate of Recognition from the Robley Rex Veteran Affairs Medical Center in 2020, the Kentucky Prevention Specialist of the Year Award in 2021, and a Certificate of Recognition from the Kentucky Department of Veteran Affairs in 2022. She received her bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Criminology from Saint Leo University and her Prevention Specialist Certification from the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium.
Haley Kincer, Esq.
Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet
Department of Workplace Standards
Office of General Counsel
500 Mero Street, 3rd Floor
Frankfort KY 40601
elc.ky.gov
Mrs. Kincer is a graduate from Salmon P. Chase College of Law. She joined the Education and Labor Cabinet in 2019 and has been litigating complex legal matters involving occupational safety and health, wages and hours, and personnel law. Haley enjoys spending her free time kayaking, drinking coffee, and hanging out with her husband and two (2) cats.
Hannah Mitchell, CSP
Dynacraft, A PACCAR Company - Louisville, KY
1174 Jackson Hollow Roads
Shepherdsville, KY 40165
paccar.com
Ms. Mitchell holds a Master of Science from Columbia Southern University in Occupational Safety and Health. Hannah is a professional member of the American Society of Safety Professionals, the Board of Certified Safety Professionals, and the Kentucky Safety and Health Network. She also has over fifteen (15) years’ experience in the safety field and is continuing that career as a Safety Manager at Dynacraft. In this position, Hannah is involved in many different machine safety design discussions, risk assessment meetings and development, and machine safety buyoffs. She is trained and certified as an ANSI B11 Machine Safety Specialist. Before the position with Dynacraft, Hannah was the Safety Director for the Kentucky Department of Corrections for several years. Hannah has presented safety material in many different capacities to many different types and sizes of audiences throughout her career. She also has had the opportunity to present at a national conference.
Bill Mullins
Kentucky Fire Commission
630 College Drive
Elizabethtown KY 42701
kyfirecommission.kctcs.edu
Mr. Mullins is the KY Fire Commission State Fire Rescue Training Specialist for Districts 5, 6, and 7 and assists with training recruits at the Kentucky Fire Academy in Greenville. Bill began working at the Fire Commission part time in 2016 as an adjunct instructor until being employed full-time with the Fire Commission in November 2022. Bill’s entry into the fire service came in 1994 with the Central Hardin Fire Department. He held the position of Lieutenant when he left to become a career firefighter with the City of Elizabethtown in January 1998. He served with Elizabethtown Fire Department until June 2018, working as an Engineer for ten (10) years, rode Rescue for five (5) years and held the positions of Chaplain, Safety Officer, Lieutenant and Captain. His favorite aspect of his job is seeing our great state and sharing our craft with the great firefighters across the Commonwealth. Outside of the fire service you can find Bill spending time with family, attending church, farming, tractor pulling, off roading, going on cruises and participating in anything outdoors.
Kristi Murtha
Christian County Chamber of Commerce
2800 Fort Campbell Boulevard
Hopkinsville, KY 42240
Ms. Murtha is currently the Military Affairs Director for the Christian County Chamber of Commerce. Her program welcomes, advocates, and supports military-connected families on and around Fort Campbell while bringing more awareness to the region and Kentucky. She is a proud military spouse of ten (10) years and mother to three (3) young children. She is passionate about military families knowing their resources. Over the past twelve (12) months, her program has helped the entirety of the county (fifteen (15) schools) into becoming Purple Star Schools and helped facilitate a UH-1H helicopter frame and engine donation for the local technical high school in order to create a new Aviation Mechanic Program. She also serves on the Armed Services YMCA and AUSA Board.
Ken Nichter, EMT, CHST, SMS
Louisville Gas and Electric
10300 Ballardsville Road
Louisville, KY 40241
www.lge-ku.com
Mr. Nichter is an accomplished safety and training professional with twenty-five (25) years’ experience in safety, regulatory interpretation, compliance, emergency services response and management, as well as training delivery and design. He is the President of the Kentucky Safety and Health Network, Inc.
Jonathan Pennington, BS
OSHA Training Institute Education Center
521 Lancaster Avenue
Perkins 202
Richmond, KY 40475
osha.eku.edu
Mr. Pennington is President of Health and Safety Sciences, LLC. He has a B.S. in Occupational Safety and Health and an M.B.A. in Public Administration from Columbia Southern University. Mr. Pennington’s areas of expertise include lock out/tag out, respiratory protection, confined space, hazardous materials response, and industrial emergency response, among others. He is a Certified Safety Professional, Registered Professional Industrial Hygienist, and Certified Protection Professional.
Jeff Raymer, CSM, CSMS
Barton Malow Company
26500 American Drive
Southfield, MI 48034
bartonmalow.com
Mr. Raymer has over forty (40) years of experience with General Motors Global Workplace Safety and Barton Malow Company in construction, general industry, and change management. Jeff has also served as an International UAW Health and Safety Representative. In his current role as Senior Safety Manager at Barton Malow Company, Jeff continues to oversee projects ranging from $8 million to over $5 billion in the United States and Mexico. He possesses technical skills and knowledge that designate him as an SME for fall protection, confined spaces, scaffolding, and many other technical courses that he has developed and delivered internally to Barton Malow Company’s management and craft labor. Jeff is an OSHA Authorized trainer for construction and the general industry. Most recently, Jeff has been one of the team members that developed and implemented a revamped safety training program for all levels of Barton Malow Company which provides the requirements for each level, frequency of training, how to enroll and participate in specific training, and the tracking of each team member’s training records.
Eddie Runyon, AA, BAS, Wicklander-Zulawski Interview and Interrogation
Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet
Mayo-Underwood Building
500 Mero Street, 3rd Floor
Frankfort, KY 40601
elc.ky.gov
Mr. Runyon holds an AA in Business and Industrial Security and Loss Prevention and a BS in Loss Prevention Management, both from Eastern Kentucky University. Eddie received his certification in Wicklander-Zulawski Interview and Interrogation Techniques and has received professional training at the OSHA Training Institute, making him a subject matter expert on whistleblower regulations and investigations. He has twenty-four (24) years’ experience in the field, conducting a wide variety of investigations. He began his career as a Loss Prevention Manager with Shoe Carnival, a $1.03 billion dollar retailer of family-owned footwear. There his work driving tactical plans that aligned asset protection, safety, and business strategies earned him the Loss Prevention Manager of the Year award. After assisting in the development of their Loss Prevention Manager training program, Eddie worked as a District Loss Prevention and Safety Manager for Lowe's Home Improvement. While at Lowe's Home Improvement, Eddie also served as the Market's Organized Retail Crime Captain, investigating high theft item patterns and trends, and identifying gangs that were targeting the stores in his district. Eddie has spent the past four (4) years working as an OSH Discrimination Investigator for the Education and Labor Cabinet, Division of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Compliance conducting whistleblower investigations. During this time, he was instrumental in developing and improving the KY OSH discrimination investigation program. His thorough and impartial investigations have led to many early resolutions, which benefit both the complainant and the employer, and resulted in Kentucky OSH ranking first in the nation for state plans for early resolutions. In addition to his work experience, Eddie has previously served as the second VP of the Kentucky chapter of the National Society of Professional Insurance Investigators and currently serves as a Commissioner of the Kentucky Commission of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
Todd Schulkers
Kenton County Homeland Security Emergency Management
1840 Simon Kenton Way, Suite 2400
Covington, KY 41011
kentoncounty.org
Deputy Director Schulkers began his career with the Erlanger Fire Department in 1986, retiring in 2014 as Assistant Fire Chief. He is currently an Adjunct Instructor with Gateway Community and Technical College through the KCTS / State Fire Rescue Training along with the Kentucky Fire Commissioner where is involved in educating and instructing firefighting courses, disaster management, and the All Hazards Type 4/5 Incident Management Team courses. Since 2015, Todd has served as the Deputy Director at Kenton County Homeland Security Emergency Management. He also serves as one of the Command Staff for the Kentucky All Hazards Incident Management team and has been deployed to numerous incidents throughout the last thirty-five (35) years including the Oklahoma Bombing, Hurricane Katrina, Western Kentucky tornado outbreak 2021, and the Eastern Kentucky flood disaster.
Brandon Sharkey, CIH, CSP
Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet
Department of Workplace Standards
Division of OSH Education and Training - KYSAFE
500 Mero Street, 3rd Floor
Frankfort, KY 40601
kysafe.ky.gov
Mr. Sharkey is a Certified Industrial Hygiene Consultant for the Education and Labor Cabinet, Division of Education and Training - KYSAFE. Brandon graduated in 2007 from Eastern Kentucky University with an Environmental Health Science degree. He worked as an abatement specialist through college performing site remediation for locations contaminated with lead, asbestos, and other harmful contaminants, learning firsthand from the employee perspective the importance of health and safety management systems. After graduation, Brandon transitioned into people leadership focusing on creating safe and healthy work cultures for employees. In July of 2018, he joined the Division of OSH Education and Training, KYSAFE, with a passion to help teach employers how to effectively create and institute these management systems for their businesses to ensure the safety of the Kentucky worker.
Webb Strang
Eastern Kentucky University
521 Lancaster Avenue
250 Stratton Building
Richmond, Kentucky 40475-3102
eku.edu
Mr. Strang has worked in safety, security, and crisis management for fifteen (15) years and has leadership experience in both private and public sectors. Webb is a Certified Safety Professional, a Certified Protection Professional, and a Certified Emergency Manager. He holds a Master of Science in Justice Administration from the University of Louisville, a Master of Science in Safety, Security, and Emergency Management from Eastern Kentucky University, and a Bachelor of Arts in History from Centre College. Webb enjoys building safety culture and seeing all aspects of an organization grow in safety ownership and impact.
Davey Sullivan
Nucor Steel Gallatin
831 US-42
Ghent, KY 41045
nucor.com
Mr. Sullivan’s steel making journey started in 1994 at Gallatin Steel in Ghent. Through the years, Davey has held many roles in operations and maintenance, such as Team Lead, Supervisor, Safety Team Leader, and Safety Advocate. He is a certified 6G Pipe Welder and has spent many hours in the Fab Shop. Davey has been a member of six (6) VPP Safety Teams, as well as the Team Lead for the Energy Isolation Team. Davey developed a competition that utilized the Critical Task Analysis, which was designed to lower hazards across the division while raising money for the local Shop with A Cop Program in Gallatin County. Davey became a KY OSH VPP certified auditor in 2016. He was awarded a United States patent as co-inventor of a device to utilize a safer means to remove a bottom electrode from a DC Electric Arc Furnace. In 2022, Davey was asked to take on the role as Safety Director of Nucor Steel Gallatin. He is the Sunday School Superintendent and Song Leader at his church and serves on several church committees. Davey is married to his wife Andrea, and they have a seventeen (17) year old daughter, Kember, who plans to attend Thomas More University this fall.
Willard E. Tucker
State Fire Rescue Training District 6
Assistant Fire Chief, Shelbyville Fire Rescue
wtucker0002@kctcs.com
A thirty-eight (38) year veteran of the fire service, Mr. Tucker retired as Fire Chief at Shelbyville in 2014 only to continue his career at Eastwood and Anchorage Middletown Fire and EMS before returning to Shelbyville as Assistant Chief in 2019. With a Fire Safety Engineering degree from Eastern KY University, he has trained in Confined Space since 1993 and taught HazMat and Confined Space for UofL Hazmat Training Center from 1995-2005 and has been an adjunct instructor for State Fire Rescue Training for over twenty (20) years.
Jack Tussey
UAW Health & Safety
8000 Jefferson Avenue
Detroit, MI 48214
Mr. Tussey retired from Trane Air Condition in Lexington Kentucky (1969-2011). He is a Senior Safety Committeeman for UAW 912. Jack was a UAW Health and Safety Instructor since 2005, retired in 2011 but continues as a UAW Retire. He was on the KSHN Board of Directors representing Labor from 2005-2017. Jack is an Authorized OSHA Trainer for General Industry. He also served in the military ranking as Sergeant Major, Retired, 1970-2011.